In today's scenario, everything depends on IT. From letters to tax collections, booking the cheapest airline tickets, banking online to trading shares online, the modern world works through the `net' even at the price of risking your privacy and probably your bank balance!

The recent bomb blasts in cities like Mumbai, Varanasi, Jaipur and Delhi are fresh examples of the use of IT and the Internet in carrying out heinous crimes. The terrorists had hacked into Internet connections and computers of unwary citizens to set off the blasts.

The computer has emerged as the largest storehouse of information and telecommunication technologies have become essential information system components. Information Systems is the written, electronic or graphical method of communicating information.

The basis of an information system is the sharing and processing of information and ideas. But much as the computer rules our lives, computer-related gadgets have become soft targets for virus attacks.

Hacking has become a household word with hackers today having evolved from a small group of highly specialised people writing malicious virus codes to widespread professional thieves stealing identities and assets, destroying individual lives and ruining businesses.

This measure, aimed at having a lean and mean force and improve the combat effectiveness by bringing down the age profile of commanding officers, was part of the Ajay Vikram Singh committee report.

The need for such a revamp was felt in the wake of the Kargil War in 1999, when it was found that the commanding officers of the battalions were older as compared to their counterparts in Pakistan Army and for that matter armies of many advanced countries including Israel and the US. Moreover, most of these officers were stagnating at a particular rank for a long time thereby affecting their efficiency and involvement in the job.

Lt Colonels and Majors form the cutting edge of the Army and do the actual fighting in the rugged terrain, be it Kargil, dense jungles of north-east or the deserts and have to be young and able to handle the stress and rigours of combat.

The first part of the report was implemented in 2004 to provide better career opportunities to officers of the rank of Lieutenant to Lt Colonel. The second part of the report implemented on Friday covered Colonel, Brigadier, Major General and Lt General and their equivalent in the Navy and Air Force.

The implementation of the AVSC (Phase-II), besides seeking to create 1,896 new posts in the three wings, will facilitate quicker promotions for the officers of the ranks of Colonel/Group Captain/Captain and above. The creation of the new posts will be staggered over the next five years. `The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has taken a decision to implement the Phase-II of the AVSC report,'' Union information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told newspersons here soon after the meeting.

The decision is also aimed at stemming the high rate of attrition among middlerung officers from Majors to Colonels and their equivalents in the three services, which already face a shortage of some 13,000 officers, mostly in the middle-rung. The implementation of the Phase-II of the AVSC report will cost the government exchequer Rs 8.44 crore annually, government sources said. Under the proposal, the Army will get about 1,051 new posts upgraded in select ranks and it will be implemented over five-years.

A senior professor from the Department of Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in Andhra University noted that a lot remains to be explored about the water bodies in the world and with the rising crunch on the land resources; the seas and the oceans could be the next destination. "Floating cities would become a reality one day," he said.

Be it floating cities or floating international airports or for that matter bulk transportation of goods by marine vessels, across continents, water bodies serve to be a useful medium, and the engineering and science needed to understand its dynamics is in demand. The demand opens up new vistas in the discipline of naval architecture.

Naval architecture is an engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, maintenance and repair of all types of marine vehicles. It practically deals with any body that has to work on water, just like civil engineering that has to deal with anything on land. Naval architects say that the discipline is part of the core industries and it can play a major role in the overall economic development of a country.
Course

The course is a four-year B.E. or B.Tech degree programme that covers the aspects of ship design, ship construction, ship theory, ship maintenance, ship hydrodynamics, ship hydrostatics and ship structure. All the four years are interspersed with practical and hands-on training. The basic idea is to make the students employable from day one after passing out.
Career options

There is a huge demand for naval architects in countries where ship building industry is in a large format like U.S., Korea, Singapore, U.K. and the Netherlands. Naval architects can not only fit in the ship building industry but also in naval dockyards and ship design and research centres. They are in demand both in the private and government sectors.

Naval architects can also join ships for on-board duty after undergoing the one-and-a-half-year practical training on a ship and after receiving the MOT certification from DG Shipping.

Naval architects are considered to be professionals who not only understand the design, construction and running of ships but also the commercial aspects involved in building a ship. This puts them in a niche segment over others.

The platform also encourages collaboration between schools, enabling educators to easily share teaching best practices.

Sun Microsystems India recently announced the next phase in its partnership with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Karnataka -- the launch of VTU EDUSAT Programme-9. As part of this programme, Sun Microsystems Learning services will conduct 50 hours of free-of-cost training on Sun technologies which will be beamed on the EDUSAT network to all the 111 VTU colleges and recorded for re-play in the future.

The training will be conducted as part of Sun's training and certification activities by instructors from Sun Learning Services, Sun's engineers from Sun India Engineering Centre, and other subject matter experts.

The topics covered will aim to give the students an introduction to cutting-edge technologies with additional inputs on how to prepare for careers in software development in an increasingly open source world.

Sun would provide VTU students expert knowledge on several key areas such as Java, Open Solaris, Identity Management, Virtualisation, SOA, and the most popular open source database, MySQL. Through this programme, Sun Learning and VTU aim to provide students, even those in the remotest parts of Karnataka, the opportunity to listen to renowned industry experts speak on these technologies.
Breaking barriers

Anil Valluri, vice-president and managing director, Sun Microsystems India, said, "The application of technology in education has helped break barriers to education, whether cultural, economic, or physical. Further, advances in technology have helped open new vistas for teaching, learning and collaboration that are altering the face of education in the country. At Sun, we are committed to leveraging our strengths in open source technology to fuel this transformation."

