Q & A

I am pursuing BCA from IP University. I want to know what short-term courses I can pursue to make my profile impressive or should I work in any organisation for work experience to get a good job. I want to get into the IT sector.

via email

Pursuing any short-term programme will be based on the specialisation that one is interested in besides the area of work that one would like to take up on entering the corporate world. To provide an illustration, if you intend to pursue Networking then the best option would be Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and related programmes viz., Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching, and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) – Data Centre Certification.

Cloud Computing short-term programmes will be attractive as this is the current trend. On completion of the BCA programme the other alternative is to pursue the Master of Computer Application (MCA). However, if you get the desired break in the corporate world after BCA, work for about two years and then pursue company-sponsored twinning programmes that are on offer with various educational institutions.

I am a I PUC (PCMB) student. I am interested in Psychology, Defence, Architecture and Teaching. I am confused about what I should take up for the future. Sometimes, I feel I should study overseas as well.

via email, Bengaluru

You will have to make that decision to select an area of study that will impact your career. It all goes by interest and an aptitude that one possesses. You select and stick to your selection. The areas of interest that you have currently mentioned have plenty of opportunities and scope as well. However, selecting one area based on your interest and aptitude will help you to move forward.

Competition is tough, which will ensure the best in you comes out. India has opportunities for good education in all the sectors that you have mentioned. Going for overseas studies, you would have to plan in advance to ensure success.

I completed B.E. in 2008 in Electronics and Communication. Due to family pressures and responsibilities I could not work till now. What are the available work-from-home options? Do I need to study further?

via email

You should pursue job opportunities in small entities in your domain of specialisation, as the larger corporates will not consider you as a fresher or even for any job profile with experience. By working in the smaller entities to start with and garnering experience, you can seek opportunities in bigger companies on the basis of lateral hiring. In regards to work from home, you will need to check the veracity of the website that you browse and then identity the genuine options that come your way. Most of the organisations providing opportunities will put you on a training programme and then give work opportunities. The normal progression for a B.E. qualified individual is either Master’s in Technology or Business Management, but in the current circumstances getting into a work environment is the ideal choice.

I am currently in the second year of B.A. in an evening college. During the daytime, I work and have about one-and-a-half years of experience. I came across many private universities advertising for programmes at the master’s level in the regular mode and some in the correspondence stream. I am confused about the varieties of universities in India. Can you guide me?

via email, Bengaluru

The Central Government creates Universities through an Act of Parliament and these are known as Central Universities. Some of them are Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Central University of Karnataka (CUK), English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) (www.ugc.ac.in) there are a total of 45 Universities. All the Central Universities come under the purview of the Department of Higher Education, Union Human Resource Development Ministry.

State Governments, through an Act of the State Legislature, create the State Universities viz., Bangalore University, University of Mumbai, University of Madras, University of Mysore. Most of the State Universities are affiliating Universities, as they administer a large number of affiliated colleges that offer undergraduate programmes and some may offer Master’s degree courses as well.

The UGC, under Section 3 of the UCG Act of 1956, grants autonomy to an educational institution of repute under the category of Deemed to be University. Some of them are the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) (first received the status in 1958), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), and Christ University.

Private Universities are established by an Act of the State Legislative Assembly and are listed by UGC and also act as per the norms specified in the UGC Act. In Karnataka you have Alliance University (www.alliance.edu.in), M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (www.msruas.ac.in), and Azim Premji University (www.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in).

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), the National Institutes of Technology (NIT) (earlier known as Regional Engineering Colleges), and the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) come under the category of autonomous institutes that are controlled by the Central Government.

You should check the veracity of the advertisements through the UGC website, and find out if an university is recognised by the statutory bodies and then pursue programmes of your choice.

Email: Shaheed_k@yahoo.com