There are more than 27,000 Indian students who are currently pursuing their studies in the UK and this number is growing at over ten percent each year. From the year 2002, there has been a steady growth in the number of student enrollment from India, Mr.Anish Kumarswamy, head, marketing and communications (South India), British Council told this newspaper.

Shorter course duration and schemes like 'fresh talent' and international graduate' that allow students to work after the course completion are some of the reasons why the Indian students prefer to choose the UK. One-year Mater degree courses like MBA, M.Sc., and attractive scholarships are other factors that make the UK an exciting place for studies, he added.

Among the courses popular with the Indian students are law, business administration (including MBA), engineering and technology, paramedical courses followed by biological sciences. Of late, students are enquiring about studies and research programmers in biotechnology. " The demand for courses in animation, gaming and fine-arts is also picking up gradually," pointed out Anish.

Noting that from June 30 International graduate who have studied in the UK will be free to seek employment for up to two years under Tier 1 of Points Based System (PBS) he said, This is twice the length of stay permitted under the old International Graduate Scheme (IGS) rules and allows the most able international graduates to find work in the UK without the need for a sponsor or work permit. "The Tier 1 (Post-study work) replaces IGS and the Fresh Talent : working in Scotland scheme, which is an added advantage for students who come here, he noted.

"We are anticipating 15 per cent increase in the number of student visas to be issued for the September 2008 intake," added Anish confidently.

A survey conducted by HESA-Higher Education Statistical Agency in the UK said that when it comes to Universities the most preferred ones are the University of Greenwich, University of Wales Institute CArdiff, Middlesex University, Sheffield Hallam, Hertfordshire, Nottingham, Northumbria, Napier, Staffordshire, Manchester, Robert Gordon and University of Sunderland.

For information about study options for Indian students in the UK visit the Education U.K. - www.educationuk-in.org .

Details regarding visa procedures, stories from alumni, scholarship information and advice for potential students and their families can be obtained from www.ukinindia.com

Jeevan IT Academy's 'Ready to Deploy' programme is an innovative method to turn candidates into expert software consultants who can occupy key positions in any corporate firm. This is much more then a finishing school concept. This training program has been framed by experts and who are aware of the needs of companies for such consultants.

With the recession in the US market, weakening rupee value and general slowdown, the IT industry is already facing a big challenge and consultants can play a major role to keep it floating. This is possible only iof the effective training is given at entry level imparting not only technical and soft skills but also a familiarity with the dynamics of the industry. Usually when a fresher joins a company, he or she takes some time to be deployed on a project. This make both the corporate and the individual waste precious time.

It is here that JITA comes in. Its 'Ready to deploy' programme ensures corporate readiness from day one. "JITA focuses on 360 degree training to enhance the employability of the talent pool available across the country," says a company representative. "It will also help an organisation cut down the costs of training to a significant percentage and enhances the productivity of the employee."

JITA was inaugurated in June and has started training its first batch of 40 graduates from June 23, 2008. Their course will include technical training (Java, .Net, Testing, LAMP and Mainframe), soft skill training, software engineering and project management, team building activities, on job training, essential competence, and outdoor activities.

Apart from this, there is also a value pack which includes overseas travel and onsite lifestyle to make the candidates 'corporate ready'. The course will last for three months and will consist of 450 hours of training after which the candidates will be ready to take on the rigours of the corporate world. To apply for this course, send an e-mail to info@jeevanitacademy.com

1. A Valid passport

2. A completed application form

3. Two recent passport size photographs

4. Relevant educational certificates and diplomas

5. Letter of Acceptance from the educational institution in UK

6. Statement of charges and evidence of part of course fees paid.

7. Evidence of funds to pay for stay and studies in UK or letter from host/sponsor in UK to say that he/she will support and accomodate the applicant during the course of studies.

8. The applicant must satisfy the Visa Officer that he/she is able and intends to follow a full time course of study and intends to leave the UK upon companies of the course.

9. A student applying for the long term Visa must undergo a medical examination and chest x-ray before receiving their authority to enter UK.

Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field. It combines the design and problem solving expertise of engineering with the medical expertise of physicians to help improve patient health care and the quality of life of healthy individuals. As a relatively new discipline, much of the work in biomedical engineering consists of research and development, covering an array of fields: bioinformatics, medical imaging, image processing, physiological signal processing, biomechanics, biomaterials and bioengineering, systems analysis, 3-D modeling, etc.

Examples of concrete applications of biomedical engineering are the development and manufacture of biocompatible protheses, medical devices, diagnostic devices and imaging equipment such as MRIs and EEGs, and pharmaceutical drugs.

Clinical engineering a branch of biomedical engineering for professionals responsible for the managerment of medical equipment in a hospital. The tasks of a clinical engineer are typically the acquisition and management of medical device inventory, supervising biomedical engineering technicians, ensuring that safety and regulatory issues are taken into consideration and serving as a technological consultant for any issues in a hospital where medical devices are concerned. Clinical engineers work closely with the IT department and medical physicists.

Biomedical engineering is offered in 14 self financing engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu Clinical Engineering a mostly a post graduate programme is offered in Cardiff School of Engineering/Cardiff University UK, Nanyang TEchnological University also offers 2 years post graduate programme in Clinical Engineering.

Young software professionals these days prefer acquiring an MBA after a successful date with the CAT. This they feel is a productive alternative to a lifetime with a mouse. In fact the percentage of working professionals taking CAT has grown appreciably over the past years first by bridging its gap with freshers who take CAT and now going past them.

Speaking to DC-Education, C.P.Vasan, head, Career Launcher, Chennai, said about 60 per cent of the CAT takers already have lucrative software jobs. These working professionals, who are programmers at these IT majors, are keen to change their job profile from technology to management after getting tired of coding in 15 months.

The feeling that they can grow exponentially in five years if they get into one of top B-schools is the decision influencer. The fact that people who join these IT majors after a stint at the IIMs are on a lucrative remuneration acts as a catalyst.

The euphoria of getting placed while in the final year of their colleges slowly evaporates after joining their prospective employers. By the passing time these so called working professionals start nurturing ambitions of becoming managers. In this Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalization (LPG) era, there are abundant requirements of managerial candidates and every working professional vying for the same is not a surprise.

The ideal way of becoming a manager is to take CAT, get into IIMs and come back with a bang as a Manager. Most B-schools take MBA aspirants with work experience; this is because a large number of them apply to these B-schools.

There is no defined 'quota' for experienced personnel, nor are they given any 'preference' at any stage of the process. Students with work experience do have a psychological edge in the interview as their interviews tend to focus predominantly on their work (which they should know) whereas fresher interview focus more on academics (not everyone's strength).