Kshitij is IIT Kharagpur's annual educational fest. The event host more than 40 events in technology and management, guest lectures, workshops, technology exhibitions and megashows. This years competitions inlcudes:



KRYOTECH :

This event is based on refrigeration on collaboration with ASHRAE (American society of heating refrigeration and air conditioning engineers). The participants have to design a HVAC system for an industry. Students also get an opportunity to get an internship in MIT (massachusetts institute of technology) based on the discretion of the judges.



WOODSTOCK :

A game in which the players face real time share price fluctuations and trade accordingly. The game ensures first hand experience of the real market without the associated risk of losing money. Woodstock has started as of October 1.



OPENSOFT :

This is software design contest without any particular restrictions. It is unique in the sense that it is one of the very few open source contests held in India.



JAVAWISE :

The event challenges the partcipants to develop an application to be used on a mobile phone or a PDA using Java Micro Edition (Java ME) technology. The submissions can range from simple contact manager, currency convertor to the next "snake 2" of the mobile world.



OPEN HADWARE :

The Participants have to submit an a hardware model.



B-PLAN :

This is a business plan competition wherein the participant needs to submit and give a business model for a particular product with a strong focus on technology.



EUREKA :

This is a technical paper presentation event. Papers that have already been accepted in standard national conferences or published in journals shall get a direct entry to the second round.



MATH OLYMPIAD :

An online competition based on mathematics.



CARCHITECHTURE :

This is an interior design contest. The Participants have to design the interior of a car to suit the profiles of two persons.



SENATE :

The Senate is an event which is on the lines of a world class parliament. The event is muifaceted as students can judge heir debating skills as well as their command on Parliament

proceeding at the same time.

ZERO HOUR :

This is a unique initiative on the part of IIT-Kharagpur to highlight the food crisis in this world today. This even will be held in the form of an I interactive case study where we will have people from various backgrounds like NGO's, Microfinance institutions participating in the panel discussion.

Any team unable to submit online may post a CD containing the zipped folder to the following address:

General Secretary (Technology)

Technology Students Gymkhana, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal - 721 302.

Last Date for online (www.ktj.in ) and postal entries is Decemeber 16.

For more details contact : 09734426339/ 09933190727

India should face the challenge - Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam :

In Indian history, very rarely has our nation come across a situation, all at a time, an ascending economic trajectory, continuously rising foreign exchange reserves, energy of 540 million youth, umbilical connectivities of 23 million people of Indian origin in various parts of the planet, with the potential sharing capacity of knowledge and interest shown by many developed countries to invest in our engineers and scientists inclusding setting up of new Research & Development Centers.

The distinction between public and the private sectors and the illusory primacy of one over the other is vanishing. Our technological competence and value systems with civilizational heritage are also highly respected. Foreign institutional Investors are finding investing in India attractive. Our industrialists are also investing abroad and opening new business ventures. The Indian economy is growing with an average annual GDP growth rate of over 8%. Presently, we have the challenge of high inflation and a slight dip in GDP growth rate.

We have to meet this challenge and work for realizing the target of 10% GDP growth within the next two years. Now, let me give my visualization of India during the year 2020. Distinctive profile of the nation :

* A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.

* A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.

* A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.

* A Nation where education with value system is not denied to anymeritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.

* A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.

* A Nation where the best of health is available to all.

* A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.

* A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and non in the society feels alienated.

* A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.

* A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.

Several students took part in the two day seminar on robotics organised by the Payrus clubs at IIT Saashtra. The current academic programme is heavily inclined towards the Engineering discipline and, the Arts and Pure Science streams have taken a back seat in the mind share of most students. Engineering, which was so long dominated by the IT industry is slowly changing and other courses are also gaining momentum. Across the state there are more than 250 engineering colleges and students are looking at better career options.

