Careers in Journalism

Pen is mightier than the sword. Even today, the younger generation is attracted to journalism. Everyday, there are several events happening across the world - political, cultural, religious, educational, social and natural events, etc. We come to know about these events sitting in our houses. How is that possible? Through mass communication, providing information to a large crowd at the same time. But, for this, someone has to collect the information as well as present it. This is the main aim of journalism. Journalism includes investigating, analysing and reporting local as well as world events, trends, current affairs, and so on.

Qualification
Journalism courses are offered at graduation and postgraduation levels. To become a journalism , one can complete a Bachelor's in mass communication/ mass media/journalism after +2. After completion in a related graduation field, one may complete a Master's in journalism or mass communication. A graduate (who has a flair for writing) from any other field can also opt for a postgraduate course in journalism.

Also required is command over language, confidence, enthusiasm, patience and perseverance, ability to differentiate between fact and fiction, adhering to deadlines, team cohesiveness, sensitivity to different views and lifestyles, in-depth knowledge about various fields such as politics, culture, religion, social and current affairs. The most important fact is that people generally feel that journalism is all about writing. It is. However, it is also about reading and most importantly, the ability to express one's thoughts on varied topics. Journalism is for people who are ready to explore various opportunities 24/7, without the constraints of cultural upbringing, gender, and are also ready to go beyond geographical boundaries.

Job prospects
There are different categories in which the media industry can be divided - print and electronic. As the name suggests, everything that is printed comes under print media, which includes newspapers, magazines, journals, tabloids, dailies and books. On the other hand, electronic media includes content on television, radio and the internet. With changes in the society, even this field has undergone a radical change. A journalist has to cover stories/ features on various aspects of life i.e. political, financial, leisure, crime, sports, entertainment, spiritual, educational, infrastructure, technological, medical, and so on. Not to forget, along with the newspapers, there has been an increase in the number of magazines too. Specialised magazines are available in the field of fashion, beauty, family, for youth, travel, medical, technological, lifestyle, education, sports, etc. They can be in many languages.

Some of the work opportunities are in the areas of advertising agencies; educational institutes, magazines, news papers, portals/websites of publications, publishing houses, radio channels as well as television channels. While there are opportunities in this field, it is a competitive field. Therefore, one has to perform at the highest level and be able to work under difficult situations. However, if one persists with hard work and passion, a career in journalism can be a fulfilling and lucrative option.

Skills required• Inquisitive and investigative mind 
• Alertness 
• Adaptive and tolerant of changing and difficult situations 
• Good communication skills

(Courtesy : educationtimes)

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IIT Bombay launches its first MOOCs

Further to its collaboration with EdX, a massive open online course (MOOC) platform, last year, IIT Bombay (IIT-B) recently launched its first three MOOCs.

While sessions for two of the courses – Introduction to Computer Programming (part one) and Thermodynamics – will commence this July, the third course – Introduction to Computer Programming (part two) – will begin in September.

Informs Deepak Phatak, professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay, “The quality and content offered online will be same as that offered on our campus. The only difference being the MOOCs will allow the students to learn anytime, from anywhere and at a convenient speed. Students can revisit study material as and when required and skip familiar topics.”

The courses can be pursued by anyone and will be delivered through sessions grouped into several themes or topics. Each session will be made up of two to four 15-20 minute ‘episodes’. Each episode will consist of a video recorded lecture of about 8-10 minutes, followed by some practice problems/ quizzes.

There will be additional reading material/ references, which the participants can use for greater clarity, if required. Regular interactive sessions through discussion forums, video conferencing and other such technologies are also being planned.

Students can register for an honour code certificate or for audit free of cost for the initial offerings. For students who wish to get a verified certificate of achievement at the end of the course, a charge of about Rs 1,500 will be levied.

