For the 900-odd students and parents gathered at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall on Sunday morning, The Hindu EDGE Career Counselling 2017 proved to be the perfect forum to voice doubts about the allotment process, as well as to understand the varied career choices open to them.
Karisiddappa, Vice-Chancellor, Visweswaraiah Technological University (VTU), told students that employers now look for interdisciplinary knowledge and skills as the combination of related areas had led to new innovations in fields ranging from medicine to computer science. He told students that the branch of engineering they opt for was not as important as getting strong fundamentals. “There is no good or bad branch in engineering. Any student whose fundamentals and skill sets are strong, and has a right attitude will definitely be placed and will do well professionally,” he said.
Dr. Karisiddappa asked parents not to make decisions on behalf of their children and advised students to choose for themselves based on their strengths, interests and passion. “Families, friends, teachers, and well-wishers only offer suggestions. The ultimate decision should and must be taken by students,” he said.
CET counselling schedule
K.S. Manjunath, Executive Director of Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), said the CET results would be announced on May 30. The document verification process will begin from June 1 for the NCC and Sports quota, while verification for all other students starts from June 5 and will go on till June 21.
He advised students to frequently check the KEA website to check the seat matrix and not to reveal the eight-digit secret key they are given during verification, as many cases of malpractice had occurred in the past. “Sometimes students share the numbers with friends and it gets misused and they lose a chance at getting a good college,” said Mr. Manjunath.
Nanda Kishore Alva, professor at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, went through the minutiae of the admission process to medical colleges in the State. He also offered students an idea of the fee structure for allotment under different quotas.
Students and parents who attended the programme said it gave them a clearer idea of what to expect. “I had some doubts about the online process which were cleared today,” said Nasreen Taj, whose son completed his II PU this year.
The sky is the limit to choosing a career
Once doubts on how to go about the allotment process were cleared, speakers at The Hindu EDGE Career Counselling 2017 shifted focus on a topic many students often wonder about but rarely raise: what other options are out there?
Ameen-e-Mudasser, CEO and Chief Career Counsellor at CIGMA, told students that although medicine and engineering have been holding sway for close to 30 years as options for a well-paying career, there were many other careers where one could earn a good salary right from the start or in time.
One such option was veterinary medicine, he said. “Many students shy away from it for fear of what people will think. But if you don’t get a medicine seat and want to practice medicine, this is a job that can pay you well in a couple of years,” he said.
He urged students to introspect and focus on their interests and talents. “What you do, how well you do it, and how long you do it depends on your aptitude, personality, skills, and interest. Don’t buy the book because you like the cover,” he advised.
Nanda Kishore Alva, professor, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, listed 51 careers in allied medicine that could lead to rewarding careers. The list included audiology, human biology, nuclear medicine, respiratory technology, allied health sciences,speech language and hearing, and radiation therapy.
All the participants were given complimentary copies of The Hindu EDGE’s career handbook, ‘thenxt.step’, which was released on Sunday. The 90-page book contains articles on career options such as start-ups, media and entertainment, and the social sector, outside commonly accepted courses like engineering and medicine.
Mr. Ameen said that in today’s competitive world, it would not do if students banked on their degrees alone. He urged them to look up websites like Coursera and Udemy and to learn as much as they could on topics of their interest. The advent of internet had meant the creation of many job opportunities that did not exist before, he said. “Newer jobs are being created every day. Who ever thought being a YouTube personality would one day become a lucrative career option,” he said.
‘Still no order on seats under management, NRI quotas’
A.S. Ravi, PRO for Karnataka Examinations Authority, answered questions by students and parents on the counselling process.
Q. After opting for choice 2 (where payment for first allotment is made but admission order is not given), is there an option to change the order of colleges for round 2?
A. Say you have been allotted the tenth college in your list, you can order, delete and rearrange options for colleges from 1 to 9. There is no option to add another college to the list for round 2. However, if any new seat is offered from any college other than the first round seats, those seats can be added.
Should the CBSE or PU mark list be uploaded to the KEA website?
We have offered the choice to upload Class 12 or PU marks to the website. There is no need to come to the KEA centre to submit the same. Even then, in case you have applied for re-evaluation and the marks have changed, spot allotment of ranks will be done.
What is the process for applying under management quota for medical seats in NEET?
There is still no order from the government on seats under management quota and NRI quota. It will be notified at a later date.
If we select choice 2 and get an engineering seat in the first round and a medical seat in the second round, will we be eligible for both?
This is like the laws of physics: you cannot occupy two seats at a time. Once round 2 is over, allotment given in first choice, irrespective of whether it is in engineering or medical, gets cancelled.
Do we have to give a separate list of interested colleges for engineering or medicine in choices?
You can give engineering and medical college choices in the same sheet.
Is NEET required for an entry in to B. Pharma?
Admission for B. Pharma and Pharma D. is only through CET.
What happens if NEET results are delayed?
If NEET results are not announced by the time the counselling begins, the allotment will be done for engineering first and then for medical seats. If NEET is announced earlier, it will be done simultaneously.