Technological advance have given birth to the age of robotics, and the field is luring more youngsters towards it. Papyrusclubs, a Deccan Chronicle initiative rightly anticipated the student psyche and launched a Robotics Training for students in Schools and C0lleges. Robotics Orientation program, a two day seminar for the students of IIT Chennai, was organised as part of the IITM -Saashtra 2008.

The Students went through a carefully designed course covering the fundamentals of Robotic Engineering. This two day program focused on the art of building basic, manual and autonomous robots from discrete electronic components. Building such intelligent and autonomous robots is an ideal way to explore the field of electronics and basics of robotics. Participants were encouraged to apply concepts that they learned in their classrooms, to employ their knowledge in new and interesting ways to create simple yet seemingly complex robots.

The program concluded with a competition in which participants had to build robots and demonstrate their capabilities in a soccer robot event, Certificates were awarded to all participants. There was an over whelming response for this program and students from other parts of India too showed interest in the program. The program validated the intiative of Papyrusclub in delivering knowledge enhancement programs for students.

British Councial in partnership with Centre for Biotechnology, Anna Univerysity, Chennai is organising a two-day seminar on "Biotechnology: UK and Indian Perspectives" on October 17 and 18. The purpose of this two day seminar is to familiarise the students and faculty of biotechnology on current trends and the latest developments. The seminar will be held at the Vivekananda Auditorium, Anna University, Chennai.

Scientists from Aberystwyth University, University of Bath, University of East Anglia, Napier University, University of Warwick and University of Westminster along with Indian scientists and industry experts will deliver talks on Health care Biotechnology topics. Interested persons are requested to fill in the registration form available on the Anna University website www.annauniv.edu/indouk.pdf and return to the Head of the Department, Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 along with a registration fee of Rs.400/- payable by demand draft drawn in favour of "HOD, Department of Biotechnology, Anna University" payable at Chennai. Registration on a first-cum-first served basis. The last date of registration is 14 October 2008.

For more information, contact British Council at 044-4205 0600 or Department of Biotechnology, Anna University at 044-2235 0772/0299.

An MBA (Master in Business Administration) or PGDBM (Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management) is a postgraduate professional qualification, internationally recognised and widely accepted for a successful career in the business world. However, due to the mismatch between the number of good Business Schools and the vast number of aspirants for the postgraduate qualification in management, the entire selection and admission process has become highly competitive. As a result, each B-school has to eliminate students at all stages of the selection process before they finally prepare a list of candidates selected for admission.

The first and most important stage which is, in fact, the base of the selection process is the Written Test. This is called by different school a candidate is applying to. The well-known Written test conducted by the Indian Instititutes of Management (IIMs) is known as the Common Admission Test (CAT) in which prominent private business schools also participate under an MoU with the IIMs.
CAT is not, in fact, an intelligence test. It is basically, a Business Aptitude Test intended to identify those students who are likely to perform well in the area of business management. It is also important to know that the CAT score is only one of the criteria for the final selection of a candidate. Other criteria include the condidate's performance in the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) and his/her academic record. CAT basically assesses a candidate in two basic areas - Quantitative Ability and the Verbal Ability required to become a good management professional.
Quantitative Problems given in CAT measure a candidate's mathematical skill. These problems also assess his/her skills in Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency. Data Interpretation problems assess the candidate's ability to analyse and interpret information in graphic or tabular form. DAta Sufficiency problems assess his/her ability to analyse a problem with the assistance of the information supplied. Quantitative Ability determines the level of proficiency of the candidate in decision-making.
Verbal ability problems assess the candidate's ability to understand and comprehend written English. This is tested through Reading Comprehensin, Verbal Reasoning and English Usage questions. The purpose of the above assessment is to know your level of written communication skills which is important for anyone holding a managerial position.