(Courtesy : educationtimes)

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Unusual career options for commerce graduates

Commerce graduates are increasingly opting for non-traditional careers. Here’s a list of five offbeat career options that are gaining popularity among them

With a large number of Indian companies setting up global facilities, employment opportunities for professionals across sectors have increased massively. This has impacted the career choices of young graduates from all streams – arts, science and commerce. While jobs in banking, company secretary and chartered accountancy remain popular among commerce graduates, many freshers are opting for unique professions in the fields of medical transcription, library science, social work, image consulting, food stylist, travel and tourism, entrepreneurship, healthcare management, sports management, etc.  

Some of the unusual career options for commerce graduates in India are:

TRAVEL AND TOURISM
Being the largest revenue generating industry, travel and tourism is a promising career choice for commerce graduates, who can opt for logistics related jobs. Graduates can apply their business and commerce skills and understand client relationship from the business perspective. Travel consultant or travel advisors are the leading roles in this space.
Skills required: Aspirants should possess good communication skills and be open to travelling
Salary: Rs 4-6 lakh

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION
Medical transcription, an allied health profession, deals with the process of transcription or converting voice-recorded reports, dictated by physicians or other healthcare professionals, into text format. Foreign countries are increasingly outsourcing their medical transcription jobs to Indian companies. 
Some of the leading industries hiring medical transcriptionists are healthcare, education, pharma/biotechnology, etc.
Skills required: Candidates must be good with spellings, be good listeners, have knowledge of foreign phonetics and punctuations, adequate research skills, a knack for different languages/accents, above average typing skills and be competent in picking up new medical transcription software.
Salary:  Rs 12,000-40,000 per month (based on performance, productivity and quality) 

E-COMMERCE AND FMCG
With the boom in online shopping, there are a number of options for commerce graduates in fields like liquidation, post-sales, logistics management, etc. 
Skills required: Aspirants should be pros in finance and accounting 
Salary: Rs 3-5 lakh per annum

SOCIAL WORK
The growth in the social sector and the emerging NGO scene in India, have opened up options for commerce graduates to join the fundraising department and effectively utilise their economic and business skills. 
There are ample self-employment opportunities available in the field of social work. Some industries hiring social workers are IT, healthcare, education, consulting services, etc.
Skills: Problem solving, communication and time management skills are a must
Salary: Rs 5,000 per month (starting level for a social worker in an NGO); Rs 7,000 per month (starting level for personnel and labour welfare officer)

LIBRARY SCIENCE
Library science is the study of how to operate a library. The field is made up of several branches:
Public services: Circulation and reference librarians assist patrons to find information and check out books
Technical services: Books and other forms of media are catalogued according to the Dewey or Library of Congress call numbers, processed into the library’s online card catalogue system and readied for the shelves.
Administration: Library directors or administrators study the field of library science extensively to keep library operations running smoothly.
Skills: Candidates must possess various soft skills along with technical skills. These include good communication, interpersonal, leadership, project management, presentation and teaching skills. The essential technical skills include know-how of electronic resources, understanding and proficiency in research tools and devices applicable to a library and understanding computer operating systems
Salary: Rs 10,000-25,000 per month

(Inputs from Srikanth Rengarajan, executive director and president, ManpowerGroup India; Rashi Thakur founder and director, MentorMpact; Sunil Goel, MD GlobalHunt)
Source: TimesJobs.com Bureau

( Courtesy : educationtimes )

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11 new management development programmes launched in IIM Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has launched 11 new Management Development Programmes (MDPs) for the academic session beginning 2014 - 2015.

 

Currently, IIM Ahmedabad offers the following courses: Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), Post Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM), One Year Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX), Faculty Development Programme (FDP) and Armed Forces Programme (AFP).

 

"A total of 77 open enrolment Management Development Programmes (MDPs) are being offered for 2014-15. Eleven new MDPs have been announced for the year 2014-15," the institute said in a statement here.

 

One of the new programmes on offer is 'Business Dispute Resolution: International and Domestic Arbitration', likely to be coordinated by Anurag K Agarwal.

 

'Doing Business Abroad' and 'Family Business: Organisation, Strategies, Internationalization and Succession' will be coordinated by Ajeet Mathur.

 

'Employee Engagement : A 3D Approach', 'Strategic Transformational Training Methodology' and 'Industrial Relations: Changes, Challenges and Responses' would be coordinated by Jerome Joseph.