The selection begins with the preliminary examination, followed by the main examination and concludes with the personality test. Over 1.5 lakh candidates had appeared for the preliminary in May this year and about 12,000 were declared as qualified for the second stage i.e., the main examination, to be conducted in October.

The main examination presents a striking contrast to most of the competitive examinations being held today. It comprises nine papers, all of them of a descriptive type conducted within a span of 20 days. It is designed to test not only the academic talent of the aspirant but also his ability to coordinate and present his knowledge in a clear and cogent manner.

To begin with, the basic skills of an aspirant in a Modern Indian Language and English are tested. This is followed by two papers in General Studies, a General Essay Paper and two papers each in the two optional chosen by the aspirant.
More contemporary

The 2008 main examination is of special significance as the syllabi of the General Studies papers and the Optional have been revised and made more `contemporary'. This is in tune with the recommendations of the Satish Chandra Committee, which made a firm case for periodically adding the contemporary dimensions to the syllabi and deleting the antiquated parts. The changes reflect in all the stages of the examination, more so at the main examination.

For MBA aspirants from India an important question is whether to go in for specialised masters degrees such as MSc in finance or technology and innovation or an MBA. While the MBA is a professional degree and the content emphasises practical application, the specialised MS is a very different programme; focused and often requires an undergraduate course of study before. The classes required to complete this type of master's degree are almost all in a single area, such as finance, accounting, operations, corporate communications, etc. MBA on the other hand, emphasises general management skills. MBA programmes rarely accept individuals directly after graduation from university, as the requirements of the coursework presume that students have faced the practical challenges of the work environment. In order to participate in class, on study teams, and to complete assignments, students are expected to draw on their own personal experience.

Learning is often experiential, with a lot of the work completed in multinational and professionally diverse teams. MBA graduates often comment that they learn as much from their peers, as they do from their professors. Work experience thus becomes an important factor for admission into international business schools. "Work experience is the most important factor for admissions to leading business schools. Students should only consider applying to business schools if they have at least 2-3 years of full time work experience. The GMAT is also very important but without adequate work experience, a candidate in most cases cannot get into a leading business school," says Mr Gupta.

The MBA degree develops practical knowledge and skills using methodologies that require a high level of participation from every student. Professors assume that their students have enough 'real life' experience to be able to move quickly through the material they teach. Students with two or more years of professional work experience are better able to learn and retain theoretical management information, when they can relate it to actual, hands-on experience. Also, professors depend upon the student's industry knowledge to enhance classroom discussions.

An MBA programme is a mix of theory and practice. Unless the MBA aspirant has worked in an organisation, he or she does not understand the pressures of working with a team or as a team leader. Working in an organisation provides the candidate with the experience of working with different individuals, and helps develop different ways of thinking.

Work experience also contributes to the development of teamwork and class participation, which are central to MBA education. In many classes, group projects will be assigned. The team will make a formal presentation and receive a group grade. Students with work experience can more readily contribute concrete examples and information learned in the workplace.

"With India's 34-year nuclear isolation now history, the opportunity for US companies today is tremendous, with a potential $150 billion of new investment. If US companies are allowed to compete, a modest share of that business could support 2,50,000 high-tech American jobs," Chamber Chairman R Bruce Josten said in a letter to all Senators and Representatives.

In the Chamber's estimation, US companies could greatly benefit from India's expected 30,000 to 60,000 MW of new nuclear generating capacity by 2030.

"Moreover, the nuclear business would be a fraction of the broader commercial gain across all sectors after this foundation, established of mutual trust and respect, is laid," Josten said and referred to the fact that it was the General Electric which made the first reactor for India's civil nuclear programme back in 1961.

The US Chamber, which happens to be the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses, sought to allay fear among lawmakers over any undue delay in passage, saying: "It is crucial that Congress act. French and Russian firms are already working in India, yet US firms cannot engage until Congressional approval of the 123 Agreement."

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is offering a postgraduate degree in social entrepreneurship and the JK Business School an MBA in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Indian Clinical Research Institute has launched a course in medical tourism and inpatient services and ward management. Amity University is offering an MSc in organic agriculture while the Welingkar Institute of Management has started a course in judiciary management.

Due to the need for creating specialised professionals, even a course like social entrepreneurship has generated tremendous interest. Sensing a trend, both globally and nationally, TISS launched a two-year course aimed at training and developing leaders for wealth generation in social sectors and non-profit organisations. Amity University's organic agriculture course has many takers. Two years ago, it launched an MBA in organic management and its success was followed up with an MSc programme two months back.

The JK Business School's CSR course is a CIIJK business school initiative, and helps students learn about CSR and work with organisations to sort out their problems.

As emerging sectors throw up new challenges, India Inc would need relevant skills to answer to their demands. And therein lie opportunities for educational institutes.

The Rural Development Ministry has identified several rapidly growing sec- tors where about 50 lakh youth living be- low the poverty line could be absorbed in the 11th Plan, during which the econ- omy is expected to achieve the targeted growth of 9 per cent.

There are 30 crore people living below the poverty line in India. Of them, 22 crore are from rural areas. The proportion of those living under the poverty line in India is comparable to the entire population of the United States.

According to conservative estimates prepared by the Planning Commission, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confed- eration of Indian Industry 34.60 lakh ru- , ral youth are expected to be absorbed in 14 different sub-sectors -- including mod- ern agriculture, textile, leather and IT- enabled services. The total manpower re- quirement in these sectors is 3.27 crore.

Out of these sub-sectors, construction has the potential of providing employment to about 3.8 lakh rural youth. The services sector -- including tourism, the hotel industry, transport and communi- cation -- and the health sector are ex- pected to generate employment for about 9.5 lakh wage earners from families.

"There is a massive shortage of man power in leather industry We urgently re .