Preparation for CAT needs developing proficiency in a) understanding the fundamentals of the relevant subjects; b) applying the concepts which have been learnt in those subjects; and c) regular test practice.
Understanding the fundamentals of a subject is extremely important. Unless you are clear in your fundamentals you will not be able to use the knowledge gained in that subject. So, complete the study of one chapter of a subject at a time and solve the exercises as per your study scheme prior to going on to the next chapter. Leaving a chapter incomplete will not help. The application of concepts include taking tests which are necessarily aimed at applying your learning of these. These two stages of preparation for CAT will determine whether you understand the subjects properly.
There is no need to stress that practice makes perfect. Having acquired a level of proficiency in the relevant subjects, you need to focus on developing the required test-taking knowledge and skills. Practice through mock tests as this will help you achieve success in CAT. In fact, there is nothing like a mock test to tell you what you are good at and what areas you need to improve on.

After taking a test, do a post-test analysis as this will assist you in knowing whether you were able to finish the test well within the allotted time - and with a sufficient score. It will also help you to know which questions you could not tackle well and why. The post-test analysis will also help you to fine tune your answers and to make improvements wherever they are required. Next week we will look at the various different sections in the exam - what they comprise of an what you can do to ace the CAT.
The author is Chairman, Joint Admission Committee, IMT, Ghaziabad, Nagpur and Dubai.

A very important factor for success in CAT is your confidence to achieve it. Studies and research have both shown that a person may be highly knowledgeable but if he loses confidence, he loses everything. Therefore, not only should your knowledge base be strong but your levels of confidence should also be high. Positive thinking, looking at yourself and telling your reflection that you are the best and that you will do well are all measures that should help you develop high levels of confidence.

Businesses are going global and processes are increasingly being controlled by networks and data security. However, the virtual world is becoming more and more prone to real threats, which inlcude an array of cyber crimes. IT or cyber security is thus becoming imperative if information is to be protected and since computer networking is the key to the flow of information, companies are spending as much as 3-4 per cent of their annual budgets on information security. They are, in fact, hiring smart ethical hackers to test the soundness of their network security.

Information security professionals or ethical hackers are in great demand and dueto the shortage of qualified professionals, jobs in this field are fetching better salaries than any other jobs in the industry. According to figures released by NASSCOM, over 1,88,000 vacancies will be created in the field, this year alone. Today, hackers outnumber IT security professional by 3 to 1 whereas the numbers should ideally be the reverse. Says Rajat Khare CEO and Director, Appin Group, one of the few companies in India catering to specific information security solutions, "The information security sector has very good career prospects and is a booming industry with jobs available in companies that provide security services, products, security audits etc.,"

So, what exactly does an ethical hacker do? Ethical hackers report problems instead of taking advantage of them. They are security researchers who plug the vulnerabilities and loopholes of online networks. The unparalleled growth of the IT industry has also fuelled the demand for various specialised security professionals. From firewall analysts, incident handlers, cyber law experts to security trainers and cryptographs, PKI and cyber insurance analysts, the options are plenty.

In India the concept of e-security is fast catching up, and jobs will present themselves in financial institutes, insurance compnies, banks, research institutions, media and entertainment organisations, government, defence and law enforcement agencies. Job prospects in developed nations are very good as they are also facing an acute shortage of skilled security manpower especially in countries like the Middle East, Europe, and the USA. For instance, one can easily get a job that pays an annual package of at least US$.60000 but you must have the security certifications and relevant experience in the field.

If you've got green thumb, you could transform your passion for gardening into a full-fledged profession. After all, landscape gardening is now a lucrative career option. Since a landscape garden designer has to spend hours outdoors, you need to have the stamina and be ready to take on some amount of physical work. "You should also have the creativity of an artist and the flair of a designer," says Anjani mehta, environmentalist and owner of Veena nursery. "You must possess some basic knowledge about the cultivation of plants (indoor and outdoor), variety of soil, pruning, trimming, propagation, seedling transplantation, use of fertilisers and insecticides, et al."