 

'Business Turnaround and Organisational Transformation' and 'Managing People for Excellence in Healthcare' will be coordinated by Sunil Maheswari.

 

'Designing Systems for Developing Internal Talent' and 'Leadership Pipeline' would be coordinated by Biju Varkkey.

 

'Psychological Assessment and Psycho- Metrics' will be coordinated by Promila Agarwal and 'Enhancing Service Quality in Healthcare' by Rajeshkumar Chandwani.

 

Talking to PTI, IIM-A director Ashish Nanda said, "To realise our vision, the institute is following a three-pronged approach of Connect, Nurture and Grow."

 

Ten new faculty members joined IIM-A since September 2013, the institute said.

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Foreign scholars keen to join Nalanda University: Official

A large number of foreign scholars and teachers are keen to join the upcoming Nalanda University in Bihar as its faculty members, an official said on Thursday. 

The process of appointing faculty for the varsity has begun and 500 applications have been received for the 20 posts that will initially be filled. 

"Around 22 per cent of the applicants for faculty posts, including professors, assistant professors, are foreign scholars and teachers," vice chancellor Gopa Sabharwal said. 

The university plans to start with two schools — School of Historical Sciences and the School of Environment and Ecology — by August-September. 

"The recruitment is for 20 faculty members posts — 10 in each school," she said. 

Sabharwal said the recruitment process will be complete by March-end or early April. 

The university will then advertise for student enrolments. 

"Initially, only 15 to 20 students will be enrolled in each school," she said. 

The university is set to come up on 446 acres in Rajgir, 10 km from the site of the ancient university in Nalanda, about 100 km southeast of Patna. 

The university will be fully residential, like the ancient Nalanda university. It will offer courses in science, philosophy and spiritualism and social sciences.

(Courtesy : Times of India)

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Career as Gemmologist

The gem and jewellery industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. India is the diamond manufacturing centre of the world — an estimated 14 out of 15 diamonds are processed here. The domestic demand for diamond jewellery too has been growing at an impressive 30-35 per cent. South India has always been recognised for its demand for high-quality diamonds, with cities like Chennai and Bangalore being established consumer markets. All this presents exciting career opportunities.

Diamonds are mainly mined in Africa, Australia, Canada and Russia, traded in Belgium, processed in India and sold in every corner of the world. The global nature of the industry opens doors to those seeking an international career.

These diverse career paths are part of a technical field, so it’s important to pursue a specialised education in diamonds. Whether you are looking at a career in manufacturing, trading, sales, appraisal or design, an understanding of the 4Cs of diamond quality is necessary. The 4Cs (Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat weight) is a universal standard developed by Gemological Institute of India (GIA) in the 1950s that virtually every professional jeweller in the world uses to describe a diamond. They are the basis for determining a diamond’s quality, and in turn its value.

Skills and specialisation

A gemmologist is someone who specialises in identifying gemstones, including diamonds. The need for trained gemmologists who can accurately identify stones is greater than ever in part due to the increase in gemstone treatments and synthetics. Professional credentials can open the doors to diverse job opportunities such as a buyer, trader or laboratory and research professional. Diamond manufacturers, jewellers, jewellery retail chains and gemmological laboratories worldwide are consistently seeking newly trained talent for their businesses. Each of these careers demands an eye for detail and a dedication to quality.

For a well-rounded and comprehensive education, be sure to choose a globally recognised institute. If you’re interested in diamonds, sign up for a course that exposes you to a variety of actual stones and teaches you to identify treatments, simulants and synthetics through technical concepts and hands-on training. Choosing an intensive course like those offered by the GIA will provide holistic training in the field. These programmes utilise the latest gemmological equipment, including microscopes and refractometers and focus on smaller class sizes.

Another important parameter for choosing a course is personalised attention. A campus tour of the institute will provide clarity on the staff, facilities and course curriculum. Opt for a programme that develops a deep understanding of the diamond industry through research-backed theory and hands-on learning.

