Career guidance and Course options after 10th and 12th Schooling

CAREER IN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS Banks are considered the backbone of a country’s economy. It’s truer for a developing country like India. Indian Banking system is very strong. In the global financial turmoil that happened sometime ago, our country was least affected because of soundness of Indian Banking and Financial system. In fact many countries of the world are trying to learn lessons from our disciplined system of Banking. Banks in India are not only strong but are also growing fast. According to studies. Banking sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. This growth has brought many opportunities. Indian Banking Scenario: Regulation of banking system in India started with Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Banks in India used to be in private hands. In 1969, 14 big private banks were nationalized bringing them under the ownership of government. After 11 years, in 1980, six more banks were nationalized. Of these 20 banks, one New Bank of India got merged in Punjab National Bank. Now in all there are 27 public sector banks in the country consisting of 19 nationalized banks and 8 banks from State Bank group (State Bank of India and its associates). In the last two decades Public Sector Banks in India have witnessed a transition from traditional banking to modern technology driven banking. Exposure to competition has made these banks re-engineer and re-structure their processes, systems and product line. After economic liberalization these banks have been given enough freedom to do so. However, for various matters these are required to follow guidelines issued by Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India and Indian Banks Association. Post nationalization, the Banks were asked to open more branches in rural areas. Large number of people were recruited to man these newly opened branches. Expanded network gave a new identity to these banks and millions of new customers came to the fold of Banking. The business of Banking moved from class banking to mass banking. Manpower requirements: Public sector banks in India employ more than 7 lakh people at present. Of these a large number of people will be retiring in next 5-6 years. To fill this gap and to take up the growing business the Banks are on a recruiting spree as can be seen in media and from vacancy announcements. Only this year about 40,000 vacancies have been created in public sector banks due to retirements, resignations and expansion of business. Earlier recruitments in public sector banks were made through Banking Service Recruitment Boards. Each board was taking care of manpower requirements of 3-5 banks in a certain geographical area. Now the boards have been abolished and each public sector bank may announce its own recruitment process for the number of people required from time to time. Thus more such advertisements are seen these days. Another change is seen in lateral hiring by these banks. Earlier officers were recruited only in Junior Management Grade. Now public sector banks are offering direct employment in middle and senior management cadres as well. Thus for both fresher and experienced people career opportunities are available in public sector banks. To meet their manpower requirements these banks are presently recruiting in large numbers both in clerical and officer cadre. Clerical Positions: A clerk is mostly a front staff in a bank. Depending on the requirement clerks are placed at different counters of the banks e.g. savings, deposit, current deposit, term deposit, retail loans, cash credit, agricultural loans, credit cards, government business, cash receipt or payment etc. Maximum customer interface in banks occurs at these counters managed by clerical staff. Eligibility for Clerks: The minimum age for applying for the position of a clerk in nationalized or private sector banks is 18 years. The maximum age limit is 28 years. There is no uniformity with regard to educational qualification for eligibility. This becomes clear from the recently advertised positions of clerks in different banks. In one bank graduates with minimum 40% marks are considered eligible while another banks is accepting candidates with 60% marks in aggregate in 12th standard. Those having an university degree (in any class) could also apply. This bank has put another condition of having secured minimum 60% marks in mathematics at SSC/10th standard. As most of the recruitments in clerical cadre in public sector banks are made state-wise, the candidate applying for the post in a particular State is expected to be proficient in the language of the State. Proficiency means knowing to read, write, speak and understand the language. Examination pattern for clerks; Eligible candidates are asked to appear in a written examination. This written examination is objective in nature consisting of four papers viz Test of reasoning ability and numerical aptitude Test of clerical aptitude Test of English language Test of General awareness The structure of written examination may differ from bank to bank. To qualify in the written test the candidate should pass in each of the objective test separately with required minimum qualifying marks. It is also necessary that the candidate obtains a certain percentage of marks to be eligible for moving to next stage of selection. From those who get the qualifying marks as above, the bank calls a fixed number of people to appear in the interview process. The number of people called for interview is in a certain proportion of available vacancies. This interview is a simple process in which question about candidates’   academic and cultural background, career goals etc. are asked. Effort is also made to know about his aptitude for the job and customer orientation etc. Most of the people applying for a clerks position in the bank are fresh from college. They should be ready to answer questions about their choice of subjects, streams etc. From people who are employed or have work experience, questions may be asked about the job or assignments they have been handling. In case of interview also minimum qualifying marks are prescribed. The final merit list is drawn by adding up marks obtained by the candidate in the written test and interview. Career Prospects: Finally selected candidates can look forward to a fruitful career in the bank, they join. All public sector banks provide training to new employees for equipping them to take up their assignments. Induction training which happens immediately or soon after joining is the first training programme they attend. Subsequently they are offered training in various banking disciplines. Public sector banks are few organizations which offer promotion from one cadre to another. Thus those who join as clerks may be promoted as officers, as per banks norms. For bright candidates, in some banks, this promotion from a clerk to officer is possible in a period as short as one year. Recruitments in Officers cadre: Vacancies in officer’s cadre in public sector banks are filled from within the organization after promotion of clerks and also by direct recruitment. To meet the shortage of manpower in officer’s cadre, now days the public sector banks are required to recruit large number of officers. Most of the vacancies for which recruitments are made are in Junior Management Graduate Scale I, which is the entry level position for joining a public sector bank as an officer. This entry level position is known as that of probationary officer or management trainee. Bank probationary officers can come from any discipline or field of study, although there is a misconception that only people from commerce or finance background are eligible. A finance or commerce background may help the candidate adjust to the banking environments faster than others but banks recruit talents from diverse backgrounds of science, literature etc. The minimum age to apply for entry level officers position is 21 years while maximum age may be 26 years or above as decided by individual banks. As regards qualification, the candidate should at least be a graduate from a UGC recognised university. In some banks only first class graduates are considered eligible. For some other banks the minimum percentage of marks required is 55 percent. Those with post graduate qualification may get some relaxation in qualifying percentage of marks, in few cases. There have also been instances of banks preferring to recruit people with post graduate degree or diploma in management. Particular recruitment advertisement should be carefully studied to know the eligibility criteria. The test for probationary officers consists of the following objective papers: General Awareness Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning Verbal Reasoning English Some banks prefer to include a descriptive paper also in the test process. In this paper the candidate is required to write essay and attempt composition. Minimum qualifying marks are prescribed for both objective and subjective papers. Candidates are called for interview on the basis of marks obtained in written examination. Interview for officer’s position is expected to be more comprehensive. Here along with general questions, the interview panel may try to judge the candidates understanding of nation's economy, issues before the economy etc. One should always be ready to answer questions like ‘why you want to choose banking as a career?’, ‘what are your expectation from the job’ etc. Also questions relating to earlier job experiences may be asked. For getting selected a candidate should do    well both in written examination and interview. Recruitment in higher scales: With some experience one can expect to join a public sector bank in a higher scale. Most of the vacancies in higher scales exist in Middle Management Grade II or III. Of course the candidate should fulfill the eligibility criteria as regards to age and qualification. The experience required for higher scales keeps changing from bank to bank, it may be one year or more. Professionally qualified people (with qualifications like MBA, CA etc) stand better chance in this regard. Campus Recruitments: Since last 3-4 years public sector banks have started recruiting from campuses. This campus recruitment covers only a small part of their manpower needs but it has opened a new window of opportunity to students wanting to make a career in banks. From campuses banks are taking MBAs from different disciplines, agriculture graduates, chartered accountants etc. Career Progression: There is a well defined career progression path in each public sector bank. Performance and potential are key elements which determine this career progression. Most senior officials in public sector banks started their career as clerk or scale I officer only. In tune with the time banks have reviewed their promotion policy and now for bright, hardworking and knowledgeable employees it takes less time to move to higher scales. In many banks a person who joined as an officer may reach to the position of Genera Manager in 14 years. After that one can aspire for the position of executive director or chairman of a bank. These are very high positions, nomination to which is decided by the Government and not by the individual banks. Many public sector banks have a network of foreign branches. Thus joining a public sector bank gives you the opportunity of working abroad also. Transferability in a bank job provides you the chance of seeing different parts of the country. To Conclude: Public sector banks may not offer fancy financial packages which multinational and few other companies offer. But the compensation in these banks with the recent wage revision and including perquisites is quite good. And there is an element of job security too. The housing and medical facilities are also considered attractive. The expansion mode in which public sector banks in India are, is creating large number of opportunities for young people to choose banking as their career. Career progression of Officers Junior Management Grade – Scale I: Officer Middle Management Grade – Scale II: Manager Middle Management Grade – Scale III: Senior Manager Senior Management Grade – Scale IV: Chief Manager Senior Management Grade Scale V: Assistant General Manager Top Management Grade Scale VI: Deputy General Manager Top Management Grade Scale VII: General Manager Public Sector Banks in India Punjab National Bank Bank of Baroda Bank of India Canara Bank Allahabad Bank Andhra Bank Bank of Maharashtra Central Bank of India Corporation Bank Dena Bank Indian Bank Indian Overseas Bank Oriental Bank of Commerce Punjab and Sind Bank Syndicate Bank UCO Bank United Bank of India Union Bank of India Vijaya Bank State Bank of India State Bank of Indore State Bank of Hyderabad State Bank of Patiala State Bank of Mysore State Bank of Saurashtra State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur State Bank of Travancore (Author: Vijay Prakash Srivastava, HRD, Div, Bank of India, Star House 9th Floor, Bandra – Kurla Complex, Mumbai – 400051) CAREER IN TRAINING AND PLACEMENT Of late, Training and Placement has emerged as one of the leading departments in most organizations, irrespective of their orientation. It has become a department of utmost importance in corporate world as well as in academic institutions catering to the developmental needs of human recourses at each level. The fundamental function of the Training and Placement department is to identify the training needs of different stakeholders in the organization and organize the need-based training programs in order to prepare them for taking challenges in different capacities. For instance, in the corporate world, the department organizes aptitude training, soft skills development, and technical training for employees across the hierarchy while in academic institutions; the department emphasizes more upon developing students’ skills regarding group discussion, oral presentation, and job interview. The department also maintains liaison with various industries and corporate companies and invites them for vocational training and campus recruitment programs. There are three basic functions of Training and Placement department—to train and help the students place in reputed organizations, to cultivate the potential abilities of employees, and act as liaison agent between the institution and the employees. Training and Placement: In an educational institution, Training and Placement department offers the students specialized training programs on how to structure their resume, participate in a group discussion, successfully face job interviews, and make good presentation, in order to enable each student to meet the corporate expectations and get them placed in reputed companies. These programs aim at enabling the students to gain a competitive edge in the recruitment process, groom their confidence, and develop their personality. In corporate world, the department offers certain kind of technical and behavioral training to the employees to become resilient, productive, and efficient. It also helps in-house placement of employees in suitable position in the organization based on their competencies and skills. Cultivating Potential Abilities: The Training and Placement department identifies the training needs of faculty and staff in the educational institution and employees in the corporate sector, through their performance and self appraisal. For instance, there are a number of faculty members who are gifted with a lot of technical knowledge and potential but fail to communicate properly; such people need certain training in communication and presentation skills. In order to fulfill these training needs, the department organizes various workshops, conferences, seminars, special lectures, and specific quality improvement programs. This training is provided to cultivate their potential and contributes towards their professional development and improvement in career prospects. As a Liaisoning Agent: The Training and Placement department also maintains liaison with various industries, organizations, and institutes. In the educational institution, it provides opportunities to the students regarding their summer/vocational training and internship. These organizations are also invited for various industrial talks, visits, and final recruitment. In the corporate world, the department interacts with reputed academic and research institutes in order to organize various management development programs and module based technical training programs. Career Prospects: Training and Placement Consultant: After completing the degree in Human Resource Management  from a reputed institute, one can go for independent consultancy services for various job-seekers by fine-tuning resumes, organizing training programs, supporting in job searches, arranging interviews and supporting their placement in suitable jobs. In the contemporary times, there is a huge demand for consultants in various reputed consultancies to train the employees of various organizations. which can be a better career option for the candidate. Training and Placement Officer: Most of the corporate and educational institutes are now providing technical training including training related to soft skills, interpersonal communication, problem solving, spirituality and work ethics. This in turn has a very positive impact on employees’ personal lives on one hand and increases the productivity of the organization on the other. So after completing a course in Human Resource Management, one can get a job of Training and Placement Officer in corporate world and educational institutions or earn handsome amount. Event Manager: Recently event management has been recognized as an important area in corporate and educational institutions. In corporate world these events are generally in the form of arranging International conferences, workshops and various training activities related to technology, yoga, meditation and etc. In educational institutions these events are generally organized in the form of job-fairs where students are exposed to various dimensions of training and placement in reputed companies. Although people with degree or experience in event management are encouraged  to make career in this area, however, after completing a course in Human Resource Management, one may  also get an opportunity to work  as a  Training event coordinator/ manager in educational institutions and corporate world. Education: In order to make career in the area of Training and Placement, the candidates are expected to have post-graduate degree or diploma in Human Resource Management, however, people with different background but sufficient work-experience in the area of Training and Placement, may also be given an opportunity.  