Obviously, the more knowledge you have, the better. For instance, many offices keep indoor plants to beat stress. One such plant is chlorophytum, which if placed between oneself and the computer screen, absorbs the harmful rays emitted by the monitor. "Little nuggets like this make all the difference between a good landscape artist and not such a good one," says Mehta. An aesthetic sense is essential as also good communication skills - after all you will be working with a team and for someone whose wishes you have to translate effectively. At the same time you also need to be aware of the environment.

"With the threat of global warming looming large, there is a growing awareness about greenery," says Bharat Soni, founder of Go Green Academy of Garden and Nursery Management. "Malls and multiplexes are including landscapes as part of their elevation plans to pep up the ambience. Townships want to boast of gardens within their clusters of shadeless concrete structures. Residential complexes get a unique selling point by projecting the greenery in and around their premises. Corporate centres portray their concern for the environment by bringing in trees, plants, and lawns," he adds. In other words, gardening could be a lucrative profession. Surely, their is money growing on trees.

List of Agricultural Diploma Courses :
Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nasik - Diploma in Landscape Gardening and Master of LA) to graduates in architecture, civil engineering and town planning.
The Punjab Agricultural University, (Department of Floriculture and Landscaping) It is available as undergraduates and postgraduates.
National Institute of Small Industry Extension Training, (NISIET) Hyderabad - The Interiors and Landscape Design ( A PG Diploma).

With 25 to 29 year olds making up an increasingly - larger percentage of the population in the US and in Asia, the raw numbers of students eligible to apply B-schools is set to keep application numbers up throught the decade," says a report from Business Week. But what exactly is an MBA and why is there such intense competition for places? An MBA is a graduate management degree, which prepares professionals for management responsibility. It is one of the best-known degree in the world, and more people take it than any other post graduate course.

A growing number of companies all over the world now see a top MBA as an essential management entry-level qualification. Says Janet Raiffa, MBA Recruitment Manager at Goldman Sachs, "We recruit MBAs for their maturity, client readiness and skill sets. But the cost of doing an MBA from a top university is high. At schools like Wharton, Harvard and Stanford the tuition fee is approximately US$.34,000 per annum and closer home IIM-Ahmedabad charges Rs.2 lakhs P.A. However, are there enough good jobs that would repay the cost of even the most expensive MBA programme? The answer is yes.

According to QS TopMBA.com international Recruiter Survey average salaries for MBA graduates, from 1996 to 2006, have risen an imressive 55 per cent in dollar terms. But there is a definite downside to such high salaries. MBAs now appear to have excessive expectations in relation to their performances in the workplace. Even well established MBA recruiters such as Goldman Sachs spoke of a "high level of expectation in comparison to undergraduates." There is also a danger of recruiting to the days when MBAs had a reputation for arrogance which tarnished their potential contribution.

Recruiters are also expecting more from their hires. Raiffa, for example is concerned with the current "high level of expectation versus undergrads." The message for newly graduating MBAs, therefore, is not to chase the highest short-term salary offer. They must step back from the numbers and think of the bigger picture - otherwise recruiters may start looking elsewhere.

The influx of Indian Students into Australia has been on the rise from under 500 in the early 1990s to nearly 30,000 in 2006-07. In fact Indian students had overtaken their Chinese counterparts and were the third largest group of international students in Australia in 2006-07. Popular study options among international and particularly Indian Students include postgraduate studies (Masters by course work) in Business Administration, Management, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Surveying, Undergraduate programmes are popular as well. University studies in Science courses such as Biotechnology are becoming more popular.

It was a good deal on both sides. The competitive cost of the Australian education experience and the prospect of a permanent job and Permanent Residency (PR). Both reasons that make 60 per cent of Indian graduates stay on Down Under. As for Australia, education is a 12.5 billion dollar export industry. However, this rosy picture is likely to change with the country's immigration authorities deciding to tighten laws for for the recruitment of Indian Students who may have to push harder to get visas as authorities there have moved India up on the 'immigration risk' scale to check their numbers.