Consider your overall development in the vast field of diamonds. For instance, does the programme conduct field trips to manufacturing facilities to demonstrate how diamonds are cut and polished? Does it invite industry leaders to share their experiences and knowledge with students? Does it provide language assistance to understand complex technical concepts? Does it offer networking opportunities at industry events and trade shows? For a newcomer to the industry, these features enhance the overall learning experience.

(Courtesy : The Hindu)

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How to Build E-commerce Websites

Building an e-commerce website is just like starting a new business and its success depends on a well structured and detailed site plan and architecture. With a realistic implementation plan, the chances of success can be increased greatly.

First of all, have a clear idea of what the primary objective is for your site. Not all ecommerce sites are virtual stores selling products. There are other reasons in addition to selling products or services for building an ecommerce site like:

•       Developing brands
•       Improving existing marketing programs
•       Selling products and services
•       Launching new products or services
•       Developing a clear understanding of customer needs
•       Improving after-sales services

 Based on the objective you have, you can take different approaches to plan better on building your site.

1.Business Objectives: If your goal is set to sell products, target business process list on the site. You may need images and specification of the products, put shopping cart, payment gateway for money transaction to achieve your business goal.

2.Website features: To achieve a business goal, there are certain web functions which you need to focus on. Like automatic email to send emails to customers, an electronic catalog system to help customers view the products, selling concept or specifications and a payment gateway to process a payment.

3.Development Plan: You need to understand your company’s aim, content, business objectives as well as of the whole development process. Also acquire a great deal of information about existing competitors’ site analysis and reassert data related to the industry. At this stage of development, try to build the site and assign responsibilities.

4.Domain registration: During the process of developing your site, you should have a domain name for registration. Avoid fancy names. A name is fine as long as it is related to your business. Use simple and short names.

After registration of your domain name, try to use it immediately. Designing a single page small website with information on the upcoming site and publishing it is a great idea. It is a good idea to get online as soon as possible as older the site , the greater favor from the search engines.

The work is not done yet and there is lots you have to do. For designing and developing an ecommerce website, it is best to avail the help of the expert ecommerce web site designers. There are many ecommerce web development services available online who can guide you to achieve better results.

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Career as Indian Airforce Officer

Career Overview :
The Indian Air force is the fourth largest air force in the world. Now that India is one of the Nuclear Weapon States, your thumb might just be on that nuclear trigger, you never know.

The airforce can be divided into:

* Flying Branch
* Technical Branch
* Ground duty branch

Now let’s see what’s in store for you in each of these branches:

Flying Branch - You’ll be flying fighter/bomber aircraft designed to destroy the enemy in the air and on the ground. As a transport pilot you will be ferrying troops and equipments under enemy fire often making rough landings at makeshift runways. You could even be assigned to V.I.P. transport.

As a chopper pilot you will closely co-ordinate with the army in its operations. You could spy on enemy positions or drop commandos with pinpoint accuracy or ambush enemy tanks with guns and rockets.

Technical Branch - For those of you with a technical bent of mind, the Indian Air Force offers an opportunity for hands-on experience on sophisticated aircraft and weapon systems. You will ensure the war preparedness of the fleet and the airworthiness of the aircraft.

Ground duty - You will look after administration, logistics, accounts, education and meteorology. You could also be the eyes in the sky as the air traffic controller and fighter combat controller.

Requirements

Flying BranchBefore being inducted as a trainee pilot at the Air Force Academy you have to finish a three-year course from National Defence Academy.
Age Limit: 16 ½-19 years

Educational Qualifications: Minimum 10 + 2 with Physics and Mathematics.
Entrance: Written examination conducted by UPSC followed by a Services Selection Board interview for those who pass the written examination.

Advertisement: In the month of April/ November by UPSC. The format of application will be available in the Employment News.

Air Force Academy (CDSE)Age Limit: 19 to 23 years

Educational Qualifications: B.Sc. (Physics and/ or Mathematics) or B.E.

Entrance: Written examination conducted by UPSC followed by a Services Selection Board interview for those who pass the written examination.