Though there are a number of institutes and universities offering post graduate degree and diploma in Human Resource Management, here are a few institutes who offer specialized programs in Human Resource Management: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata Indian Institute of Management, Indore X L R I, Jamshedpur Management Development Institute, Gurgaon Indian Society for Training and Development, New Delhi* Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur** ** Provides a special M. Tech. in Human Resource Development and Management. This degree is offered from the   Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Kharagpur. *Provides diploma in Training and Development with distance learning facility and this is useful for working employees/faculties, who want to shift or make their career in Training and Placement. (The above list is indicative only) Placement: After completing the degree or diploma in Human Resource Management from any of the above institutes, one can get a job in any public or private organization, educational institutions, or can setup his own Training and Placement consultancy. Initially, the Training and Placement Officer can earn somewhere between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000 per month which increases over the years. (The Authors are Research Scholars in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee) CAREER IN HUMAN RIGHTS The experience of past two decades has demonstrated thecrucial importance of human rights. Traditionally, the human rights violation occurred due to State or its actors, however, the contemporary time has witnessed human rights violations by individuals, institutions and at societal levels. Over the years, the National Human Rights Commissions of India has been recording and reporting a number of human rights violations including civil, political, social and economic rights. These violations and victimizations are with regard to the issues concerning right to food, right to health, right to education, rights of women against violence and exploitation, rights of Children against abuse and exploitation, rights of migrants and their violation based on caste, creed, region and region. Nature of Job: The human rights field has huge potential and need for multiple professionals. Work in human rights can be challenging and intense. Organizations use a variety of disciplines in their approach to Social Justice, Juvenile Justice, Gender Justice, Custodial Justice, and now emerging area of Climate Justice including direct service, monitoring & evaluation, lobbying and networking, advocacy, policy development, documenting and research. Activities include research focusing on preventing and ending human rights abuses in all regions of the world, monitoring human rights development, conducting on-site fact finding and investigations, writing case studies and reports on human rights conditions, engaging in advocacy to publicize and curtail human rights violations, litigation, lobbying, and promoting human rights practices in social and political structures. In addition, human rights professionals provide advisory and educational services, refugee assistance, victim’s rehabilitation, policy analysis for national and international institutions, assistance in institution building and project development and management in the field of human rights based civil society organizations. The human rights based job includes; Human rights activist, Human rights defender, Human rights analyst, Human rights professional, Human rights researcher, Human rights programmer, Human rights advocate, Human rights worker, Human rights teacher, Human rights consultant, Human rights campaigner, Human right fundraiser Human rights manager. Skills required Writing skills Management skills Legal skills Communication Skills Reporting skills Research Skills Interviewing skills Language skill Inter-personal communication skills Documenting skills Fundraising skills Crisis Response Skills Advocacy Skills Active Listening and questioning Skills Teamwork skills Analytical and critical thinking skills Negotiating and Mediating Skills Conflict Resolution Skills Networking Skills Organizations working in Human Rights: Having a Degree or Diploma or Certificate in Human Rights, one can work in the human rights field with a broad spectrum. There are governmental (National and State Human Rights Bodies), intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (Amnesty International, CRY, Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives, Asian Centre for Human Rights, South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre, PUCL and PUDR etc). Besides, a number of UN agencies working on the human rights issues might be useful for human rights, based employments in India and overseas as UNDP ((United Nations Development Programme), UNDESA (UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs), World Bank,  UNICEF (UN Children Fund), UNEP( UN Environment Programme), UNFPA (UN Population Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund), UN- HABITAT (UN Human Settlements Programme), FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization),  IFAD  (International Fund for Agricultural Development), ILO(International Labour Organization), ITU(International Telecom Union), UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS), UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development), UNDG (UN Development Group), UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ), UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization),  UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women), OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ), UNRWA(UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ), WFP (World Food Programme). Remuneration: The salary in the field of human rights depend upon the nature of job such as permanent, temporary, ad-hoc and project based assignments. However, the higher remuneration and various other benefits depend upon which sector one is working like government, non-government organization, corporate houses or International Organization and even whether person is working in India or abroad. Where to Study and Eligibility: Most of the University Departments offering a Post-Graduate or Under-Graduate programs have Human Rights as one of their main subjects. Some Universities, Colleges, Institutions and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) also offer Diploma and Certificate.  The Eligibility to take admission in these courses is generally a Bachelor’s degree in any stream having some understanding of human rights issues. ACADEMIC COURSES IN HUMAN RIGHTS: A number of Universities/Institutes offer certificate, diploma and degree courses in Human Rights. 1.  DEGREE COURSE Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Andhra University, Visakhapatnam Cochin University of Science & Technology, Kochi Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara Sri Venkatesswara University, Tirupati M.D. University, Rohtak      Berhampur University, Berhampur Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 2.      DIPLOMA COURSE University of Mumbai, Mumbai Nagpur University, Nagpur Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Saurashtra University, Rajkot University of Madras, Chennai University of Jammu, Jammu Tawi Pondicherry University, Pondicherry University of Mysore, Mysore J.N. Vyas University, Jodhpur Mohanlal Sukhadia, Udaipur University of Kalyani, Kolhapur Madurai Kamraj University, Maduari H.P. University, Simla University of Kashmir, Srinagar Indian Law Institute, New Delhi Indian Institute of Human Rights, New Delhi CERTIFICATE COURSE Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore National Law School of India University, Bangalore Berhampur University, Berhampur S.N.D.T. Womens University, Mumbai Arunachal University Manipur University Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded Lamka Govt. College, Manipur Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi (The above lists are indicative only) (Concluded); (The Author is Research Officer Centre for Socio-Legal Studies  and Human Rights, School of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai-400088] CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN SIDDHA MEDICINE The term ‘Siddha’ means achievement.  Group of Saints known as Siddhars have developed the Siddha medical system during different periods of time.  The word ‘Siddhar’ is derived from ‘Siddhi’, which means ‘Eternal Bliss’. Siddhars have achieved supreme knowledge in herbal medicine and enlightened spiritually as well.  In short, Siddha Medicine means ‘Medicine that is eternally perfect’. Origin and Development: Siddha system of medicine is about 10,000 years old. Siddha system is the oldest medical system in India. Several Siddhars have contributed towards the development of this medical system, among them there are 18 prominent Siddhars. Of these 18 Siddhars, Agasthiyar is considered as the foremost and his work is considered as outstanding in Siddha Medicine. Agasthiyar occupies the same position as that of Hippocrates, the Greek physician who is considered as father of medicine. The Palani hill in Tamil Nadu is rich in medicinal plants and it was the abode of Siddhars. The literature of Siddha medicine is available in Classical Tamil and it is mainly practiced in Southern part of India. Basic Concept and Principles: The basic concept of the Siddhars, ‘food is medicine and medicine is food’ very appropriately captures the holistic approach adopted by Indian systems of Medicine. According to Siddha medicine, there are seven elements viz. saram (plasma), cheneer (blood), ooun (muscle), kozhuppu (fat), elumbu (bone), moolai (nerve) and inthiriyam (semen) that are responsible for physical, physiological and psychological functions of the human body. These seven elements are activated by three components or humors viz. vatha (air), pitha (fire or heat or energy) and kapha (water).  It is believed that these three components or humors are normally available in a particular ratio in our body. When the equilibrium of these three humors is disturbed in our body, various disorders or diseases are caused. The major factors that affect or disturb the equilibrium state of these three humors (tridhoshas) in our body are diet, physical activities, environmental factors and stress.  Use of metals and minerals is predominant in Siddha medicine when compared to other Indian systems of medicine (ISM). Pulse reading, examining the body by touch, voice, color, eyes, tongue, urine and stool are the major basic diagnoses in identifying the diseases and disorders. Siddha medicine also practices Varma (vital points). Siddha medicine instructs the patients ‘to do certain things’ and ‘not to do certain things’, during the medication. The treatment of Siddha medicine is aimed at keeping the three humors at equilibrium state in the body thereby keeping the seven elements in normal condition to have a healthy body and mind. Formal Medical Education: To become a Siddha medical practitioner, a formal medical education is mandatory. There are many Siddha medical colleges which offer undergraduate degree viz. Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (B.S.M.S.), a 5½ years course including a 6 months or 1-year internship period. After completion of this course, one can opt for a Postgraduate degree in Siddha Medicine, i.e.  M.D. (Siddha), a 3 years course. To secure admission into B.S.M.S. course, minimum eligibility is Higher Secondary Course (10 + 2) with the subjects in Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Botany and Zoology. Generally, admission/selection for this course is made based on a Common Entrance Examination. A list of government and private Medical colleges, Universities and Institutions, which offer undergraduate and/or postgraduate courses in Siddha medicine are given below. Government Siddha Medical College, Arumpakkam, Chennai - 600106 (offers both BSMS & MD Siddha). Government Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai - 627002, Tamil Nadu (BSMS & MD Siddha). National Institute of Siddha, Tambaram Sanatorium, Chennai - 600047 (MD Siddha) The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, 69, Anna Salai, Guindy, Chennai - 600032 (MD Siddha). Government Siddha Medical College, Palani - 624601, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu (BSMS). Sri Sai Ram Siddha Medical College, Sai Leo Nagar, Poonthandalam, West Tambaram, Chennai – 600044 (BSMS). R.V.S. Siddha Medical College & Hospital, Kumaran Kottam, Kannampalayam, Coimbatore – 641402, Tamil Nadu (BSMS). A.T.S.V.S Siddha Medical College, Munchirai, Pudukkadai - Post, Kanyakumari – District, Tamil Nadu. PIN: 629171 (BSMS). Velu Mailu Siddha Medical College, No. 48, Grand west trunk road, Sriperumbudur – 602105, Kancheepuram – District, Tamil Nadu (BSMS). Sivaraj Siddha Medical College, Siddhar Kovil Road, Thumbathulipatty, Salem - 636307, Tamil Nadu (BSMS) Santhigiri Siddha Medical College, Santhigiri - P.O., Pothencode, Tiruvanantha-puram – 695584, Kerala (BSMS). (The list is indicative only): Siddha medical system is unique in many ways, which can cure many dreadful diseases. It has to be popularized among the common public for best possible utilization. To relieve the humanity from the painful illness, more and more Siddha doctors are required. To achieve the goal, more and more Siddha medical colleges/Universities, research institutions are inevitable for the day. Therefore, it is suggested that more educational and research institutions to be opened in major cities of India or at least in the Metro cities of India to impart Siddha medicine, which will contribute to a disease free society to a large extent. Job Opportunities: Siddha medicine is gaining popularity both within the country and abroad because of its wider acceptance as an alternative system of medicine and due to the least side effects as compared to modern medicine. One can choose a career in the field of teaching or research. A wide range of employment opportunities are available for those who opt for a career in Siddha medicine. Depending upon one’s qualification and experience, one can find job in various Government and Private Hospitals, Clinics, Nursing homes, Health Departments, Medical colleges, Drug Research institutes, Pharmaceutical industries etc., which are located in different parts of the country. One can also practice privately as Siddha physician by opening a Siddha clinic. (The Author is a Scientist in Pharmacognosy Section, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah – 711103. E mail) CAREER IN AGRICULTURE  Animal Science in the specialty area it you are interested in careers on the science side of agriculture. Animal scientists conduct research designed to improve the production and processing of meats, fish and dairy products. They use biotechnology to study the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domesticated farm animals. Some animal scientists inspect and grade livestock food products, purchase livestock, or work in technical sales or marketing. As extension agents or consultants, animal scientists advise agricultural producers on how to upgrade animal housing facilities properly, lower mortality rates among their animals, handle waste matter properly, or increase the production of animal products, such as milk or eggs. Agribusiness is a big, business. People with a business background are needed and employed as: marketing and merchandising specialists; sales representatives; agricultural economists; accountants; finance managers, and; commodity traders, just to name a few. And that’s still not all. Other career possibilities exist in the areas of communications & education, social services, and agricultural production. And, even though food production often takes center stage, don’t forget, as we mentioned earlier, that textiles and fibers also makeup a large portion of the agricultural industry. Job Opportunities in Agriculture Placements and Prospects: India is among the largest producers of vegetables and fruits in the world and has an equally strong floriculture base. Today India’s agriculture has become globalize and the idea of integrating Indian agriculture with the world economy is getting support. India has enormous potential as an exporter of agricultural commodities ranging from mushrooms to flowers, spices, cereals, oilseeds and vegetables. The spurt in government support for export of agri-products has evoked considerable interest among the large business houses which have worked out agreements for technology transfer, marketing tie-ups, and management and trading contacts with leading foreign counterparts. Horticulture with its offshoot floriculture has become a focus of export activity. India’s exports of roses, carnations, gladioli, chrysanthemums, jasmine and other tropical plants and flowers are touching new heights.      In the field of fruits and vegetables too, India has tremendous export potential. With the commercialisation of agriculture and horticulture there are varied opportunities for salaried jobs as well as entrepreneurship. While salaried jobs with various government and private concerns provide a regular income, entrepreneurship can generate handsome profits. Landscapers and horticulturists are hired by hotels, health farms, and holiday resorts to beautify their surroundings. Florists and nurseries are doing lucrative business especially in the metropolitan cities. Suburban farmhouses have become important suppliers for the domestic market. Agricultural University: Different agricultural universities recruit agricultural postgraduates for different post from concerned field of specialisation. Following are some of the positions which are generally advertised by agricultural universities- Plant Pathologist, Plant Pathologist, Breeder, Agro-meteorologist, Economic Botanist., Research Engineer, Agronomist, Scientist, and Associate Professor. Other posts are Assistant Scientists, Assistant Professors , District Extension Specialists, Assistant Plant Pathologist , Assistant Bacteriologist, Assistant Botanist, Assistant Soil Chemist, Junior Pedologist, Assistant Economic Botanist, Assistant Fruit Breeder, Assistant Seed Research Officer, Assistant Seed Research Officer, Junior Entomologist, Assistant Breeder, Junior Breeder , Junior Agronomist, Assistant Vegetable Botanist , Seed Production Assistant, Assistant Research Scientist, Assistant Plant Physiologist. Qualification for all above posts is Doctor Degree/ master degree in concerned disciple. However for some posts experience in concerned field is required and for Assistant professor and other teaching post, candidate should be NET qualified (conducted by UGC/ CSIR/ICAR/Other). For senior level post PhD in concerned field is compulsory requirement Indian Council of Agricultural Research: One can choose career under ICAR in the areas of research; one can become an Agricultural Research Scientists (ARS). The recruitment to these posts is made through ARS/ NET examination is conducted for Scientist post and lectureship. Presently first time ASRB has change the ARS/NET exam criteria. Now ASRB will conduct ARS/NET (Preliminary and Main) examination. Only those candidates who qualify the preliminary examination will be called for Main examination. Candidate for ARS interview will be selected on the basis of performance in main examination. Also ICAR has better option for agricultural graduates, postgraduates and for doctorate degree holders. Bachelor degree holder can apply for some technical post in concerned discipline. Also some technical post of level of T-5 (Technical Officer) is better option for postgraduate and above the  Technical(T-5) post like T-6 etc and subject matter specialist in Krishi Vigyan Kendras are better opportunities for PhD degree holders. State Agricultural Departments:One can become an Agriculture Development Officers (ADO). The post is equivalent to that of the Block Development Officers (BDO). Recruitment to these posts is made on the basis of an examination conducted by public service commission/concerned department. You can also apply for the post of a Research Scientist in organisations in the private sector. There, your services may also be utilised in the laboratories in private labs. The desired qualification required for this purpose is of doctoral level i.e. a Ph.D. Banking Sector: After doing your B.Sc. you are eligible to apply for jobs offered by banks, finance sector seed companies, breeding farms, poultry farms and insurance companies etc. Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India and the nationalised banks offer openings for postgraduates in agriculture and allied areas as Field Officers, Rural Development Officers and Agricultural and Probationary Officers. Seed Companies: Another job opportunity is to join seed companies as Seed Officer, Scientist (Breeding, plant protection etc.), and technical and other field jobs. Besides these, job opportunities also exist in the areas of farm management, land appraisal, grading, packaging and labelling. Both in the public and private sectors jobs are also offered in the field of marketing and sales, transportation, farm utilities, storage and warehousing etc. ICRISAT: Another opportunity is to join embassies as Agricultural Specialist and other post. Also ICRISAT is an organisation for research related job of agriculture field. Career Opportunities in Agro - Industry Sector: Agro - industry provides jobs to scientists, engineers, technologists, sales and marketing people, besides the production people. These areas of work relate to production, food processing, grain and seed processing, meat and poultry packing, dairy processing, fats and oils, textiles, fibres, machinery and equipment, fertiliser and lime, pesticides, herbicide, feed manufacturing, constructions, etc. for which people with adequate knowledge, in the respective fields are required. Agricultural Engineering: Agricultural branch of engineering provides better job prospects as compared to other branches. The job is related to activities aimed at improving agriculture, reconstructing rural areas in general and agricultural machinery, power, farm structures, soil and water conservation, rural electrification, etc. AgriculturAL Management: Job opportunities also exist in these relatively new areas. Agriculture related Job opportunities7 are also available in estates and tea gardens. Services Sector: In order to regulate the functions of adequate and timely supply of seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, etc. at genuine price, as also to regulate quality of the food products supplied for consumption by people, there is requirement for people to inspect, grade, quality control chemicals, plants and animal quarantine, agricultural technicians, agricultural consultants, agricultural statisticians, veterinarians, foreign agricultural service, inspection and regulation, food and feed, seed and fertiliser. There are several Government agencies at centre, state and district levels, which appoint of agricultural employees. In addition, at the international level the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation and some other agencies related to the development of agriculture also appoints consultants. Corporations: Various corporations providing job opportunities to agriculturists include National Seed Corporation, State Farm Corporation, Warehousing Corporation and Food Corporation. AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES 1.       Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 2.       Agricultural University Udaipur 3.       Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat. 4.       Assam Agricultural University (AAU) , Jorhat, Assam 785013 5.       Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya (BCKVV), West Bengal 6.       Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Ranchi, Jharkhand. 7.       Central Agricultural University (CAU),Imphal, Manipur 8.       Central Institute on Fisheries Education, Mumbai 9.       Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (PKV) , Akola, Maharashtra 10.    Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry (YSPUH&E), Himachal Pradesh 11.    Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPAU&T), Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh 12.    Gujarat Agricultural University, Sardar Krushinagar Dantiwada (Banaskantha) 13.    Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 14.    Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar 15.    Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (IGKVV), Krishak Nagar, Raipur 16.    Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya(JNKVV),  Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh  17.    Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU), Junagadh, Gujarat  18.    Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (KKV), Dopali, Maharashtra  19.    Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) Kerala  20.    Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur, Rajasthan 21.    Maharashtra Animal Sciences & Fisheries Sciences University (MASFSU), Nagpur, Maharashtra 22.    Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Maharashtra 23.    Marathwada Agricultural University (MAU)   Parbhani, Maharashtra  24.    Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Narendra Nagar Faizabad 25.    Navsaro Agricultural University (NAU), Navsari, Gujarat 26.    National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 27.    Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar 28.    Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 29.    Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner 30.    Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU) Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar  31.    Sardar Vallabah Bhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology (SVBPUAT), Meerut. 32.    Sardar Krishi Nagar-Dantiwada Agricultural University (SADAU), Gujarat 33.    Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Fishery Sciences & Technology (SKUAS&T), Jammu 34.    Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar  (J&K) 35.    Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 36.    Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences  University (TNV&ASU), Chennai 37.    University of Agricultural Sciences, G.K.V.K. Bangalore 38.    University of Agricultural Sciences, Krishi Nagar, Dharwad, Karnataka 39.    UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Pashu Chikitasa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya, Mathura, UP. 40.    Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (UBKV), West Bangal  41.    West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences (WBUA&FS), Kolkata (The list is indicative only) Career in Library and Information Science Librarianship as a profession provides a variety of employment opportunities. Today there are a number of career prospects in Library and Information Science. The qualified professionals are employed in various libraries and information Centers. Trained library professionals can find opportunities for employment both as teacher and as a Librarian. In fact, it is possible to choose the kind of library to suit one’s interest and background. In Librarianship, designations could be Librarian, Documentation Officer, Assistant Librarian, Deputy Librarian, Scientist (Library Science/ Documentation), Library and Information Officer, Knowledge Manager/ Officer, Information Executive, Director/Head of Library Services, Information Officer, and Information Analyst In School, College, Universities; In Central Government Libraries. In the training centers of banks. In National Museum and Archives; In NGOs working in different areas. In R&D Centre like ICAR, CSIR, DRDO, ICSSR, ICHR, ICMR, ICFRE, etc. In Business Houses. In Foreign Embassies and High Commissions. In International Centers like WHO, UNESCO, UNO, World Bank etc. In the libraries of Ministries and other government departments. In National Level Documentation Centers. In Library Networks. In the newspaper libraries. In News Channels. In the Libraries of Radio Stations. In the Databases provider firms. In publishing companies for preparing Index, abstracts, bibliographies etc. In various digital library projects like ‘Digital Library of India’ etc. In Training Academies. The role of libraries in providing widespread and inclusive access to knowledge is widely acknowledged. In today’s context, libraries have to play two distinct roles - to serve as a local centre of information and knowledge, and be a local gateway to national and global knowledge. Some of the issues      under consideration of National Knowledge Commission are: institutional framework of libraries; networking; education, training and research; modernization and computerization of libraries; maintenance of private and personal collections and Staff requirements to meet changing needs. This commission has recommended the formation for the National Library Commission to strengthen the Library networks in India. The Department of Culture (DoC) has proposed setting up a National Mission for Libraries (NML) as a Central Sector Scheme. The NML will cover libraries under the DoC and the activities under it will include: National Census of Libraries; Modernisation including networking of Libraries under DoC; establishing Knowledge Centres and Digital Libraries. Recently under National Mission for Libraries there is a proposal for establishing 7000 libraries having computers with internet facility across the country. It was recommended that the initial recruitment should be direct at the level of library and Information Assistant. The qualification requirement would be graduation and BLISc degree. Thus, the scope of librarianship becomes brighter. Career in LIS is multidimensional, ever growing bright and significantly enriching the knowledge base of the society for prosperity and progress. Courses in LIS  Certificate course in Library and Information science (CLISc or CLIB) Eligibility 10+2 Diploma course in Library and Information Science (DLISC or DLIB) Eligibility 10+2 Bachelor in Library and information science (BLISC or B.LIB) Eligibility Graduate in any discipline from recognized University Master in Library and information Science (MLISC or M.LIB) Eligibility BLISc or B.LIB from recognized University M.Phil in Library and Information science Eligibility MLISC or M.LIB from recognized University Ph.D in library and Information Science Eligibility MLISC from recognized University Course nomenclature and qualifying marks in different courses differ from university to university. Earlier the subject was called library science but now due to information explosion professionals handle information. So library science is changing into information science. A few universities have incorporated this word in the course name but not removed the word library. So some universities provide degree i.e. Bachelor in library and Information Science (BLISC), and Masters in Library and information Science (MLISC), M.Phil in Library and Information science and Ph.D in Library and Information Science and some provide degrees like Bachelor in library Science (B.LIB), and Master in Library Science (M.LIB), M.Phil in Library and Information science and Ph.D in Library Science) The computer and information technology is now being widely used in libraries and information centers to process, store, retrieve and disseminate information. NISCAIR under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi conducts a two-year programme leading to the award of Associateship in Information Science (AIS) and the Documentations Research and Training Centre (DRTC) at the Indian Statistical Institute (Bangalore) offer Associateship in Documentation and Information Science (ADIS).This award is also recognised as equivalent to MLISc degree. These two courses enjoy a good reputation in the employment market. In view of the increasing use of computer and information technology in libraries, several universities in India also have started various courses focusing primarily on information technology and computer. Universities offering courses in LIS: There are about 80 university departments offering the LIS courses. This course is also available through distance learning mode. Two Sanskrit universities, viz., KS Darbhanga Sanskrit University (Bihar), and Sampuranand Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya (Varanasi) offer Pustakalaya Vigyan Shastri (9 months) and Granthalaya Vigyan Shastri (One year) courses respectively. Knowledge of Sanskrit language is an essential requirement. LIS are available in the following Universities/Institutes- Alagappa University, Karaikudi Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh       Allahabad University Annamalai University, Annamalainagar Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Bundelkhand University, Jhansi Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra  Dr. Harisingh Gour Viswavidyalaya, Sagar  Gulbarga University, Gulbarga  Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar HNB Garhwal University Srinagar - Garhwal Jadavpur University, Calcutta Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi  Jiwaji University, Gwalior Karnatak University, Dharwad Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra Nagpur University, Nagpur North Eastern Hill University, Shillong  Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur  Panjab University, Chandigarh  Patna University, Patna  Punjabi University, Patiala Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur Sambalpur University, Sambalpur SNDT Womens’ University, Mumbai University of Delhi, Delhi University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad University of Jammu, Jammu (Tawi) University of Kashmir, Srinagar  University of Lucknow, Lucknow University of Madras, Chennai University of Mysore, Mysore  University of Pune, Pune  University of Rajasthan, Jaipur Vikram University, Ujiain UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad (Distance Education) Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi (Distance Education) Salaries in Library and Information profession The salary varies depending upon the nature of the organizations. Many colleges and universities have adopted UGC scales of salary for the library staff. The library staff in the constituent units of large establishments of the Central Government, such as Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) enjoys salary scales similar to those applicable to scientific staff. Opportunities for upwards mobility based on assessment of performance at intervals, make the job attractive. Persons possessing good academic record and adequate skills in computer and information technology, can look forward to a rewarding career in this profession. (The Author is Assistant Professor Department of Library and Information Science, University of Lucknow, Lucknow.) Radiation Physics as a career option Physics is a branch of science concerned with the study of properties and interactions of space, time, matter and energy. Energy is required in one form or other and is very important for the survival of life on earth and its study attracts lot of attention. Radiation is also energy and is defined as energy (in the form of light, heat or sound) which travels through any medium or space and ultimately absorbed by another body. Radiation physics is a branch of Physics which deals with the interaction of the radiation with matter in general and involves calculation of doses for radiation therapy in medical field in particular. The radiations could be ionizing or non-ionizing depending on the energy carried by the photon. Since the ionizing radiations could be harmful, an important ethical question is the safe extent of exposure of the radiations to humans in the industry, research institutions or for medical diagnostics. From this very property of radiations to harm the human tissues, it is imperative to have trained personnel in the field who can provide the safety measures and expert handling of all such issues. In order to moniter the establishments dealing with radiations, Atomic Energy Regulatory board (AERB) was established on November 15, 1983. Its responsibility is to monitor the establishments using radiations and give them accreditation to use radiation facilities after fulfilling crieteria laid by the board. One of the mandatory requirements is to have radiation safety officer (RSO) in the organisation to monitor the usage of radiation and to curtail the extent of damage caused in case of any uneventful accident. It is hoped that 25,000 MW of nuclear power capacity will be added through imports of nuclear reactors and fuel by 2020. With the increase of nuclear power plants in future, the human recourse for radiation safety measures will increase tremendously. Another area where the Radiation Physicist or Medical Physicist plays important role is the calculation of safe radiation doses in medical treatment with radiations. Here also crucial role of Radiation Physicist comes into play for calculation of doses.   Thus radiation physics could not only be an alluring career option but also a challenging career with an aim for providing safety to the humans engaged in welfare of mankind by making constructive use of radiations. Due to its tremendous scope for research besides application in medical diagnostics this has been a very active field. The field garners lots of interest because it has provided some of the path breaking inventions and has been instrumental in providing improved manufacturing processes, nuclear energy, and advanced medical diagnostic and treatment options. Further the field involves rich physics and generates interest from all, either physicist, biologist, chemists or medical fraternity. It is highly multidisciplinary in nature and is now backbone of the nuclear medical diagnostics. Radiation physics is an active field of research and persons taking it as a career option can also go for the advance research as well in the field. Another point which makes it a lucrative career option is the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) mandatory regulations of trained people in institutions dealing with the radiations. These institutions need to have trained radiation safety personnel for their routine work. Since hitherto it is less known field few people have ventured in this area, and the field is facing acute shortage of trained people available for organizations dealing with radiations, thus demand is high and excellent paid jobs are available.   With the increase and better prospects of trained radiation safety personnel’s, many universities like Osmania University, Anna University, Manipal University, Panjab University etc. have started diploma and degree courses in radiation Physics or medical physics besides the pioneering work done by BARC, Mumbai. Under AERB regulations all medical imaging and radiation therapy machines have to be evaluated by a Qualified Medical Physicist. The medical physicist oversees quality assurance programs and is a resource for ensuring the safe use of radiation in the medical setting. Scope of Radiation Physicist and Medical Physicist:  In recent years, there has been a great demand for qualified medical physicists in hospitals, radiotherapy centers and in certain industries/institutes. As per the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) stipulations, qualified medical physicists are must to establish radiotherapy centres/hospitals. Radiological physics has applications in diagnostics, therapy, nuclear medicine, industry, agriculture and research. The field experiences a dearth of technically sound people. Availability of more people with proper training is urgently required for carrying out the work related to radiation with a proper tab on the safe use of radiations. This will certainly enhance the quality of services provided to the nation and the public at large. During training on radiations, safe use of radiation and radioisotopes in medicine, industry, agriculture and research is imparted to the students. The syllabus covers radiation physics, radiation chemistry, radiation biology, electronics and instrumentation, statistics, computational methods, applications of radioisotopes in medicine, industry research, agriculture and radiation hazards evaluation and control. The training is supplemented by exhaustive experiments, demonstrations, visit to hospitals, industries and institutes dealing with radiations. Trained radiation physics and medical Physics professional provides radiation safety related advisory services to all medical, industrial, research and agricultural institutions in the country. The training of these professionals is so oriented as to reap maximum advantage of the modern technological developments and at the same time causing minimal harm to the occupational workers and members of the public at large. The industries or the institutions dealing with activities using radiation, need trained manpower on a regular basis. Also, continuous technological changes make it necessary to retrain the personnel working in these institutions and this is provided by short term courses conducted by the BARC, Mumbai. The Radiation Physicist or Medical Physicist can work as: Medical Physicist: The treatment of patients with radiation involves planning, dosimetry, and quality assurance checks to be done meticulously in which the medical physicists play an important role. A lot of private hospitals are coming up with modern radiation therapy facilities in India and there is a definite demand for medical physicists. So the most shot of job for the medical Physcist is in the cancer hospitals. They can work alongside clinicians in providing scientific and technical expertise and conducting research. They are also qualified to serve as Radiological Safety Officers (RSO) in research and industrial institutions handling radioisotopes and ionizing radiations. Radiation Physicist: The professionals with degree/diploma/training on radiation Physics can work as Radiological Safety Officers (RSO) in research and industrial institutions where ionizing radiations are used. For the job to be effectively done they have to be alert and only highly skilled people can handle the job effectively. Another area where radiation Physicist plays an important role is in increasing the shelf life of perishable agricultural products during large-scale packaging for export, the professionals are in demand in this sector too. Gamma irradiator is used in food irradiation plants to package the products. Along with this, Gamma irradiation can be used for irradiating seeds in order to make them fungal proof or disease resistance. So the radiation Physicist can have important role in all such places. Given below are the tabulated details of the degree/diploma and the career options available. Degree/Diploma Essential Qualification Career option M.Sc.