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Q I am pursuing B.E in computer science and want to become a professional hacker. Can you list the colleges which offer such courses? — Rohit Sharma A What distinguishes a hacker from a cracker is that the former is actually paid to identify security breaches in an organisation’s network. Constructive hacking is legal and ethical/because it is done with the client’s permission. However, all said and done, hacking is a double-edged sword — both parties need to agree that none of the exercises carried out will be in violation of Section 65/66 of the IT Act. The courses available are: C-DAC, Mohali, conducts workshops on Computer Internetworking and Network Security for practising and aspiring networking professionals. (www.cedtimohali.org). NIIT in association with ITT Educational Services Inc, USA , offers a four-year Bachelor's degree in IT with specialisation in Information Systems Security. SecureSynergy Pvt Ltd, Centre for Information Security & Assurance Technologies (CISAT), New Delhi . IIIT-Allahabad; Course: PG Diploma in Cyber Law and Security (1-year) Cisco Networking Academies in almost every state offer a course in security and wireless LAN. CISAT offers its own security awareness courses as well as those in network security through an educational collaboration with Network Associates' Sniffer University . You’ll need to check their credibility though. Get hold of several technical manuals. You can also learn from the Net and hacking clubs (In India, Ankit Fadia’s ”Hackingtruths” club distributes training material to aspiring hackers. But the best training after you’ve learnt the basics is obviously on the job). Be a sport Q I am quite passionate about sports, especially cricket, and I want to make my career in it as an all-rounder but I have one problem, that is my height. It is only 5 ft and I’m already 19. I want to know if I have any chance of getting spotted as a cricketer. — Sunny Nadkarni A Percy "Tich" Freeman, who played for Kent (from 1914 to 1936) and England (from 1924-25 to 1929; as a right arm leg-break bowler is believed to be the shortest ever international player. He was 5 feet 2 inches and our very own Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, is 5' 4''. So, it’s not height that matters but how good you are at the sport. In a country that kneels before this game of bat, ball and 22 men, cricket has never been an ordinary game. Neither are the earnings. An average of Rs 10 crore per player is no mean figure! You could also try and catch the attention of your zonal Talent Research Development Officer for cricket. The TRDOs observe young players below the age of 22 to spot prospective talent. Besides overall fitness, these talent scouts look into all three aspects of the game: batting, bowling and fielding The list is submitted to the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Promising players are sent to camps organised by the zonal cricket academies and the NCA. While selecting teams, state associations look out for budding talent with long-term prospects since the ideal age to break into the national team is between 18-24 years. Art of the matter Q After Class XII, I am keen on taking up a course at the NID. Can you please give me some information about the courses offered at this institute? — Anukriti Singh A National Institute of Design (NID), Paldi, Ahmedabad-380007 (www.nid.edu), an autonomous institution of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the country’s premier institution for imparting state-of-the-art education and training in design. The institute is recognised by the D/o Scientific and Industrial Research as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The Notification has already appeared in leading dailies. Application deadline: 30 November 30, 2006. Exam: January 07, 2007 for GDPD. Clearing the NID entrance is a highly competitive affair. However, as the high priestess of design, NID holds the distinction of breathing life into the slogan “Designed in India -Made for the World”. NID students have distinguished themselves in designing prestigious products ranging from Bajaj scooters to portable scanners for light combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force, to submarines for the Navy to animation for Hollywood blockbusters. NID’s aim is to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to design through education, training and practice. The four-year Graduate Diploma Programme in Design offers several areas of specialisation under three main faculty streams: 1) Industrial Design (Product Design, Furniture & Interior Design, Ceramic Design / Glass Design). 2) Communication Design (Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film & Video Communication; Exhibition Spatial Design). 3) Textile & Apparel Design (Textile Design). Although the eligibility is a pass in Class XII, competence in maths, science, social studies, drawing, technical, and related subjects is a definite advantage. Admission to these courses is through a series of rigorous tests and an interview. Age limit is 20 years on June 1 (relaxed by 3 years for SC/ST) The screening test is held in 12 cities in India in the first week of January. Shortlisted candidates are then called for a Studio Test and Interviews at the NID Campus. Application forms are available at designated branches of the Bank of India for Rs. 900. Only those who have scored 50 per cent marks in the three DATs qualify for the second phase which includes a half day workshop where you will be given material (clay, paper, string, paints and crayons) to manipulate and an in-depth interview that is accorded the maximum weightage. The 5-member panel comprises members of the faculty and a consultant (who prepares your psychometric assessment) at the NID campus. At this point you may be asked to present a portfolio of your previous work. Seats: 60, for which approximately 1,500 applications are received. Lectureship norm Q I have done M.Com and want to do M.Phil through correspondence only. Please guide me about the universities