According to the latest official data, there were 65,000 Indian students in Australia till June this year, mostly in vocational education. In fact according to the Australian High Commission, enrolments in diploma programmes in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Segment remain high. There was a 148 per cent growth the enrolment for vocational courses and 67 per cent for non-award programmes in 2006.

India is not alone in moving up the risk scale. Visa applicants from Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Romania and Zimbabawe will also have to do extra work to show that they are bona-fide students. "The status of these nine countries had been changed 'to combat increased levels of immigration risk'," said a spokesperson of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. " All universities were likely to have asked students to lodge their visa applications and get the process started before the September 1 change in immigration risk levels, which affects a host of overseas markets," said Jennie Lang, pro-Vice Chancellor (International) of New South Wales University. "We will also be encouraging (the Department of Immigration and Citizenship) staff in off-shore posts to ensure that university sector applicants are given priority," Lang was quoted saying in The Australian newspaper.

In fact all universities are likely to urge their foreign students, including Indian Students to get their visa applications lodged and processed as per the new rules. The spokesman, however, said: "Genuine or not, the fact of the matter is that students from these nine countries will have to give extra evidence of their capacity to support themselves financially, especially with savings histories.

Applications must be started at least six to eight months before your selected course is slated to start. You could get in touch with Australian institution directly. Contact details of institutions can be obtained from the Australian Education Centre (AEC) or http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/, the Australian Government's official website for international students.

Another way of applying is to go through an education agent. Australian education institutions have authorised agents in India. These agents offer information about the institutions they represent and help aspirants to apply for enrolment and facilitate the application for an Australian Student Visa. Make sure that the agent is an authorised representative of your selected institution.

The Australian High Commission has no authorised agents but supports an agents' body, the Association members are required to follow a code of ethical practices. A list of AAERI members is available at Your selection to a university depends on your academic records. Check the entry requirements for courses at the websites of your chosen universities.

When you finally do decide to apply you should have the following documents ready...

1. Class X and XII marksheets (for UG studies)

2. Graduation marksheets (for PG Programmmes)

3. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score

4. Statement of Purpose

5. A recommendation letter from a professor or employer

6. Work experience certificate, if applicable

Some institutions may require an IELTS score. For certain management programmes such as MBA, some institutions might ask for a GMAT score and work experience, although there are institutions that accept students without these. Tuition fees vary from one university to another.

The Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University in collaboration with Department of Indian Music and University Industry Community Interaction Centre (UICIC), University of Madras is conducting a certificate course on "Voice Conservation of Care" on weekends, starting from September 13.

It will include tutotial and practical classes for the span of three months. Professional voice users like singers, teachers, radio annoucers, call centre employees etc will benefit from this course. The content of the course will comprise knowledge on basic anatomy and physiology of the vocal system, cause and prevention of voice disorders, breathing exercises, voice culture, learning voice projection, enhancement and healthy voice production. It will facilitate students to develop in individualized voice profile and learn to identify voice problems early.

For registration and further enquires, please contact Dr.Prameela Gurumurthy, Dept. of Indian music, University of Madras, 9841115382 or Dr.Prakash Boominathan, Dept of Speach Language and Hearing Sciences, Sri Ramachandra University, 9840350109.

Chevening scholarships are a great way of gaining access to high-quality education. Every year, hundreds of scholars come to the UK to learn new skills and make new friends. If you want to apply, here are a few things you need to know. Please read this article in full before getting in touch, and use the website to see if the information you require is online.

How to apply?

If you want to apply for a scholarship, you will have to contact the British Embassy/High commission or The British Council in the country of which you are a citizen. Please use the country selector by selecting the first letter of the country for which you are a citizen and the then selecting the appropriate country for the application procedure.

What are the selection criteria for application?

Competition for chevening scholarships is intense, and only one in every 25 applicants is successful. A typical sucessful applicant would be : A graduate with proven academic skills. Committed to return to their country and contribute to the socio-economic development of their country through implementing new skills and knowledge acquired in the UK.