(Radiation Physics) B.Sc.(Life Sciences / Physics/ chemistry/mathematics) Research, option for higher studies in radiation physics, Medical Physicist in Hospitals and Oncology Departments M.Sc. (Medical Physics) B.Sc.(Life Sciences /Physics/chemistry/mathematics) Research, option for higher studies in radiation physics or medical physics, Medical Physicist in Hospitals and Oncology Departments Dip.In Radiological Physics(Dip.R.P) M.Sc. (Physics) Radiation safety officer, in Hospitals as medical physicist, Oncology Dept. as Medical physicist. Diploma in medical radioisotope techniques (DMRIT) B.Sc. (Chemistry/Physics/ Life Sciences/ Biotech./ Biochemistry/ Microbiology /Biophysics), B.Sc. (Nuclear Medicine Technology) or B.Sc. (Medical Radiological Technology) Nuclear Medicine centers, Cancer hospitals  and radiological centers as Medical Physicist Diploma in Radiation Medicine (DRM) MBBS degree Nuclear Medicine Centres, Radio diagnostic centers and Radiotherapy centers. Educational Opportunities: Earlier, only BARC was running a diploma course in order to cater the demand of trained personals needed for radiation safety and for calculation of doses for medical purpose. As the number of students trained from there were limited, other institutions and universities also took plunge to fill the gap of required trained personnel. Now we have around seven institution/universities which are offering the courses on radiation Physics or Medical physics. On one hand the radiations have found wide use in industries, medical diagnostics and on the other side its harmful effects has to be dealt carefully. There is an urgent need to address the issues related to safe and secure use of radiations. This could be done with the development of a man force for monitoring safe and sensible use of radiations. Besides this more researchers should be attracted to work in this area as it has promising applications for the future. Seeing the tremendous requirement of men power for the safety purpose and research in the field, scope of radiation physics as career is promising and is not explored much. The pioneering work of human resource development in the field is done by the BARC, Mumbai. They started one year post M.Sc. Diploma in radiological Physics. After completing the Diploma first few rank-holders are likely to be absorbed in BARC/DAE as Scientific Officers in the grade of Scientific Officer (C) if found suitable by the Selection Committee and other candidates qualify for employment as medical Physicists or radiological safety officers in medical and industrial institutions, handling radioisotopes and ionizing radiations. One year Diploma in Medical Radioisotopes Technique (DMRIT) after B.Sc and a two year diploma in Radiation Medicine (DRM) after MBBS are also offered at BARC. These diplomas are now awarded by the Homi Bhabha National Institute, a Deemed University. During the training BARC is also providing stipend for the trainees. On the similar line to BARC, Osmania University in collaboration with MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre (MNJIO&RCC) and Indo-American Cancer Centre (IACC), both at Hyderabad, started Dip in Radiological Physics(Dip.R.P), this course is  running at  Department of Physics, Osmania University. Another Diploma in radiation medicine (D.R.M) course is offered by INMS, a DRDO Lab at Delhi and the degree is awarded by Delhi University. Besides these Diploma courses, Degree courses are also offered by several universities. Details of the Universities with courses offered, duration   and minimum Qualifications are listed below: University/Institution Degree/Diploma Duration Minimum Qualification Department of Physics, Anna University, Chennaihttp://www.annauniv.edu/                               M.Sc Medical Physics 2 Years B.Sc. (Physics and Maths) or B.Sc. (Applied Sciences) BARC, Mumbai Dip.In Radiological Physics(Dip.R.P) 1 Year M.Sc. in Physics Diploma in medical radioisotope techniques (DMRIT) 1 Year B.Sc(Chemistry, Physics/ Life Sciences/ Biotech./ Biochemistry/Microbiology/Biophysics), B.Sc. (Nuclear Medicine Technology) or B.Sc. (Medical Radiological Technology) Diploma in Radiation Medicine(D.R.M) 2 Years MBBS University of Calicut MSc - Radiation Physics 2 Years B.Sc. (Physics, Chemistry and Maths) Dept. Of Physics, Panjab University M.Sc. in Medical Physics 2 Years B.Sc. (Physics as the core subject).    or B.Sc. (Radiotherapy, Biophysics, Radiodiagnosis and Medical Physics) Mangalore University,Karnataka M.Sc. (Radiation Physics) 2 years B.Sc. (Physics and Maths) Dept. Of Physics, Manipal Univ.,Karnataka M.Sc. (Medical Radiation Physics) 2 Years B.Sc. (Physics and Mathematics) M.Sc. (Nuclear Medicine Technology) 2 Years BSc (Nuclear Medicine Technology) with DNMT or DMRIT (Diploma in Medical Radio Isotopes Technology) or PG Diploma in Nuclear Medicine Technology or BSc (Medical Imaging Technology) or BSc ( Maths, Physics and Biology) Osmania Univ., Hyderabad   http://www.osmania.ac.in/ Dip.In Radiological Physics(Dip.R.P) 1 Year M.Sc. in Physics / Medical Physics / Nuclear Physics or an equivalent course Inst. Of  Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, affiliated to Delhi University   http://www.drdo.org/ Diploma in Radiation Medicine(D.R.M) 2 Years MBBS AIIMS, New Delhi   http://www.aiims.edu/ M.Sc. (Nuclear Medicine Technology) 2 Years B.Sc.(Physics, Mathematics and Biology) or DMRIT (Diploma in Medical Radio Isotopes Technology) or PG Diploma in Nuclear Medicine Technology Bharathiar University, Coimbatore http://www.buc.edu.in/ M.Sc. (Medical Physics) 2 Years B.Sc.(Physics and Mathematics) Besides the basic minimum requirement of Masters degree or diploma to work as radiation Physicist or Medical Physicist, Ph.D. in the field can also be perused. In addition to this the medical physicists are required to maintain their clinical experience along with continuing medical education in their field of practice. The field is a growing  field with need of constant upgradation. In this era of information Technology and the hype and fanfare of popular career options, many promising career options remain unexplored and unnoticed. One of them is career in radiation physics/medical Physicist. Trained personnel for radiation safety in the medical, industrial, research and agricultural institutions are needed and in future the demand will increase with more nuclear power plants in the anvil and nuclear medical diagnostics progressing leap and bound. But due to scarce availability of such courses the trained manpower in this field are difficult to find and the  simple economics of demand and supply predicts good scope of  getting employment in this area. Besides this availability of more people with proper training in the field will be a boon to radiological physics and for the safe use of radiations. It is rightly said “Professionals of radiological physics have the obligation of playing a role in saving lives and building the future. Some contribute by being a crucial part of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. So candidates who are intelligent and hardworking should come forward to shoulder the responsibility”. (Rajendra Dobhal is Director, Uttarakhand State Council of Science & Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Sarita Khandka is Senior Scientific Officer, Uttarakhand State Council of Science & Technology, Dehradun and Manish Chandra is Senior Consultant (Radiation Oncologist), Jupiter Hospital, Thane, Mumbai.) CAREER IN SOFT SKILLS TRAINING  Of late, soft skills have emerged as a tool with enough power to make or break your career. How often do we encounter technically talented people who excel in their jobs, but whose career stalls beyond a certain point because they lack the social communication and relationship building skills to manage, work with and lead other people?  Soft skills is an umbrella term which includes communicative skills, listening skills, team skills, Leadership quality, creativity and logic, problem solving skills, diplomacy and change readiness, among others. Soft skills are generally gifted and cannot be learnt from a book. Roots of soft skills can be traced back to one’s ‘Sanskaras’ (Family Values). Still, formal training can, of course, give you a fresh perspective, and teach you tips and techniques if you need to improve specific skills, but if you really want to ingrain soft skills into your personality, you have to become a keen observer, an eager learner and an assiduous workman religiously putting to practice all that you have learnt. Here are a few soft skills which may help you improve your career prospects and enhance your personality as a whole. Effective Communication Skills: Effective communication skills include oral Skills for public speaking, presentations, negotiating, conflict resolutions, knowledge-sharing; Writing Skills for preparing reports, proposals, instruction manuals, writing memos, notices, official correspondence etc. It also includes a combination of verbal and non-verbal skills. Since our official medium of communication is English, certain amount of proficiency is needed in it. As English for us is a second language and not our mother tongue, so a constant practice at home/hostel, followed by language-lab sessions, is need of the hour. Those institutes that want their students to get placed in MNCs and reputed companies, must give this a deep and urgent thought. Quality job depends as much as on knowledge of the respective subject as on good communication skills. Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills: Interpersonal and teamwork skills contribute to higher productivity and better environment as people work together to reach common goals. Some individuals are born leader or intuitively adopt the traits required in team work. However, in general, these skills need to be taught or can be learnt through practice and awareness. This skill has four dimensions namely—Cooperation, Communication, Work Ethic and Leadership. Cooperation requires demonstrating the ability to compromise on their views, treating team members with respect, and working within a consensus of the team. Communication here requires a dynamic interaction among team members and inviting and providing feedback and resolving conflict. Work ethics includes accepting responsibility for assigned work, completing any assigned tasks and doing so on-time, and offering assistance to other team members when required. It is certainly desirable for each team member to demonstrate leadership. This includes helping to provide structure by initiating action, clarifying concepts and problems, and summarizing activities and results. Personal Skills: Many people wonder why they do not have the success they want in business! Most of the time, the reason will be right under their nose; they are just unable to see it. The first thing that someone should ask is, "Am I successful in my personal life and relationships?” Personal skills are those skills which make you not only acceptable and respectable in society and at the work place but also help you in getting a good job and better career growth. They include ability to make decision, Alertness, Assertiveness, Attention to details, calmness, Commitment, Cooperation, Emotional stability, Empathy, Flexibility, Generosity, Tolerance, self-confidence, self-control, self-reliance, self-respect, Honesty, and sense of humor among others. Problem-Solving and Other Cognitive Skills: In your day to day life, you often come across such situations where you are unable to make right decisions. You are more likely to get into such conditions when you are working in an organization. To deal with such stresses, you need to develop some skills which may help you in making decisions,  developing creative and innovative solutions, developing practical solutions, showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them,  applying a range of strategies to problem-solving, applying problem-solving strategies across a range of areas. Adaptability and Work Ethics: It is a well-known fact that contemporary organizations evolve and change rapidly, given the fast pace of technological change over the last hundred years of industrial era.  Consequently, an employee in a contemporary organization must not only be willing to work hard but also possess the flexibility and ability to respond to rapid change. An employer requires a whole set of skills to develop adoptability like communicating across cultures, getting along with others in a multi-cultural work environment, respect for others’ faith and belief systems, avoiding racial/cultural discrimination at the workplace. Work ethic is a set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character of the employer or any individual. A work ethic may include being reliable, having initiative or maintaining social skills. Apart from that a sense of responsibility, honesty and commitment may also be included in it. In order to posses these above discussed skills you need to be self-aware i.e. you need to cultivate positivism in your thought and approach. You should also know how to live consciously and try to put your words into action. Reading is yet another way to improve your skills and can help you develop a better perspective of the world and the things around you. You should also open yourself to new ideas and experiences and be willing to adapt to changes if it makes the things go easier. The last but not the least you should always remember is that you need to practice and practice these skills with dedication. Practice improves your performance, helps you discover and overcome shortcomings and mistakes and gives you confidence. Career Prospects Soft Skill Trainer: Most of the organizations are now providing their employees the training of soft skills in order to improve their positive communication, interpersonal and team skills, problem solving, adoptability, and work ethics. This in turn has a very positive impact on their business and personal lives on one hand and increases the productivity of the organization on the other. So after completing a course in soft skills, one can get a job of a soft skill trainer in any of private or public organization and earn a handsome salary. Personality Development: Of late, the focus has shifted from a natural man to a groomed one. Organizations, particularly corporate ones, are seeking individuals who are smart and well groomed. They have the kind of communication skills that they can outsmart any one. For which they provide training to their employees once they are recruited. But they prefer those who are already better. Since most of the people are born with the talents but they need policing and grooming, a number of private institutes are set in market that are doing this job for them. These institutes are earning a lot of money in turn, thus, providing an attractive job option for a soft skill trainer. Teacher: Teaching has recently been a good option for a soft skill trainer as Technical Communication is a compulsory subject in all Engineering and Management Institutes. There the students are trained and prepared for their placements and communication skills along with other personal skills are required to perform better in interview and group discussion. Since the growth of an institute is totally dependent on the job placement of its students, the role of a soft skill trainer becomes very crucial. Education: Though there are a number of institutes that are offering courses in soft skills, here are a few institutes who organize short term course for soft skill training: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training Chandigarh National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training Kolkata National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training Bhopal Placement: After completing the course, one can get a job in any public or private organization, educational institute, or can set his own training centers. Initially, the trainer can earn somewhere between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month which increases over the years. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS During the last two decades the world has witnessed a sea change in the international trade practices, processes and behaviour. Liberalization has opened new horizons of international trade for its huge potential market and has also opened vistas of foreign markets for its diversified product line. Though India’s foreign trade constitutes only 1% of the total world trade, the volume and diversity is significant. In 1991 when the new economic policy was introduced India’s export was merely $ 18 billion which surged to about $ 200 billion by the year 2009.According to an estimate, 45% of the GDP is due to export and import. India’s total share in goods and services trade was 0.92% in 2003 which increased upto 1.64% in 2008. Studies have revealed that nearly 14 million jobs were created directly or indirectly as a result of augmented exports in the last five years (i.e. from 2003 to 2008). Also the EXIM (Export Import) policy provides for an export growth of 15% thereby increasing the share of world trade to 1.5% from the existing 1%.For achieving this objective, the Government has strengthened the foreign trade policy and set up Export Processing Zones (EPZ), Special Economic Zones (SEZ), dry ports for facilitating export and imports, exemptions of duty and other measures. Thus, international trade and business have tremendous scope in terms of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in India. Dimensions of International Business: In broader terms, international business strives for achieving the foreign trade objectives of a country by integrating the export and import practices of various trading partners/countries. With the emergence of WTO (World Trade Organization) in 1999 the international trade practices have gone standardized and member countries have agreed to come under a broader network with some common rule and trade codes of conduct. Though there are some impediments and disagreements on some issues, the contribution of this organization to bring world trade coherence can not be neglected. Since various trading partners/countries are involved in the complex trade activities, a lot of complexities arise during the whole process. These may be due to differing export-import policies, legislations, custom agreements, documentation requirements, quality control concerns, standardization and other micro/ macro economic consideration. International business operations account for production, invoicing, packing, insurance, transportation and shipping, logistics, quality control, inspection, finance, documentation, marketing, import, export, custom clearance, legislation, risk assessment, surveying, service, liasoning, foreign exchange  management, merchandizing, taxation, research and development etc. Aside from it, there is direct role of professionals in managing human resource at multinational companies involved in international trade and business. These include; cross cultural research methodology and cross cultural negotiation and communication, foreign exchange markets and their operations, institutions for finance and infrastructure including export promotion councils and commodity boards, state trading corporations, export processing zones, regional trade blocks, multilateral and bilateral trade agreements and e-commerce. They enhance the scope of international business. Scope and Nature of Career in International Business: In view of the dimensions mentioned above, the professionals in international business are required by organizations involved in export import specially export houses, merchandisers, custom clearing houses, special economic zones, dry ports, ports, logistic companies, transportation corporations , state trading corporations, marine insurance companies, shipping companies/corporations, directorate general of foreign trade, banks and financial institutions providing export-import finance & foreign exchange services, pre-shipment and post-shipment quality control labs, export marketing firms, BPO involved in export import business, customer relationship management, International finance, international accounting and international financial management. International business management is one such career