Advertisement: In the month of April/ November by UPSC. Successful candidates join the Air Force Academy directly for Pilot Training.

National Cadet CorpsAge Limit: 19 to 23 years

Educational Qualifications: B.Sc. Physics and/or Mathematics or B.E.

Entrance: Direct Services Selection Board interview.

Eligibility criteria for WomenStatus: Unmarried or widows of service personnel killed on duty but without any child.

Age Limit: 19-23 years, relaxable up to 25 years for those holding Commercial Pilot License.

Educational Qualification: B.Sc. Physics and/or Mathematics or B.E.

Advertisement: Published in the month of January and July each year in the Employment News and leading Newspapers.

Entrance: Directly qualify for interview by Service Selection Board.
Successful candidates join the Air Force Academy directly for Pilot Training.

Engineering 
Entry into the engineering branch can be achieved through the University Entry Scheme. Here, you are selected to join the Aeronautical Engineering Branches for Permanent or Short Service Commission while in the Pre-Final/ Final Year of your study in the Engineering Colleges.

Alternatively, you can opt for the Direct Entry Scheme after graduation.
Age Limit: 18 to 28 years

Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics)
(Permanent Commission or Short Service Commission)

• Engineering Degree in Electronics/Telecommunications/ Electrical
• Communication/Electronics and Communication/Computer Science & Engineering or a combination of these subjects OR
• B.Tech. in Radio Physics and Electronics of Calcutta University OR
• B.Sc. Physics with Electronics of Bombay University OR
• M.Sc. Electronics of Delhi, Bangalore, Madras, Gujarat, Lucknow or Calcutta University OR
• B.Sc. with Physics, Maths and Chemistry.

Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical)(Permanent Commission or Short Service Commission)

• Engineering Degree in Aeronautical/ Mechanical/Production/ Industrial
  Production OR
• B.Sc. with Physics, Maths and Chemistry

Advertisement: Applications are called for twice a year in the month of January and July through advertisement published in the leading newspapers/Employment News.
Entrance: Written examination conducted by UPSC followed by a Services Selection Board interview for those who pass the written examination.

Ground DutiesYou would be inducted in one of these departments – Administrative, Logistics or Air Traffic Controller/Fight Controller (Short Service Commission) branches.

Age Limit: 20-23 years for graduates and 20-25 years for post graduates

Educational Qualifications: Graduates with 60 per cent and above marks and post graduates with 50 per cent and above.

Candidates with an MBA or post graduate diploma in Business Administration (Two years full time or three years part time course from institutes recognised by All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE) with 50 per cent and above marks and between the age group of

20-25 years can also apply.

For Law graduates (three-year course) with 50 per cent and above marks the age is relaxable to 26 years. LLB (five-year course) with 50 per cent marks and above can also apply provided they are in the age group of 20-25 years.

Advertisement: It is released in leading newspapers or Employment News in January and July for the administrative branch.

In January for Logistics Branch and in March for the Air Traffic Controller and Fighter Controller Branches.

Accounts BranchAge Limit: 20 to 23 years for Graduates and 20 to 25 years for post graduates.

Educational Qualifications: B.Com/B.Com. (Hons) with 60 per cent and above marks and M.Com. with 50 per cent and above marks.

For candidates with AICWA/Chartered/Registered/Incorporated Accountant together with B.Com or M.Com degree the age is relaxable upto 27 years.

Advertisement: Released in leading newspapers/Employment News in the month of July each year.
Entrance: Through SSB interview

Education BranchAge Limit: 21 to 25 years.

Educational Qualifications: M.A/M.Sc. with 50 per cent and above marks in English/Psychology/Defence Studies/Mathematics/Physics/Statistics/Computer Science or an MBA with 50 per cent and above marks with a combination of minimum two subjects out of Physics, Maths, Statistics, English, Psychology or Defence Studies at B A/ B.Sc. level.

Candidate with Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (Two year full time or three years part time course) from Institutes recognised by All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE) with 50 per cent and above marks can also apply. For those who have done their M.Ed/ PhD, the age limit is relaxable up to 27 years.