Be able to show at interview that they possess the personal qualities to benefit from their scholarship and use it to succeed in their chosen career. Hos a clear idea how their scholarship will benefit their country on their return. Have good English Language skills and must have an IELTS of 6.5 for admission onto Postgraduate courses.

What types of courses can one study on a Chevening scholarship?

Chevening scholars must study in the UK for at least 3 months. Most scholars already have a first degree and the majority study for postgraduate degrees particularly Masters courses. WE seldom fund undergraduate courses and normally only consider PhD's and Mphil's when we have a co-funding partner. For further details check: http://www.chevening.com/

Dr.M.G.R.Educational and Research Institute, Chennai and Hiyoshi Corporation, Japan signed a memorandum of understanding recently to promote international industry institute partnership in the areas like biotechnology, environmental science. The MoU will facilitate training of students in ecology and environmental science. This training is also open to faculty members and this will also lead to research in the two organizations. The Hiyoshi Corporation will provide intercurriculum and research relationship with the university. The Students would be trained at Hiyoshi's facility in Japan.

India and the UK established partnerships in research and education through UKIERI with an investment GBP.10 million :

Over 20 students from rural parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were part of this year's batch of 140 students who recently left for United Kingdom to pursue their higher education. At a reception hosted by Mr.Mike Connor, the British Deputy High Commissioner for South India at his residence, Cottingley, about 140 students were given fond farewell before settingoff to begin their studies in the UK.

Seshadri from Trichy who opted to study MBA in UK said, "United Kingdom's biggest assets of all - an education system that is one of the most respected in the world. One major advantage of U.K. education is its one-year Masters Degree for almost all courses - saving considerable time and money. Also, unlike those in other countries, most UK universities recognize the Indian Education system of 3-year graduation."

Kumar from Karaikal said, "We have many advantages in pursuing higher education in UK, including job opportunities. There are a wide range of opportunities available depending upon the educational qualifications, skills and competence of the students like the career development services."

Sharing her UK experience, Commonwealth scholar and London school of Economics alumnae, Samyuktha Rajagopal said, "The United Kingdom is a great place for international exposure that is increasingly becoming indispensable, no matter where your expertise and interests lie."

While speaking about the UK academic system, Ms.Rajagopal said, "For me personally it was a steep learning curve. Whilst here it is more about learning masses of information, I found the UK way is very much to draw out an academic opinion or argument from that mass of information."

Addressing students Mr.Mike Connor said, "The United Kingdom has a lot to offer Indian students and professionals. It provides them the opportunity not only to learn and work in a world clas academic and business environment, but also to meet people from across the world."

Mr.Connor added, "Through the UK-India Education and Research Initiative we have committed about 25 million pound sterling to strenthen our bilateral research links."

An increasing number of British Unversities and research institutions, he said, were coming to India to explore the possibility of working with the Indian Institutions. India and the UK had established partnerships in research and education through the U.K., India Education and Research Intiative (UKIERI) .

The Programing involved an investment of GBP.10 million by the UK Government over the next five years, with equal funding from the private sector, Mr.Connor said. Mr.Chris Gibson, director, British Council said, "With over 20,000 courses on offer in higher education institutions in UK, many of which are directly related to getting a job and can be completed within a year, the UK offers excellent value for money. Consequently a growing number of students, particularly from south India choose United Kingdom as their preferred education destination."

M.A., (Psychology) :
Annamalai University, Annamalainagar,
Bharatiar University, Coimbatore,
Madras Christian College, Chennai,
Women's Christian College, Chennai,
Stella Maris College, Chennai.