course that offers ample scope for career in international and transnational corporations. Candidates after completing the course may search for jobs available in the export companies, public sector houses, international banks and companies having subsidiaries in other countries. Most of the companies offer handsome salary packages along with other lucrative facilities. After completing masters’ degree/ diploma in international business, one can be absorbed in export houses or with merchandisers. The responsibilities assigned to a professional may be documentation related to export/import and liasoning with the tax & custom authorities. Their work also involves liasoning between exporters and port authority. CHA (Custom House Agents) are required by the exporters to facilitate the custom clearance. Similarly, export managers and executives are much in demand for insurance companies particularly marine insurance corporations where they are required to assess the loss or physical damage to the goods shipped in a country. They are assigned the responsibilities of assessors, surveyors and certifiers. This is a very technical and specified job which not only requires professional competence but also demands knowledge of latest standards and legislations in international business to cope up with the situation. In marketing field there lies enormous scope for the management graduates with IB specialization. For boosting overseas sales, searching new business hubs and potential markets abroad, marketing professionals are desired by the export houses. The essential qualification includes; post graduate degree in IB with attitude to take challenges coupled with understanding of the world business environment. Knowledge of foreign language is an added advantage for these professionals. In addition to the above, international marketing executives suggest strategies based on marketing research and predict demand and potential buyers abroad. They are also engaged in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Consultancy is one of the most sought after and remunerative career for international business professionals. An international business consultant is responsible for providing relevant and up-to-date information about various aspects of business development and market information for international companies. The international business consultant conveys information about foreign business investments, opportunities, competitive companies and even information about business practices and legal implications of owning a business in another country. International business consultants work for companies that are already in international markets or with companies that are planning international expansions or investments. Risk analysis and business analysis based on research is also a part of responsibility to international business consultant. If one can develop and exposed to the international trade legislation, negotiation and research in international trade, he will surely find suitable positions in WTO, UNCTAD, IMF, World Bank, Regional Trade Blocks and trade associations. Experts in commodity trade are also required for the posts catering to the needs of the exporters and importers. The persons with interest in legal affairs of international trade disputes ranging from patents, specific product and service categories related to geographical locations, multilateral and bilateral trade agreements, customs, tariffs and non tariff issues are much in demand to solve the legal disputes among countries. A degree in international business with law qualification is sufficient to grab the opportunity in this sector. International finance has also emerged as a major sector attracting experts in managing the fiancé related affairs of multinational corporations and Despite the increasing demand of experts in international business management, there is a dearth of faculty in international business in management institutions offering and planning to offer these courses. If you have a taste of updating, analyzing, accelerating, disseminating your knowledge in international business, there lies enormous opportunities in teaching and research profession. You can develop your specialization in the field of international business area if already teaching in some institution. Media reporting and journalism related to import export and commodity specific reporting can also be a good opportunity to the young people having a flare for international business news in print and electronic media. People having analytical skills and background in international finance are placed at different positions in finance related departments of banks and financial institutions. Now a days banks have their own separate wings of foreign exchange transactions, export finance, risk management and consultancy in international financial management where every task related to foreign exchange dealings and export import finance is performed e.g. letter of credit etc. Competent professionals must have degree in international business with specialization in international finance are placed for this job. EXIM bank, ,public &  private and foreign banks also appoint specialized people in international finance, foreign exchange, risk management and currency derivatives. Entrepreneurship is also one of the lucrative career options for the persons who desire to have their own export house for facilitating international trade practices. The professional having some experience in export-import documentation can establish their offices in dry ports, SEZ and export processing zones (EPZs) and provide services to the clients(in this case exporters and importers) related to every aspect of procedural requirement of export and import. International accounting is also an area where the experts in accounting operations may be posted in multinational corporations and firms engaged in international business operations. The accounting professionals are required for compliance of international accounting norms and standards. The Now let’s have a look on the degree and diploma courses in international business management. The following is the comprehensive list of the institutions in India offering professional programmes in international business management: Course Eligibility Criteria University Address MBA(IB) Bachelor's degree with 50% marks and CAT score University Business School Panjab University,Chandigarghwww.ubs.puchd.ac.in Part Time MBA (International Business) Bachelor’s degree with three-year work experience (Group Discussion, Essay Writing and Interview) Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Indian Institute of Foreign TradeNew Delhi http://www.iift.edu Masters Programme in International Business (MIB) Graduation with 50% marks followed by written test, .Group Discussion and Personal Interview Department of Commerce Delhi School of EconomicsUniversity of DelhiDelhi-110007.www.mibdu.org MBA (International Business) Bachelor’s degreeWritten test, Group Discussion and Interview. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Indian Institute of Foreign TradeNew Delhi http://www.iift.edu   Certificate Programme in Export Management Bachelor’s degree OR Diploma holders with two years of post-diploma full time work experience. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Indian Institute of Foreign TradeNew Delhi http://www.iift.edu   MBA(IB Area) Graduation with 50% and CAT score Haryana School of Business HSB,Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology,Hisar www.gju.ac.in                MBA(with IB specialization through Distance Education ) Graduation Directorate of Distance Education DDE, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology,Hisar www.gju.ac.in Master of International Business Management Graduation Institute of Management Studies Himachal Pradesh University Shimla http://www.hpuniv.nic.in Post Graduate Certificate Programme in International Business (PGCPIB) Min. 3 years Work ExperienceGraduation with min. 50% marks NIIT Imperia NCR Admission Office- cum-centre  3rd Floor, 43 Chiranjeev Towers,Nehru PlaceNew Delhi – 110019 (Opp Hotel Intercontinental Eros) Ph: 011-4652 7634/4652 7600www.niitimperia.com Post Graduate Diploma in International Business Operation(PGDIBO) Graduates in any discipline School of Management Studies Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU) Maidan Garhi, New Delhi - 110 068. Ph. 6862073 Fax No. 6862078 www.ignou.ac.in Professional diploma course in fields of Export management, Import management, Customs & Central Excise Management. Graduates in any discipline National Institute of Export Management Ag, Anandraj Villa, 7, Second Canal Cross Road, Gandhinagar, Adyar, Tamilnadu, 600020 Chennai Phl: 0044- 24401521 http://www.niemglobal.com                    MPIB/MIM/DEIM/Certificate Courses in export and import Graduation with experience for master degree course and Higher secondary for diploma course Indian Institute of Export and Import Management JOricon House 4th Floor ,14K Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda;Mumbai-400 023.Tel. No. : 6610 4103 / 98202 38328 / 98333 74080 E-mail: iieim@bom7.vsnl.net.inWebsite: www.iieim.org Diploma in Export Management(through DE) (10+2) Indian Institute of Export Management, Bangalore The Director, Indian Institute of Export Management, P.B. No. 7531, New Thippsandra, Bangalore - 560 075. www.iiem.com P. G. Diploma in Export Management Any Graduate Bharathiar University Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641 046. Phone: (91) 422-2422222, 2422223, 2422234 Fax: (91) 422-2422387 Email: regr@bharathiaruni.org.in Web Site: http://www.b-u.ac.in/sde/ P. G. Diploma in Export Management & International Business Any Graduate Dr. Harisingh Gour University Director, Institute of Distance Education, Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar 470003 Phone: (07582)265055, (07582)264204 Email: dcchsgvv@sancharnet.in Web Site: http://www.sagaruniversity.nic.in/services/dis_home.htm P. G. Diploma in Export Marketing Management Any Graduate Indian Institute of Commerce and Trade Indian Institute of Commerce and Trade (Department of Distance and Open Learning) Sapt-Rishi, 5/28 Vikas Nagar Lucknow-226022 (INDIA) Phone : +91-522-2766456 , 0522-6545285, 0522-4004049 Email: info@iict.in Web Site: http://www.iict.in/ P. G. Diploma in Export Marketing Management Any Graduate Institute of Management Technology Center of Distance Learning A16, Site 3, UPSIDC Industrial Area, Meerut Road, Ghaziabad - 201 003 Phone Numbers: 0120-2705621,2705622,2705623,2705624 Email: vsingh@imtcdl.ac.in Web Site: http://www.imtcdl.ac.in/ P. G. Diploma in Export Marketing Management Any Graduate Department of Management Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra, Haryana - 136119, India Phone: 01744-238565. Email: managementdept_kuk@yahoo.co.in PG Diploma in Export Management Any Graduate Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Abishekapatti, Thirunelveli - 12.Tamil Nadu Phone : 0462-33741, 338721 Email : tvl_regismsu@sancharnet.in Website : www.msuniversitytvl.org P. G. Diploma in Import-Export Management (PGDIEM Masters Degree / Management / P G Diploma Students. OrGraduates with minimum 2 years work experience M. Visvesvaraya Industrial Research & Development Centre (MVIRDC) World Trade Centre Mumbai Centre 1 Building, 31st Floor, WTC Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005. Phone: 91 22 66387272 Fax: 91 22 2218 8385/ 22180823 Email: wtc@wtcmumbai.org Web Site: http://www.wtcmumbai.org/ Training Programmes for young professionals For working professionals based on selection criteria Export Import Bank of India(EXIM Bank) Head Office, Mumbai e-mail:  cag@eximbankindia.inPhone:  (022) 22172600fax:  (022) 22182572 Now let’s understand terminology used in this article: International finance is a branch of economics that studies the balance of payments issues, exchange rates, foreign direct investment, capital flows, trade deficits, and surpluses, and how they affect international trade and the global economy. Foreign exchange management denotes the management of foreign currency payments and receipts involved in international trade. Risk management is related to the identification, assessment, prediction and control of risk aroused due to transaction of foreign currency in international trade. Special Economic Zone in short SEZ is a geographically bound zone where the economic laws in matters related to export and import are more broadminded and liberal as compared to rest parts of the country. SEZs are projected as duty free area for the purpose of trade, operations, duty and tariffs.  EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT AVENUES IN HORTICULTURE Horticulture is the science which is associated with the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices,  plantation crops, tuber crops, medicinal and  aromatic plants and post harvest technology their of. It plays an important role in agricultural economy in India.  Horticultural crops being more productive, man-days generative and protective to health, in recent years, the marketing demand for them has risen tremendously. Horticulture has developed as a powerful venture in agri-economic scenario of the country. To make this venture, more sound in time scale, in view  of generating man power well versed in the field of horticulture, education avenues have been opened and so also the employment avenues. Education avenues: The post graduation and PhD degree programmes in horticulture are offered in almost all agri-varsities of the country (Table1). However, some agri-varsities also offer undergraduate degree programme in horticulture. Table1:  University/Institution offering degree in Horticulture Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi-110 012 Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Naini, Allahabad-211 007 (UP) Assam Agricultural university, Jorhat- 785 013 ( Assam)  Anand Agricultural University, Anand – 388 001 (Guj.) Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad- 500 030 (AP)  Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi- 834 006 ( Jharkhand) Bidhan Chand Krishi Vishwavidyalay, Mohanpur, Nadia- 741 246 (WB)* Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi- 221 005 (UP) Central Agricultural University, Iroisemba, Imphal- 795 001 (Manipur) * CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar- 125 004 ( Har.). Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculre and Trechnology, Kanpur- 208 002 (UP) Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur- 176 062 (HP) Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli- 415 712 (MS) * Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola- 444 104 (MS) * Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan- 173 230 (HP) * Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, US Nagar- 263 145(Uttarakhand) * Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur- 492 012 (MP) Junagarh Agricultural University, Junagarh- 362 001 (Guj.) Jawahar Lal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur- 482 004 (MP) *  Kerala  Agricultural University, Trichur- 680 654 ( Kerala) Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani- 431 402 (MS) * Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Ahmednagar- 413 722 (MS) Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur- 313 001 (Raj.) * Nagaland University, Medziphema- 797 106 (Nagaland)  Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari- 396 450 ( Guj.) Narendra Deo University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad- 224 229 ( UP) * Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar- 751 001 (Orissa) * Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana- 141 004 (Pb.) SK Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner- 334 006 (Raj.) Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur – 848 125 ( Bihar) * Sardar Krishi Nagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardar Kkrishi Nagar, Banaskantha- 385 506 (Guj.) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture and Technology, Jammu- 180 004 (J&K) Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture and Technology, Srinagar- 180 004 ( J&K) * Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut- 250 110 (UP0 Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore- 641 003 (TN) * University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore- 560 065 (KN) * University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad- 580 065 (KN) * Uttarbanga Agricultural University, Koochbihar- 736 165 (WB*) Andhra Pradesh University of Horticulture, Venkatramanguddam, P.O.Box. 7, Todapaliguddam, West Godawari- 534 101 (AP) * University of Horticultural Sciences, Sector No. 60, Navanagar, Bagalkot- 587 102 (KN) * *Undergraduate degree in Horticulture too. Each and every state agricultural university (SAU) has its own pattern of admission to various degree programmes based either on merit, entrance examination, payment, counseling or all. Along with, for admission to 15 % of total intake capacity in undergraduate degree programme and for 25 % of total intake capacity in PG programme in Says, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Pusa, New Delhi-110 012, organizes separate entrance examination in the name of AIEEA-UG and AIEEA-PG every year. The successful candidates are recommended for admission to UG and PG programmes to various SAUs as per their merit and choice. Eligibility for admission and syllabus for competitive examination: Undergraduate degree programme- Any Indian citizen of 17-23 years age is considered eligible for admission. Candidate should have passed 10+2 (Intermediate/ Senior secondary examination) with physics, chemistry, biology/ mathematics/ agriculture/ home science subjects combination. Candidates belonging to general category should have minimum 50 % marks and those belonging to scheduled caste/ scheduled tribe, physically handicapped category 40 % to be considered eligible for the AIEEA-UG examination conducted by ICAR, Pusa, New Delhi. In this examination questions are asked from two streams; Stream A and Stream B. Under Stream A questions from physics, chemistry and agriculture/biology subjects are asked, whereas, under Stream B questions from physics, chemistry and mathematics subjects are asked. The examination is of 2.30 hrs duration consisting of multiple choice type 60 questions from physics, 60 questions from chemistry and 60 questions from agriculture/ biology/ mathematics. In all 180 questions are to be attempted. Each question carries 4 marks. There is provision of negative marking in examination. For each correct answer 4 marks is awarded and for each incorrect answer one mark is deducted from total score. Candidates opting A stream in examination are considered eligible for admission to UG degree programme in SAUs in Horticulture, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery science, Home science, Sericulture, Biotechnology and Food science and technology. Those opting B stream in examination are considered eligible for admission to Agriculture engineering, dairy technology, Food Science, and Agricultural marketing, banking & cooperation. The author is serving as Associate Professor, Fruit Science at the College of Horticulture and Forestry, Under Maharana Pratap University and Technology at  Jhalarapatan Campus, Jhalawar- 326 023 (Raj.). CAREERS IN MEDIA AND MEDIA-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS Media has emerged as a very powerful instrument of social, economic and political change throughout the world.  