Advertisement: Advertisement is released in leading newspapers/ Employment News in the month of July each year.

Entrance: Written examination conducted b y UPSC followed by a Services Selection Board interview for those who pass the written examination.

Meteorological BranchAge Limit: 20 to 25 years.

Educational Qualifications: MSc in Physics/ Applied Physics/ Meteorology/
Geophysics with Meteorology and Oceanography/ Oceanography with specialisation in Meteorology/

M.A/M.Sc. in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics/M.tech in Atmospheric Science from IIT Delhi with 50 per cent and above marks.

Advertisement: Advertisement is released in the leading Newspapers/ Employment News in the month of July each year.

Entrance: Written examination conducted by UPSC followed by a Services Selection Board interview for those who pass the written examination.

Candidates must be in accordance with the prescribed physical standards i.e. they should be physically fit and free from any disease or disability and excess fat. The minimum acceptable height for the Air Force is 162 cm.

(For Gurkhas and residents of north-eastern India, Garhwal and Kumaon, the minimum acceptable height is 5 cm lower than the standard and from candidates from Lakshadweep, the minimum height is lowered by 2 cm.)Candidates must have perfect eyesight (known as 6/6 vision).

Besides these general conditions, each training institute and examination have their own standards and requirements.

Job Opportunities 
Flying branch officers have to opt for a permanent commission of 20 years. Short Service commission of seven years is offered for all other branches.

Your career growth usually takes this route:

• Commissioning rank- Flying Officer
• 5 years-Flight Lieutenant
• 11 years -Squadron Leader
• 16-21 years – Wing Commander
• 22 years – Group Captain
• 24 year – Air Commodore
• 26 years – Air Vice Marshal
• 28 years – Air Chief Marshal

Money & Other Benefits 
Flying Officer Rs 8,500 – 10,050

Flight Lt. Rs 9,600 – 11,400

Sq. Leader Rs 11,600 – 14,850

Wing Commander Rs 13,500 – 17,100

Group Captain Rs 15,100 – 17,350

Air Commander Rs 16,700 – 18,050

Air Vice Marshal Rs 18,400 – 22,400

Air marshal Rs 22,400 – 24,500

Air Chief Marshal Rs 30,000

In addition to the above fighter pilots get flying pay of Rs 9,000 per month. For helicopter and transport pilots, it is Rs 7,000.

Other facilities include leave benefits, travel concessions, dearness allowance, furnished accommodations, soft loans, group insurance scheme and free ration and medical treatment.

Career Prospects

Airforce pilots after retirement can move on to commercial airlines. This is true for all other branches as the civilian airline industry mirrors the defence one. With flying clubs and adventure sports gaining popularity there is a need for qualified personnel in these areas too.

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MICA Announced Admission for PGDM- Communication

Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) invited applications for admission to Post Graduate Diploma in Management- Communication (PGDM-C). Eligible candidates can apply through prescribed application form on or before 31 January 2014. MICA is India’s premier Institute in Communications Management. Its mission is to develop innovative professionals in the practice, development & management of communications to serve the needs of industry & society through education, research and advocacy.

Important Dates

• Opening Date of application forms: September 2013
• Closing Date of application forms: 31 January 2014
• Date of Issue of MICAT Call Letters: February 2014
• Date of MICAT Exam: 2 March 2014
• Date of GE & PI: March / April 2014
• Date of Declaration of Result: April 2014
• Date of Orientation Programme: June 2014
• Date of Session Begins: Last week of June 2014

Important Dates for Foreign Nationals / Non Resident Indians (NRIs)

• Opening Date of application forms: September 2013
• Closing Date of application forms: 24 March 2014
• Date of Personal Interview Process via teleconference: April 2014
• Date of Declaration of Result: April 2014
• Date of Orientation Programme: June 2014
• Date of Session Begins: Last week of June 2014

Name of the Programme: Post Graduate Diploma in Management- Communication (PGDM-C)

Eligibility Criteria for Admission

• Bachelor degree or an equivalent qualification recognized by AIU who have appeared in CAT 2013 / XAT 2013/ CMAT 2013(Sept)/ ATMA 2013 (Feb/May/ July)/ GMAT(2010 onwards) irrespective of their score, can appear in MICAT exam of MICA, subject to their application form being complete and accepted by MICA. 
• Candidates in the final year of graduation can also apply.