B.A. (Hons) - Psychology :
Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar,
Avinasilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore,
Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore,
University of Madras, Chennai,

M.Sc., Psychology :
Tamilnadu Open University, Chennai,
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Thirunelveli,
University of Madras, Chennai
Presidency College, Chennai

Colleges teaching Psychology in Chennai :
Ethiraj College for Women, Egmore, Chennai
Stella Maris College, Gopalapuram, Chennai
Dr.M.G.R. Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women, R.A.Puram, Chennai
JBAS College for Women, Teynampet, Chennai
Presidency College, Chennai
Women's Christian College, Nungambakkam, Chennai
Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women, Parrys, Chennai
Indian Institute of Knowledge Management, Nungambakkam, Chennai

It is a field of study that has fascinated scholars for a long time. Why does a person behave in the manner that he does? What goes on in his mind and why? One could say Sigmund Freud gave it all a new twist with his theory on the workings of the unconscious mind. Ever since psychology has been a favourite subject for students who want to delve deep into the workings of the human mind. The subject has assumed great importance in today's competitive world where psychological disorders like stress and depression are a common phenomenon. The field is a fascinating one because every individual is unique and has a unique way of thinking.

Do you have it in you?

When it comes to handling human behaviour, interpersonal skills play a more important role than academic qualifications. Dr.Amarnath Mallick, Consultant Psychiatrist, Kothari Medical Centre, Kolkata says, "Careers in this field are all about communicating effectively and winning your patient's trust. Hence, excellent communication skills are a psychologist's trump card." It is also important to be patient, understanding and empathic. Moreover, you should be convincing, fluent with words and have the ability to build a rapport within the first few minutes to ensure that things work out effectively. "More than anything else, it's important to have an interest and inclination to work with people of all ages," suggests Malini Shah, Senior Counsellor, Avishkar Centre.

As Dr.Mullick says, psychologists gather information through controlled laboratory experiments, personality, performance, aptitude and intelligence tests; observation, interviews and questionnaires, clinical studies and surveys.

What do you study in Human Mind?

Many schools offer psychology at the plus two level, and a student eager to take the subject up as a profession will find it very rewarding. Says career counsellor, Jayanti Ghose, "The basis would be a Masters degree with a specialisation. One is referred to as psychologist only after gaining mastery over the subject of specialisation through postgraduate study. An Mphil and/or Ph.D., would be preferable for long-term career and growth prospects."

Today there are several specialisations that you can choose from . These include clinical psychology, industrial/organisational psychology, social psychology and counselling psychology. Apart from degree courses, several universities across the country offer diploma courses as well. Some universities like Mumbai University also offer distance learning courses.

A plethora of options

Clinical psychology is perhaps the most common area of practice. According to Dr.Mallick, "Clinical psychology is a disgnostic tool to understand human emotions." Clinical psychologists predomonantly work with people facing difficulties due to stress, anxiety, depression, and phobias. Experts in this field understand and analyse the thought process of the person before helping them perceive situations with a positive outlook. Hence the basic job profile would include assessing and analysing behaviour patterns, choosing and planning an apt method of treatment, research, maintaining reports and counselling.

Industrial or organisational psychologists are employed by firms to help their employees cope with work-related stress. "Apart from working with employee-related issues, industrial psychologists are often a part of recruitment, training, mentoring and work with the HR team," explains Kajari Mukherjee, HR faculty, IIM-C.

Professionals also work on strategies and techniques that help improve productivity and maintain a healthy work environment. These psychologists analyse the personality of candidates to ensure that are able to coordinate with the work culture. Sports psychology and cognitive psychology are two emerging fields that have immense potential. Sports psychologists work with sports participants and athletes to help them prepare psychologically for competition and to deal with the psychological demands of both competition and training.

Cognitive psychology, on the other hand, is concerned with all the mental processes including memory, language, resoning, problem solving, and thinking and this is a strong area for research.

What is the Scope?

The pay packet for a fresher usually ranges from Rs.6,000 to Rs.10,000 per month. Eventually with qualititative experience, the salary gets heavier. Private practice yields better results as compared to an employment with a firm.