There is hardly any field which is not touched or covered by the media. It has its presence and impact in every sphere. It is rightly called the Fourth Estate. In our country, media scene has totally changed particularly in the past two decades following  the new policy of globalization. As of now, there are nearly 80000 newspapers and periodicals, nearly 250 radio stations, 400 transmitters, about 500 TV channels, and about 300 private FM radio channels. These cover almost the whole country in terms of readership, viewer ship and ‘reach’. This journey of all-round growth of media is going -- from strength to strength. The entire humanity is today in the ‘communication’ mode. New systems of communication are easy to operate. They are user-friendly. But these systems need huge human resources for management, content creation, presentation and distribution. The human resource has to be intelligent, well informed, trained and professional. From journalism to animation, printing to network engineering, creative artists and writers to media managers – large number of media professionals are required in the near future. Besides working for the ever-growing media organizations, there is a tremendous scope for self-employment and entrepreneurship. One word of caution is necessary at this stage. Looking at the responsibility of the Media and its working, personal qualities of prospective entrants in Media are much more important than specific academic and professional degrees. Communication skills: Anyone desirous of entry in the Media must be very hard-working, self-confident, well-versed in the required skills and, above all, must possess excellent communication skills. Notwithstanding one’s score in the academics i.e. examinations, only those will be able to enter the Media field who can project themselves effectively right from group discussion to interview to actual working on the desk and/in the field. They must be able to think clearly, write clearly for print/electronic/internet/web media with an eye on the readers, viewers’ and users’ requirements and their level of understanding. Their written ‘copy’ should mean value addition to its target audience. It is, therefore, clear from the above narration that there are vast opportunities for employment and also of entrepreneurship in the Media and Media-related fields. Media requires competent and result-oriented professionals. Here comes the important role of universities, colleges, professional institutions and bodies imparting education and training in diverse fields under the overall umbrella of Media. An exclusive university in this field -- Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication with headquarters at Bhopal and campuses at Noida (UP) and Khandwa (MP) and nearly 500 study institutes/ centers has been playing a significant role in imparting media education. The University has lot many courses ranging from the print media to the ultra modern electronic media in all its varied audio-visual forms and manifestations besides computer science and applications, advertising, public relations, mass communication etc. Print media has umpteen numbers of positions which can be mentioned under three main groups – reporting, editing and general management such as advertising, HR, marketing, circulation, accounts etc. Positions are: REPORTING - reporter, senior reporter, chief reporter, principal correspondent, special correspondent, bureau chief; EDITING – sub-editor, chief sub-editor, deputy news editor, news editor, assistant editor, editorial advisor, editor, editor-in-chief etc. In the fast changing scenario, nomenclature of various positions keeps on changing and varying from newspaper/periodical to newspaper/periodical. Electronic media covers mainly radio, electronic, web, internet, new media etc. Broadly, nomenclatures in the electronic media are: CREATIVE SIDE – script writer, visualize, graphic designer, scenic designer, creative director and many other positions. TECHNICAL SIDE -- programme producer, cameraman, sound recordist, broadcast/video engineer, video recordist, video editor, make-up man, floor manager, animator, lighting director, technical director etc. NEW MEDIA -- content developer, content manager, web page developer, web page designer, web page manager etc. Advertising is yet another key field under the overall umbrella of Media. There is vast scope for careers in Advertising for positions such as: account executive, client servicing executive, copy writer, visualize, media planning executive, persons for research, marketing, sales, event management, graphic designer, creative director etc. Public Relations, now called Corporate Communication, offers large career opportunities for those who are cut for this career through self-confidence, high degree of PR orientation, hard work, foresight and far sight and understanding of human psychology. Posts include public relations/information assistant, public relations officer/executive, corporate Communication manager, general manger and executive director/corporate communication etc. Qualities   for success: Let us now underline qualities required for success in a career in the media. These are: intelligence, dedication, open eyes and ears, hard work, self-confidence, urge to meet knowledgeable persons and develop ‘sources’, fearlessnesses, public relations orientation, determination to update and outsmart others, good communication skills – more than just verbal written, knowledge/information/opinion gathering, assimilation, verifying, updating and preparing ‘copy’ for print and electronic media. In addition, he/she must have an eye on the users requirements and organize himself/herself accordingly. All this is fine and encouraging. But, how does a person prepare himself/herself for a career in the Media and/or Media-related organizations? Like other disciplines, there are courses in the vast gamut of subjects in the universities, colleges, professional institutes, media houses, NGOs etc. Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, with a student-strength of nearly one lakh throughout the country, has several courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Looking to the fast changing media scene and consequential requirements of manpower required for manning various positions, the University is all set to launch several new and specifically designed courses from the academic session 2010-2011. These include courses in video production, multimedia, graphics and animation, entertainment communication, advertising  and marketing communication, corporate communication, internet journalism, printing technology, environment communication, spiritual communication etc. Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, Departments of Journalism, Mass Communication and Media Studies in the Universities and colleges having departments for these courses and/or papers in Media and Media-related areas , various private media schools turn out qualified and trained professionals. Ideally, for professional courses in the Media, the training institutions must have a mix of theory and practice. Surely, more of practical training in the institutions’ own laboratories as also in the media outfits will be helpful. They must provide training on the state-of-the-art technologies for specific applications in the Media. Internship/Attachment: An important component of these professional courses is internship /attachment with media and media-related houses, on-the-job training, project work etc. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television channels and other media allow attachment of media students in different sections. For example, students opting for print journalism learn the actual operations of the news room, editorial desk and associated areas. From where and how the news flow, how is it screened and taken up for editing and preparing copy for the newspaper. How headlines, sub-headings, paragraphs, checking of information and analysis in the news story is done before the same becomes a publishable news story. Then, how pages are made with positioning of each story. Students are also assigned coverage of events, programmes, press conferences followed by preparation of stories thereon.  In the radio and television area, one has to learn how various programmes directed towards specified target audience are conceived, persons identified and briefed, and programs produced including shooting, mixing, voice over etc. Every well-established newspaper, radio and/TV station has an archives wherein written references and literature as also photographs are carefully stored for retrieval and use if and when required. In the above narration, we have covered the importance of media and Media-related organizations, areas covered, nomenclatures, job requirements and education and training facilities for entry into these fields. Let us now discuss the preparedness for getting selected for a position in the Media and Media-related organizations. Besides the university degree, one needs to decide for himself/herself the specific career according to one’s urge and inclination, hunt for the right institution for admission in the professional course in the Media, do that course and then be eligible for a career. It is extremely important that during the professional course, the person must start writing from day one because all openings in the Media call for writing skill. If he opts for print media, he must start with a letter to the editor followed by feature and article writing and news story of an event or an interview. At the end of the course, he must have a file of at least 15-20 published stories, features, articles under his name. That will create an impression on the selection board that the candidate can write – an essential requirement for entry into the Media. Similarly for entry into the electronic media, the person must start conceiving and writing a program – a news story or a feature or script for an event and so on. He must make full use of the learning during the internship/attachment with an electronic media – right from concept to preparation and beaming of the programme and its impact on the target audience. Advertising and public relations also call for specific skills in conceiving and writing ‘copy’ for an advertisement or a press note or an article or a speech or an annual report etc. one must practice writing for different purposes and for different audiences and attain mastery. A file of articles or press releases or ‘copy’ for advertisements will immediately impress the selection board about the candidate’s thinking and writing ability. Above all, the person must be able to demonstrate his competence and usefulness to the organization not just through smart responses and talking but through producing specimens of his writings. These, in totality, will give him/her an edge over other candidates for a career in the Media and Media-related organizations. C.K. Sardana is a faculty member at Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication, Bhopal. HOW TO PLAN YOUR CAREER  As soon as a young child comes out of school he is confronted with the problem of choosing which is the most appropriate stream of studies for him to study further i.e. Humanities, Non-Medical, Medical, Commerce, Arts, Agriculture, Vocational trades etc. This decision will set limit for his future choice of career. Leaving aside some common overlapping fields of occupations he is left with the option to make a choice of his career from the fields of occupations covered under that stream of education only. Therefore, such choice of stream must be right one so that he will not have to regret for a wrong choice later on. Thus, this exercise of choice has assumed very great significance in his life. Of course, you as a parent will pool your all resources to best guide your child in an effort to make most suitable choice for him. You will also elicit the help of his teachers as well as known persons and your relatives. Your combined efforts may lead to a realistic choice of course which will ultimately take him to enter an occupation of that field but it is also possible that in absence of most reliable scientific psychological data about your child, your child may make a decision which may turn out to be an unrealistic one. If your child is very bright and his targeted career is below his potentials it is termed as an unrealistic choice. Similarly, if your child has middle level abilities but his choice of career needs higher level of abilities such a choice will also be considered an unrealistic one. Hence, your child needs assistance of an expert to steer him out of such problematic situations in order to make a right choice. In case, such help is not forthcoming readily you may follow some of the suggestions listed below to arrive at an appropriate choice of courses of further studies in order to make him an efficient employable person in life. Are you aware about the correct usage of the term career which is being discussed here? If you already know, it is fine, but some of you may still desire to know it. Let it be defined first of all as this term is interchanged with terms like job, occupation, calling and vocation. Let us start with clear understanding of the term “CAREER”. Occupational psychology defines career as a ladder of occupations showing your upward mobility (in certain cases downward mobility). After completion of targeted education you will join an initial occupation and will go on further through out your working life passing through one occupation to another. This process is termed as your ‘career’. What is Career Planning?: Career planning is a process of deciding your ideal and an appropriate career based upon your course of studies, which rightly commensurate with your basic aptitudes, work preferences; Need to Achieve (n Ach), personality traits and work style based on your acquired skills, self confidence, attitudes, adjustment level and emotional intelligence levels etc. What does Career Planning Process Constitute? The first step in career planning is to gain a better understanding of your basic aptitudes, intrinsic interests (work prefereances) , n ‘ach (need achievement), personality and its traits, self confidence, adjustment status and psychological hurdles affecting careers. You will benefit by using testing batteries of these factors. So apply different types of Career Inventories, also known as Tests to assist you. Hence you have to: Find out your career related aptitudes. Sort out matching fields of course of future studies, which commensurate with your aptitudes. On the basis of your aptitudes’ results discover occupations that match your courses ofstudies and other competencies. Try to know how you will adjust:- to people working in such careers; related circumstances and demands of your aptitudes to execute it; work preferences in such occupation; personality traits which facilitate in such occupation; other competencies needed in your work environments; and visualize whether these adjustments will result in ‘stresses or satisfaction’. Work out transferable skills as well and accomplishments so that alternative line can be taken in case of readjustment to changing situations. Know your emotional intelligence levels as it is an indicator of success in your career. The second step involves the analysis of collected and compiled occupational information about occupational options suggested by the results of your test results. This step will cover:- Working environment and conditions. Training, other qualifications. Advancement opportunities. Employment trends. Future job outlook. Compensation and related occupations. Other incentives. The third step involves decision making. You have to develop a career plan in consultation with Career Counsellor keeping in mind the data so far collected. Take the assistance of experienced Career Counsellor. The fourth step is to execute the career plan by undergoing the course of studies related to your choice. Take effective steps if any readjustment is warranted to carry out your Career Planning. There are significant factors which play prominent role in career development. The details about some of such important factors needs clarifications to understand their roles properly which are listed to update your understanding. Role of Aptitudes, Need to Achieve (n ‘Ach), Personality, Self-confidence, Adjustment, Emotional Intelligence, Work Preferences and Psychological Hurdles in career development. Aptitudes: Your aptitudes are pointer to your symptomatic future performances. They determine the attainment levels as well as types of activities you are capable of doing. The modern research studies have established that there are nine independent basic aptitudes which are needed in execution of every occupation. Of course, every occupation requires different levels of these nine aptitudes. Their determination is finalized through multiple cut off technique. Researches have also determined the levels of aptitudes needed for almost every occupation. Career Counsellors have to find out the levels of these aptitudes of the individuals and match them with those of various occupations to find most suitable careers for them. Out of which they can exercise their final choices keeping in mind their individual preferences as well as market trends concerning such career. The nine basic aptitudes which are tested on General Aptitude Testing Battery are Intelligence coded as ‘G’, Verbal Aptitude coded as ‘V’, Numerical Aptitude coded as ‘N’, Spatial Aptitude coded as ‘S’, Form Perception coded as ’P’, Clerical Perception coded as ‘P’, Motor Co-Ordination coded as ‘K’, Finger Dexterity coded as ‘F’ and Manual Dexterity coded as ‘M’. Need to Achieve (n ‘Ach) contribution in career development is very paramount. In its measurement the following three aspects are covered using projective techniques: To succeed in competition with some standard of excellence (example: I am preparing for i. examination and hope to stand first in it). Unique achievement (example: Ram is busy in bringing out the details of production of ii. Nuclear energy and has succeeded in inventing a new machine). Long term involvement (example: I am preparing for pre-medical classes and I want to ii. Become a very good doctor). Personality and personality traits: Your personality patterns will also be a deciding factor in selection of your choice. Whether you are emotionally liable or a balanced person will go a long way in deciding the career matching your personality. Extrovert persons are preferred in careers involving people interactions. Introverts are considered more suitable where fewer interactions with people are required. Neurotic patterns of personality are generally more suitable where quick actions are needed. These are prominent dimensions of your personality will make career a success if it matches with requirements of a given occupation otherwise may lead to problems in its execution. Now-a-days personality make up carries considerable weight in selection process. Personality measurement is done through Personality Inventories as well as through projective techniques. Self-Confidence: It has been observed that lack of self-confidence is prominent cause of failures even though you are able and shining in the academic world. The quality of mind or spirit will enable you to face difficulties is indicator of your level of self-confidence. Generally lack of competence, secret-maintaining, physical disabilities, guilt and inferiority feelings as well as negative attitudes are responsible for low confidence. Overcome these weaknesses to built-up your self-confidence. Adjustment: Good, very good, excellent or poor adjustment status in areas of emotional, social and educational field will smoothen or hinder your success in educational attainments as well as in social and career developments. It will go long way if you make better adjustment in your emotional, social and educational areas of life. Consult a counsellor in case you need improvement in any of these areas of life for promotion or success. Emotional intelligence covers: Your self-awareness. Management of your emotions. Your Self Motivation. Recognizing emotions in other persons. Handling relations competencies. The recent studies have pointed out that emotional competencies were twice as important in contributing “EXCELLENCE” in you as were your pure “INTELLECT” and expertise. In contribution to excellence of a person it has been pointed by studies that cognitive (intellectual) capacities were about 27% more frequent on outstanding stars (persons) than average persons while greater strengths in emotional competencies’ were 53% more frequent in them. The above reference will clear your understanding that emotional intelligence (E.Q.) is of paramount importance in giving better performances in your lives hence, while career planning get assessed your E.Q. to evaluate your chances of success in your career. Work Preferences: The work preferences are associated with occupations. The most preferred work preferences for different occupations have been worked out for the available occupations. The aptitude levels and work preferences are taken into consideration for deciding suitable occupations you are capable of doing through multi cut off procedure. Psychological Hurdles: During the long period of career counseling I have observed that young people suffer from different types of psychological hurdles. Prominent among them are ‘lack of knowledge of aptitudes and related fields of careers’, ‘lack of concentration’, ‘feelings