Selection Criteria

Candidate’s selection for admission to the courses will be made on the basis of MICAT Test, Group Exercise and Personal Interview.

How to apply

Interested and eligible candidates should send their duly filled in Application Forms along with application fees of Rs. 1785 to “The Admissions Office, Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, Shela, Ahmedabad – 380 058, Gujarat, India”.

For More details : http://mica.ac.in

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XAT unplugged

One of the most challenging of management tests, this one demands logical thinking and an analytical mindset.

The Xavier Aptitude Test is barely a fortnight away. Organised by XLRI across the country, it tests a wide array of skills and is considered for admissions by many B-schools.

The model question paper given along with XAT 2014 bulletin talks about questions that could cover the following areas — quantitative, qualitative, verbal, data interpretative, decision making abilities and general awareness. It is mentioned that the scores under general awareness section will not be used for calculating the cut-off scores for the interview, but will be used by XLRI for final admission. Other participating institutes also may use the scores of the general awareness section during their interview processes.

The XAT in 2013 brought several changes in the pattern, in that general awareness was included alongside the essay section in Paper-2. There were changes in Paper-1 also. In the previous year, questions carried differential weightage with 1, 1.5 and 2-mark questions. The total number of questions was increased from 85 to 91. The number of questions in decision making remained static at 25. There were eight more questions in the areas of quantitative ability and data interpretation, while logical ability and verbal ability areas had two questions less than the previous edition.

Now let’s focus on how to score well in the XAT paper by examining the separate sections that could be part of XAT 2014. Different angles‘Corruption is the root cause of economic slowdown in India’. This was the topic of the essay in 2013. Let’s take up this topic itself to see how the essay can be presented well. While it is acknowledged that corruption is a menace that is plaguing our democracy, it would not be a wise strategy to completely blame it for all failures of the economic policies or the underachievement of the initiatives that are trumpeted by the government machinery.

There are two reasons why this should not be done. One — blame dumping will look like an easy way out. Second, it will also not give you an opportunity to present the other issues that are crippling the progress of country. So, examine the problem from different angles, presenting a panoramic understanding of the development issues that are challenging the nation.

While negotiating the question-sets on quantitative ability and decision-making, a very important skill required is to continue the train of thought from the main data input till the very end of the set. While a particular question may not require the output you have worked out for the previous question within that set, it will help if you are able to carry the momentum forward.

When you work on a question, you would be considering several variables and doing background work. If you have to recreate the scenario for another question, that would be underutilisation of time. Focus is the key here. While it is required in general for every examination and for every type of problem-solving, the importance cannot be over emphasised for the decision-making type question sets.

Questions on quantitative ability need not be pure vanilla QA questions. Increasingly, questions that require logical ability to analyse the problem situation and then apply the quantitative tools are being asked. So, try not to approach a set of questions with a compartmentalised mindset.Look deeperWhile general awareness is not considered for the initial cut-off, do not take this section lightly. Remember, any work that you put into this area will help you in your overall preparation including participating in interviews, group discussions or essay writing of any institute.

In an objective type platform, it might be easier to pick the answer from among the choices, but nothing can rival the value that is derived from sustained good reading of current affairs columns.

While answering questions based on passages, remember that the answers cannot be merely located within the text of the given passage. So it is not a good move to search for the answers after reading the questions alone. Questions that test a deeper understanding of the presented passage in terms of the opinion of the author, the stance on a controversial issue mentioned in the passage or the intended action that the author hopes to get from his readers after they finish the passage and so on could be asked.

These questions will require clarity of understanding of the matter presented, and your analytical mind has to work in tandem to tackle the different questions that will follow.

The writer is Director, T.I.M.E. Chennai

(Courtesy : Educationplus)

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