and whether I am eligible for lectureship after M.Phil or NET is compulsory. — Anupma, Chandigarh A The University Grants Commission (UGC) has in principle accepted the Balachandra Mungrekar Committee’s recommendation for relaxing the rules for the appointment of teachers. M. Phil holders are exempted from the National Eligibility Test (NET) for appointment at the undergraduate level. However, holding an M. Phil degree is no yardstick of a person’s teaching ability. In that sense, NET had its advantages. For example the NET Paper -1 judges a candidate’s aptitude for teaching and research. The biggest hurdle faced by M. Phil qualified candidates applying for lectureship is that they are competing against NET qualified and / or Ph. D holders for the same job. Since NET qualifiers come with a so-called pedigree (having cleared a demanding and highly rigorous selection procedure that is a testimonial to their teaching ability), their candidature for the job is more solid as compared to a mere M. Phil – more so if it through a distance education programme. In fact, colleges prefer to hire NET holders as having such candidates on their rolls boosts their NAAC ranking. So, I would certainly recommend that you consider giving NET a shot. However, I must warn you that clearing the NET is no cakewalk. An estimate suggests that only a miniscule 5 per cent of the one lakh plus candidates are able to clear the NET. There are a number of universities offering M. Phil (distance) like Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, Karnataka State Open University, Mysore, Madurai Kamaraj University, Palkalainagar, Madurai, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Thirunelveli, and Mother Teresa Women’s University, Chennai. Call of the BPOs Q I am studying in a government college in Punjab and have been trying to convince my parents that if I have to join the BPO industry, I will have to move to a big city. They feel I should stay back. What are the job prospects in the IT sector in Punjab? — Firoz Javed A Punjab may have missed the first phase of the IT revolution, but the state government is making serious efforts to attract the giants as well as small players in the ITES sector. The Punjab State Electronics Development and Production Corporation Ltd‘s draft policy aims to create 50,000 jobs in the next two years. With an investment of Rs 500 crore. A single window system for clearing projects, exemption from certain duties, octroi, labour laws etc and extra incentives and subsidies are being offered to woo players. Besides Mohali (investment of Rs 685 crore), Patiala , Ludhiana and Bathinda are next in the queue. Tier II cities are the next big ITES destination for BPO centres. Besides this, the Punjab government has launched the Punjab Training on Soft Skills (PTOSS) programme for government colleges which would be implemented simultaneously in 40 colleges across the state in the first phase. With a view to making students ready for jobs in the BPO sector the moment they are out of college, third year students would undergo a rigorous five-month training in communication skills, accent training, personality development and English grammar besides knowledge of computers. Students will be trained for two hours a day and have to complete160 hours of training within five months. So, it may not be such a bad idea to listen to your parents and find your feet in your homeland. Jungle route Q I am very inspired to become an IFS officer
— Amit Bhimani A If you are interested in following your father’s footsteps and are keen to protect the environment and wildlife, the Indian Forest Service offers a challenging and adventurous career. An IFS officer’s job combines both desk work as well as extensive field monitoring. It is mainly concerned with the management, maintenance and protection of forest flora and fauna, reforestation, wildlife, revenue collection, etc. To qualify for this service, you have to take the Indian Forest Service Examination, which is conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the following subjects: Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology. Age: 21-30 years on July 1 of the year of the exam. The written exam consists of two compulsory subjects: General English and General Knowledge (300 marks each); and two optional subjects out of a choice of 14 subjects. Each optional paper carries 200 marks and is of the conventional essay type. If you manage to clear the written exam (which is a test of your overall intellectual ability rather than your memory), you will be called for a Personality Test to assess your suitability for this service. This is followed by a Medical Test and an Endurance Test. While males must complete a 25-km walk in 4 hours, women have to cover 15 km in the same time. Candidates must meet the physical fitness requirements listed in Appendix III of the rules for the Indian Forest Service Exam, 2006, published in the Gazette of India, 2006. As in the Civil Services exam, you are permitted four attempts. Upon selection, you will undergo training for two years at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun. Further training of four months is given at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. On successful completion of training, you will receive a Diploma of Associateship of the Indian Forest Research Institute and are posted as Assistant Conservators or Assistant Deputy Conservators. The next step is Deputy Conservator and from there to the higher grade of Conservator of Forests. Within the same designation, officers also move from one pay scale to another. The highest designations in the hierarchy are Chief Conservator of Forests, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) For further information, log on to the UPSC website:
www.upsc.gov.in. The writer is a noted career consultant Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at
careers@tribunemail.com
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because my father is a Range Forest Officer). But I don’t know from where to begin. Please guide me from A to Z.