of depressions’ as a result of stresses and strains they have to face constantly, ‘lack of self-confidence and motivation’, ‘uncontrolled temper’, ’ nervousness’, ‘sexual conflicts’, ‘inferiority feelings’ ‘fears and worries about financial support’, and ‘parental indifference and lack of rapport with them’ as well as problem of ‘how to study properly’ were found to be very common. Such hurdles contribute negatively in educational achievements which effect in their admissions to courses for which they will be otherwise suitable. It will be in their interest to take any step to minimize them in case they are victim to any of such psychological hurdles. Chance Factors: You must not ignore the chance factors in your career plan. The best career plan sometimes may not meet its desired goals owing to factors beyond your control like war-breakouts, natural calamities in addition to dynamic technological developments. Such eventualities will result in creation of new avenue and at the same time restrict expansion in existing career fields. It does not mean that you just leave your career plan to chance but plan your career in more dynamic style to the best possible way while keeping all suggestions described so far in mind. To Sum up it is useful to analyze yourself in the process of career planning before hand. After having made a study of the occupations you are endowed to carry out, you would like to make a thorough study of your own self i.e. your mental and physical abilities, work preferences (interests), personality make- up, aptitudes, attitudes, emotional intelligence/emotional awareness, other relevant traits and aspirations keeping your family financial background in view. All such factors will determine your capacity to pursue a particular course of studies, your success in it and happiness in the chosen career. Your abilities set limit to your success, which you will attain in the initial occupation as well as in your entire career thereafter. It will be in order to know that some occupations demand special types of physical abilities i.e., abilities to undertake hazardous work or long rounds of walking active movements of limbs, physical clearness, co-ordination of eye and hands etc. Hence, it is suggested that you must be aware of your physical strengths and weaknesses in case you want to avoid wastage of energy in un-necessary pursuits. During my career counseling work during the last about forty years it has been observed that several young men and women after several years of hard labor find themselves medically unfit to enter into their targeted occupation. You can well imagine the quantum of wastage of time, energies, and financial resources of such persons. It is advisable to get yourself medical examined and match your medical data with that of targeted occupation if it is essential to pass the medically standard attach to such occupations. Who knows what great opportunities you might miss because of your graduating late on account of faulty career planning? What is the appropriate way to avoid such eventualities? Of course, you would conclude that had I planned my career at the proper time and in the right way I could have possibly avoided such unpleasant situations. It will be convenient for you to plan your career in consultation with an experienced counselor. About Author: Dr. S. S. Chadha (M.A. (Psychology), Dip. In Edu. Voc. Guidance had done doctorate work in the field of ‘Career Aspirations’. He has more than 40 years of experience in career counseling field. At present he is running Career Counseling Centre at # 2083, Sector 15-C, Chandigarh-160015 CAREER IN PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY The Indian pharmaceutical companies continue expanding their base despite the slow down. The pharmaceutical industries in India seem to be more stable compared to other industries and they would continue with their impressive performance. According to available figures the size of the Indian Pharmaceutical industries is poised to grow from Rs. 30,200 crore in 2007 to Rs. 33,500 crore in 2008 and further to Rs. 140, 000 crore in 2020. India is known as pharmacy of the whole world especially to third world countries. The country exports pharmaceuticals to more than 200 countries including USA, Russia, Germany, United Kingdom and Brazil. India is the leading supplier of AIDS drugs to the world. Pharmaceutical exports (valued in US dollar terms) registered an impressive growth rate at 30.7 % terms during April – October 2008 compared to corresponding period in the previous year. This growth further increases to 38.5 % when valued in rupees terms. Not withstanding the fears of a global recession, pharma exports are expected to grow by 25.2 % in 2008-2009. The Department of Pharmaceuticals estimated to have creation of 5 lakh new jobs within next four years involving investment of Rs. 5,000-10,000 crore through public – private partnership model. Drug approvals given to Indian pharmaceutical firms were 30% of total generic approvals given by USA Drug Regulatory Authority (USFDA) in 2008 while the share was 26.5 % in 2007. The trend is likely to continue as Indian companied account for 35 % of all Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approvals given by USFDA in first two months of 2009. ANDA is an application for a generic drug approval for an existing licensed medication or an approved drug. With over US dollar worth 47 billion drugs are expected to go off patent by 2011, promising further growth in generic medicine market. Pharmaceutical industries usually employ pharmacy graduates and post graduates for most of the operations.  The various activities include manufacturing, quality control (including quality assurance), and distribution (marketing). The expertise required to perform all these activities are usually the course programme of Pharmaceutical Sciences or Pharmaceutical Technology. Pharma being knowledge based industry; special skills are required for all these operations or activities. The available career opportunities for pharmacy graduates in pharmaceutical industries and government/private sector include: As Manufacturing Chemist (called as competent technical staff): under whose active direction and personal supervision manufacturing of medicines takes place. The pharmaceutical production companies need such persons to obtain license for manufacturing. Graduates of pharmacy with 18 months of experience in manufacturing are treated as competent technical staff under Drugs and Cosmetics Act which regulates the Drug Industries. This job of looking after manufacturing of medicines is very interesting and responsible. There are scopes of promotion too to the highest position as works manager or factory manager. In Quality Control/Quality Assurance: Quality Assurance is a total process for assuring the quality of pharmaceutical products as per standard specified in National or other approved pharmacopoeias. Quality Assurance is a component of Quality Assurance programme which deals with checking of representative samples of production to find out their compliance with standards. The graduates with aptitude in analysis of pharmaceuticals and handling of sophisticated instruments find the job interesting. There are promotional scopes too from Quality Control chemists to Quality Assurance Manager. There are private and independent drug testing laboratories too. The graduate pharmacist can join these laboratories as analyst. In Marketing: Pharmaceutical marketing is different from marketing of other consumer goods. Here, real consumer, the patient, has little or no choice. The marketing takes place through doctors and chemists. Thus the job is more challenging and requires special skill and training as they deal with highly qualified doctors in one hand and the professional business man (often called drug trader in common terminology). This is a never saturating professional area and jobs are available always. The sales personal are called as medical representatives or business executives. They can grow from medical representatives to general manager. In regulatory affairs: The medicines are not only required to be effective but must be safe and of assured quality. In order to assure efficacy, safety and quality, the entire pharmaceutical scenario, from manufacturing to sale of medicines, is regulated by the central and state government through a process of licensing and inspecting. The pharmaceutical graduates can join the government services usually through public service commission as Drugs Inspectors. They have promotional scopes to grow up to the rank of Drugs Controller. As Hospital Pharmacists: The pharmacists in hospitals do wide range of functions ranging from procurement of medicines to dispensing to the patients. In short they are responsible for medicine management in the hospitals. Though legally Diploma in Pharmacy qualification is sufficient for medicine dispensing, the degree pharmacists are preferred in procurement system in government sector and service sector in corporate hospitals. The promotional scope in this sector is limited. As Community Pharmacist (working in Drug Store or Retail Pharmacy):  Our medical systems are well developed and are on par with any developed country. But this community pharmacy sector is still in primitive stage. In western countries community pharmacists are well paid and many of pharmacists who have migrated to UK or USA work in community pharmacy. The scenario of community pharmacy now started changing in India too. Many chain stores are entering into the market. Diploma in Pharmacy qualified pharmacists. Like hospital pharmacy sector, the graduate pharmacists too started entering into the retail business as entrepreneur.  Self owning pharmacy in a good location not only gives good revenues but also provides ample opportunities to provide professional pharmaceutical services to the consumers. A license from the state Drugs Control Authority is necessary start a retail pharmacy business. As Government Analyst: The medicines that have been sampled either from manufacturing units or retail drug stores are tested in government drug testing laboratories. The graduate pharmacists can join these government laboratories as government analyst. But the graduate pharmacists do need to under go training on testing of drugs under a government analyst or in approved laboratories. The above career opportunities belong to the traditional spheres of employment in pharmaceutical sectors. The pharmaceutical industries have changed over the years. New field of activities like clinical trials, contract research, new drug development, newer drug delivery systems etc. have emerged. The corresponding demands for higher qualifications like postgraduates in Pharmacy in different disciplines and doctorate degree have increased. Today pharmaceutical companies need highly expertise professionals who can face global challenge. The Author isProfessor of PharmacyAnnamalai University, P. O. Annamalai Nagar – 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India; gpmohanta@hotmail.com CAREER IN TRANSLATION One of the career options that has been gaining importance in the wake of this technological revolution is translation. With the world shrinking into a global village, linguistic abilities are being appreciated more than ever. Translation can be a rewarding career, either as a full-time vocation or as a supplement to your writing jobs. The skills you learn as a translator - patience, attention to detail, expression, composition and can help your writing enormously. Translation should not be viewed as an activity that involves only word-by-word translation of text from one language to another. In actual practice, it involves moving the soul of a text into a different body. One of the best ways to improve your skills as a translator is to analyze the translation work done by other writers. This will give you an idea of the level of creativity required while executing the work as a professional. Always keep in mind that just like all other careers, it will take time to learn the craft and the business. You need to spend the first few years of your career in learning the nuances of the craft. The advent of the internet has helped organizations to spread their tentacles outside the home markets. As a result, there is an acute shortage of foreign language translators for handling an organization's external communication needs in overseas markets. Success, however in these markets can only be achieved by gaining an in-depth understanding of the needs of the customers, which is only possible when you have a solid translation backbone. Translation, in our opinion is set to be a multi-billion dollar industry in the coming few decades. This is one of the reasons why many youngsters are opting for a career in translation. When you embark on a translation career, it is advisable that you begin with dull, ordinary subjects that are easier to translate as compared to challenging literary texts. Beginning with easier texts will help build up your confidence which will come in handy when faced with complex hard to understand text. Start with small companies, as they will be more willing to hire fresher. Try building up a career profile by working on every type of text. Once you have attained a certain degree of confidence you can target import export agencies for assignments. Working for these agencies will give you just the right exposure to develop yourself as a professional translator. You can even work for multiple organizations by choosing to operate as a freelancer. That way you can build a regular source of income by signing agreements with multiple agencies wherein you get paid for doing a certain amount of work every month. Once you have gained sufficient experience you can begin to charge more. If freelance work does not interest you then there are plenty of opportunities for experienced translators in government and non-government agencies, universities, training centers and multi-national companies. First Step to begin with? If you are still studying and are interested in pursuing a career as a translator, start early. Identify the language/s that interest you, and start learning them while you are still studying. Other languages for which demand still exceeds supply are Japanese, German and French. After you decide upon the language you wish to learn, explore whether institutes where these languages are taught are available in your city. For example, Max Mueller Bhavan offers courses in German, and Alliance Francaise is the one-stop location for French. Even Delhi University too offers a list of International Languages such as French, German, Arabic etc. Although, there are no established institutes for learning Chinese or Japanese, with the popularity of these languages growing, several institutes have mushroomed recently. Searching the Internet for these institutes in your city may yield good results. While enrolling in part-time language courses is a good option, acquiring a degree in the language of your choice goes a long way in launching your career as a translator. Universities such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as well as University of Pune offer graduate and postgraduate courses in various foreign languages. Although companies prefer hiring translators with a degree in translation, such courses are still few and far between. How to get started with the career in translation? Let's look at what it takes to become a translator. First of all, you do to know another language. Like all careers (especially writing) it takes time to learn both the craft and the business. Let's say you are already comfortable with reading general texts in a language. Translation courses are usually post-graduate level. Some focus intensively on translating into and out of certain languages. Others emphasize knowing many languages and translating into your native tongue. Most translation courses also give supplementary language classes. There are many approaches, each suitable for a different kind of translation. Literary translator, will probably specialize in learning the nuances of just one language. To translate commercial texts, multilingual skills may be important. Courses aren't a necessity, however. You can learn through actually doing translations, if you are patient and motivated. Just like any kind of writing, you need to build your resume, and the best way to do this is to start small. If you don't feel comfortable translating into your second language, start with translating into your native tongue, since passive language knowledge is always stronger than active. Types of Jobs: There are as many subdivisions in translation as in any type of writing. Experience in a field can be invaluable for finding jobs; you can find many international corporate clients! Once you've specialized, you can start to charge more. Literary translation, although challenging and glamorous, is usually not a good place to start your career. Begin with more ordinary subjects; find import-export companies and offer your services. A surprisingly large number of text-memos, business plans and minutes, just to name a few -- are shunted from one language to the next and the corporate sector pays well. As a translator, you can work freelance, through an agency, or for one client exclusively. Many agencies are not willing to consider translators without qualifications, but this definitely depends on which languages you deal with. Freelance work demands constant attention, but it can be rewarding for those who like to work at home, or who want to work on particular hard-to-find subjects. Freelancers sometimes have agreements with several agencies to do a certain amount of work per week or month. Working for one client usually means translating in-office. This could be at a newspaper interested in foreign news or a multinational company, and can mean full-time or part-time hours. Financial Gains from Translation: What you'll charge depends on where you are. A good way to find out rates in your area is to call agencies and ask about their fees. Also check the Internet for markets. There are various job-finding sites. Before you start even your first translation, make sure you have style guides and dictionaries on hand. There are excellent dictionaries on CD-ROM, both bilingual and English/English and Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Having your dictionaries on the computer can be a time-saver, although it's not essential. Translation software is a controversial topic right now. It should be said, however, that no translation software, however sophisticated, does the job for you. It can only be an aid. Be professional. Always, always keep your deadlines. You are sometimes the last step before publication, and being late can cost you your job. Keep records; make your own glossary that can save your time and headaches later on. Some computer-based dictionaries have an "add your own words" option, but at the very least a simple list is invaluable. Check and re-check so that translation done is perfect, because if there is crucial sentence in the text is unclear or even (gasp) incorrect, might cause a lot of trouble. Finally, read the newspapers or books in both (or all) of your languages will help you get a feel for translating. Taking the first step in a new direction is always hard. Starting to translate is difficult, but it can lead you into a rewarding area. It's something you can combine with writing to make a full, well-rounded freelance career. Or you may just love it so much you will dedicate your life to it! There are two main types of translators: translators who work with anything written or published, and interpreters, who listen and translate a voice as it is being spoken. Translators may work on software, internet related materials or a variety of documents, including legal, business-related, technical, or “literary” texts, and is generally paid by the word. Interpreters are normally paid by the hour at business conferences, courts or government proceedings. Simultaneous interpreting is probably the most difficult discipline of translation as the interpreters need to be highly trained and fluent to interpret the voice of the speaker in real time. While interpreters can find their profession very challenging, it can also be quite tedious churning through word after word of, for example, technical texts. Translators, on the other hand, have significant advantages in that they have time to polish their final product revising their translations with dictionaries, glossaries and other reference tools. A variety of working environments exist for translators such as various translation environments for software translation and website translation that include translation memories and glossaries. It can often take significant training for the translator to get fully up to speed with these tools. Simultaneous translators must have very versatile backgrounds. A strong business background may be extremely useful to the simultaneous translator. To become a technical translator, applicants must pass an exam and receive special certification. These translators must also posses excellent technical writing skills. Thankfully, many companies offer test preparation classes to make applicants ready for the exams. Court translators generally need to be certified by the governments of their countries and need to pass exams for this certification. Other translators work in academic fields either studying or interpreting foreign texts. This is where there is often the most room for creative expression. However, it is also the area most likely to be widely scrutinized. Translation Service companies prefer candidates who have exceptional fluency in at least two languages, though; many language combinations can often be off-putting for an employer due to the lack of specialization in a combination they are looking for. This may often also be the case for the field a translator may specialize in. A translator specialized in a particular field and language combination for ten years is often more likely to be chosen over a translator who has several working combinations and fields for the last ten years. Candidates should be fluent in at least two cultures. Cultural study is an area that potential translators cannot overlook as it is invaluable to understanding the nuances of any work to be translated. Some Important Tips for Translation: Practice your written skills in the language as much as possible. While it is important to be able to speak a language well, writing skills are equally imperative in pursuing a career in translation. Pay special attention to the field you intend to specialize in. For example, if you wish to enter the IT field and work as a technical translator, make a special effort to learn the IT terminology of that language. Read extensively. This is essential in order to improve your command of the language. The Internet is an excellent resource for books and other material. Use every opportunity to speak the language with a native speaker. Cultivate good writing skills in the target language. A translator is first and foremost a good writer. Ensure that you are able to express yourself well in the target language. What is the Next Step? Once you complete your language courses, begin identifying translation and interpreting jobs. Translators and interpreters are hired by MNC's with operations in several countries, hotels, holiday resorts, travel agencies, etc. Depending on your aptitude, identify the areas that you could potentially specialize in. For example, if you are a technology freak, you may want to work for a software company as a technical translator. If you are interested in automobiles, you may contemplate a career as a translator in the automobile industry. There are lots of vacancies in Government Sectors also. All the Government Ministries like Agriculture, Science & Technology, Textile and Education and so on requires Junior Translators, Senior Translators, Subject Experts and Assistant Director (for official languages).  The opportunities are endless. However, it is essential to have a fairly good idea of what interests you, so that you can prepare yourselves appropriately. The importance of computer skills cannot be overemphasized. Although learning languages has very little to do with working on the computer, in order to be able to succeed in this profession, mastery of good computer skills is extremely essential. Like most jobs, translation jobs are primarily advertised in newspapers and on job sites on the Internet. Identify the kind of job that interests you most and begin the search. About the Authors – Meenakshi Gaur (Translator) & Mamta Singh (Research Intern) at NISCAIR, Popular Science Division , Pusa, New Delhi) CAREER IN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION Development Communication is defined in communication studies as an organized effort to increase control over resources and regulatory institutions by groups and movements of those hitherto excluded from those controls. It is a forum which educates and mobilizes masses to take active and intelligent participation in development activities with maximum efforts. It generally includes educating masses about their socio-economic environment, building self-reliance based on solidarity support and sharing, involvement of people in deliberations and decision making, motivating people to acquire an ability to manage conflicts and to build consensus and finally to help the people with interest aggregation and problem articulation. Scope and Areas of Work: The experience of the past sixty years has demonstrated the crucial importance of communication in the field of development. Within the perspective of development communication, two trends developed successively: an approach that favoured large-scale actions and relied on the mass media, and an approach that promoted grassroots communication (also called community communication), promoting small-scale projects and relying especially on small media (videos, posters, slide presentation, etc.). Development communication is an extraordinarily broad field. It covers a wide range of topics, from the traditional themes of agriculture, health and public awareness, to newer areas such as governance, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), urban development, youth, and so on.  Communication uses a wide range of approaches, from "social marketing" (which draws on advertising and marketing to promote development goals) to participatory approaches that work with local people and help them communicate their needs and opinions to others. It covers lobbying and advocacy, mass marketing and highly targeted campaigns. Communication can serve various audiences: farmers, villagers, herders, teachers, students, women, policy makers, extension workers, scientists, unemployed youths, prostitutes, health workers, suicidal teenagers, small businesspeople, fisher-folk, government officials, treaty negotiators, donors, ethnic minorities...the list is long. Determining the correct audience is a vital part of a successful communication intervention. Communication uses many different types of media: mass media such as radio, television and the press; electronic media such as emails and websites; interpersonal media such as training courses, meetings and face-to-face contact; narrowcast media such as posters, flyers and handouts. Nature of the Job: Having a Degree or Diploma in Development Communication, one can work as a Communication, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for a major International or National Non-Government or Non-Profit Organizations. One can also work as a Consultant on part-time or assignment basis. The basic job is to strategize or plan communication activities based on participatory approaches including media and interpersonal communication channels which may facilitate a dialogue among different stakeholders involved in a development activity having a common development problem or goal by setting a number of activities to contribute to its solution, or its realization. You can also work as a Researcher, Extension Worker or as a Development Practitioner to deal with development problems and experimenting and implementing appropriate solutions.  But you are not the only performer. The process must be based on the active participation of the end users and involve the other stakeholders working with the communities. This is the fundamental basis of participatory development communication. Where to Study and the Eligibility: Most of the University Departments offering a Post-Graduate or Under-Graduate program in Mass Communication and Journalism generally have Development Communication as one of their main subjects. Some Universities, Colleges and Media Institutions also offer specialization in Development Communication. Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre (AJK-MCRC) of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi offers a unique one year Post-Graduate Diploma Program in Development Communication which familiarizes the students about various concurrent development initiatives taking place at Global and Domestic level.  The Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Guru Jambheswar University has recently started a Masters Program in Development Communication. The Eligibility to take admission in these courses is generally a Bachelor’s in any stream having some understanding of socio-economic issues. The selection will be based on a written test followed by a personal interview. One having a good knowledge of current happenings in development sector can get a selection. Where to Look for the Job: Most of the Non-Government and Non-Profit organizations advertise their vacancies in newspapers. Now a day you can also find all the details regarding the jobs on the websites of these development agencies. Consulting firms generally have databases of CVs. Search the name of these firms, get yourself registered with them and frequently visit their websites to find out how to submit your CV to them. Further, universities and colleges also do consulting work, often in research rather than project implementation. So, universities websites can also be helpful. Remuneration: The salary in development sectors depends on various factors. Your qualification and experience, your expertise in a particular field, the budget of the project, the implementation agency, the donor, the length of the assignment, the urgency of the project all counts. Some employers like United Nations Agencies and USAID follows a set rules governing how much they will pay for a certain assignment. They look in particular your qualifications and experience and then set the rate accordingly. The salaries of International Development bodies are generally tax free and they also offer high incentives. Excelling your Skills: A development communication practitioner should have a prior understanding of the local development dynamics of a place or community where or with whom he/she is planning to work. Without such prior knowledge, it is often very difficult to build a sound understanding of the setting, even by conducting participatory rural appraisal activities. Further, identification of relevant sources of documentation and resource people and/or organizations that know the community very well should be the first thing to be considered. At the beginning, you need to excel your skills to collect preliminary information on the community with whom your NGO is working and its environment, entering the community, getting to know the people and the resource persons in the community, developing a more thorough collection of information with the participation of the local people and resource persons, and facilitating a dialogue with them. But what  really development communication means is building a relationship, developing collaboration mechanisms, facilitating and nurturing the exchange of information and knowledge, negotiating roles and responsibilities, and most importantly, building mutual trust. Here your interpersonal communication skills will count more. The Author is Research Scientist & Course CoordinatorPG Program in Development CommunicationAJK – Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC)Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University)Jamia Nagar, New Delhi – 110025 MARKET RESEARCH AND CAREER  Opportunities in marketing research are global in nature and call for a rich understanding of market culture and quantitative approaches. Market research is considered to be the fastest growing occupational categories today. Market Research is the gathering of information concerning consumers' opinions, tastes, needs and desires. This data is compiled through a variety of methods and then used by companies to decide what types of products and services fit the demands of the public. Information gathered from market research also helps companies decide how best to package and advertise their products and services and help determine precisely who the companies' target markets are. Market research analysts perform the day-to-day work of the marketing research industry. Market Research attempts to understand why we buy a particular product or service. Consumers are becoming more demanding and markets for products and services are becoming increasingly competitive. Businesses at this stage require a sophisticated marketing intelligence. A Good market research is critical for businesses to study markets and marketing strategies for new products and services. It also provides data needed to maintain market share and sales volume. Our choices of products and even our attitudes to political and social issues, like drunken driving – are evidences of successful marketing strategies. Nature of work: Market or Marketing Research Analysts are concerned with the potential sales of a product or service. They analyze statistical data on past sales to predict future sales. They gather data on competitors and analyze prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. Market Research Analysts devise methods and procedures in obtaining the data they need. They often design telephone, mail, or Internet surveys to assess consumer preferences. Some surveys are conducted as personal interviews by going door-to-door, leading focus group discussions, or setting up booths in public places such as shopping malls. Trained interviewers, under the market research analyst’s direction, usually conduct the surveys. After compiling the data, market research analysts evaluate them and make recommendations to their client or employer based on their findings. They provide a company’s management with information needed to make decisions on the promotion, distribution, design, and pricing of products or services. The information may also be used to determine the advisability of adding new lines of merchandise, opening new branches, or otherwise diversifying the company’s operations. Market Research Analysts might also develop advertising brochures and commercials, sales plans, and product promotions such as rebates and giveaways. Survey Researchers design and conduct surveys for a variety of clients such as corporations, government agencies, political candidates, and service providers. They use surveys to collect information that is used for research, making fiscal or policy decisions, measuring policy effectiveness, and improving customer satisfaction. Analysts may conduct opinion research to determine public attitudes on various issues, which may help political or business leaders and others assess public support for their electoral prospects or social policies. Like Market Research Analysts, Survey Researchers may use a variety of mediums to conduct surveys, such as the Internet, personal or telephone interviews, or mail questionnaires. They also may supervise interviewers who conduct surveys in person or over the telephone. Survey Researchers design surveys in many different formats, depending upon the scope of research and method of collection. Interview surveys, for example, are common because they can increase survey participation rates. Survey researchers may consult   economists, statisticians, market research analysts, or other data users in order to design surveys. They may also present survey results to clients. Market Research: Skills & Talents The field of marketing research calls on the following skills: Key Skills Area Requirement People skills: Medium Sales skills: Medium Communication skills: Medium Analytical skills: Very High Ability to synthesize: Medium Creative ability: High Initiative: Medium Work hours: 35-65/week Must be good with Data: Market-Research Analysts research market conditions by collecting, organizing, and interpreting data from local, regional, national, or other areas to determine potential sales of a product, service, or retail facilities. Team Oriented: Market Researchers usually work on a research team with statisticians, motivational research specialists who design survey questions, pollsters, interviewers, IT specialists and a variety of others. Survey researchers held about 50,000 jobs in 2008. Survey Researchers were mainly employed by professional, scientific, and technical services firms, including management, scientific and technical consulting firms, and scientific research and development firms; employment services, State government, and internet service providers and web search portals. A number of market and survey researchers combine a full-time job in government, academia, or business with part-time or consulting work in another setting. About 8 percent of market and survey researchers are self-employed. Some of the market Research companies providing jobs In India Cross Tab(  Delphi Research Services(  Diksha Research(  IMRB( International  Lamcon Finance( & Management  Market Pulse( ( Nielson India  Protech India(  Rural Relations(  Rushabh Direct( Marketing  Sampling Research(  Samsika Marketing Consultants(  TNS( India Positions available in Market Research: Vice-President of Marketing Research: This is the senior position in marketing research. The VP is responsible for the entire marketing research operation of the company and serves on the top management team, also sets the objectives and goals of the marketing, research department. Research Director: Also a senior position, the director has the overall responsibility for the development and execution of all the marketing research projects. Assistant Director of Research: Serves as an administrative assistant to the director and supervises some of the other Marketing Research staff members. (Senior) Project Manager: Has overall responsibility for design, implementation, and management of research projects. Statistician/Data Processing Specialist: Serves as an expert on theory and application of statistical techniques. Responsibilities include experimental design, data processing, and analysis. Senior Analyst: Participates in the development of projects and directs the operational execution of the assigned projects. Works closely with the analyst, junior analyst, and other personnel in developing the research design and data collection. Prepares the final report. The primary responsibility for meeting time and cost constraints rests with the senior analyst. Analyst: Handles the details involved in executing the project. Designs and pretests the questionnaires and conducts a preliminary analysis of the data. Junior Analyst: Handles routine assignments such as secondary data analysis, editing and coding of questionnaires, and simple statistical analysis. Field Work Director: Responsible for the selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of interviewers and other field workers. Educational Qualification: The most common entry-level position in Marketing Research for people with bachelor's degrees (e.g., BBA) is as Operational Supervisor. These people are responsible for supervising a well-defined set of operations, including field work, data editing, and coding, and may be involved in programming and data analysis. Another entry-level position for BBAs is Assistant Project Manager.  An  Assistant Project manager will learn and assist in questionnaire design, review field instructions, and monitor timing and costs of studies. In the Marketing Research industry, however, there is a growing preference for people with master's degrees. Those  MBA with  Ph.D or equivalent degrees are likely to be employed as Project  Managers. Market Researcher: Salaries In general, salaries for Market Researchers are relatively high in the Indian job market. Since this category of job often calls for a master’s degree or even a doctorate, starting pay can be quite good. However, some entry level jobs in market research can be low-paying. MBA level salaries for market research types at top schools have above Rs. 1,00,000 in recent years. Dr.K.Rajesh Kumar is Director, AMC Engg.College, 18th KM Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore-83. Manjunatha .N is  Research Scholar, Dept. of Management Studies, Anna University,  Coimbature.(Tamil Nadu).