Counselling for Career-3

Q. I am in Class 12. What is the eligibility requirement for a transportation management programme? Please give admission details. -Ibad A. Transportation management covers the physical and administrative aspects related to movement of goods within or outside a country, by rail, air or road transport. Along with knowledge of transport and distribution industries, this programme offers academic and management skills to handle the logistical operation of commercial and passenger vehicles, air and rail transportation as well as supply and distribution of all goods. With India’s huge geographical size and the need to transport goods, there is good potential for jobs in this field. Professionals are mostly employed by distribution divisions of manufacturers, bus, rail and airline companies, airport and shipping authorities, shipping lines, road freight hauliers, local and central government and transport consultants. Those with a degree in transportation can also become regional transport officers, motor vehicle inspectors, assistant regional transport officers, or deputy transport commissioners. Opportunities also exist in various departments of the Port Trusts, Indian Railways and various road transport organisations. Most programmes in transportation management are specialised, offered after graduation. The options include: . Three-year BBA programme and a two-year MBA in logistics and supply chain management which covers logistics and transportation, at the Institute of Logistics and Aviation Management, New Delhi www.ilamindia.com . Two-year full-time master’s in transport and logistics management under public systems management, at the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata www.iiswbm.edu . Postgraduate diploma in transport management, at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam www.andhrauniversity.info . Short courses in road transport administration and traffic management, at the Central Institute of Road Transport, Pune www.cirtindia.com However, if you are looking for a career in this sector, I would suggest that you take up a BCom or BBA programme first and then consider specialising in a field such as transportation management.

Q. I am a second-year BSc (biology) student. I wish to join the forest department. What are the various posts at the forest department, the eligibility criteria, upper age limit etc? -Priti A. The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is a Central government service for which selection is through an exam held by the Union Public Service Commission. Separate from the civil services exam, this exam is open only to science and engineering graduates. The exam takes place in May and the advertisement for applications generally appears in all major newspapers in December every year. Qualifying candidates are called for a personality test and interview, followed by a medical and endurance test. The latter check the candidate’s physical fitness and stamina as the service requires much outdoor activity. Those who are selected will work as forest officers in forest areas as well as with the ministry of environment and forests after the initial training. Check the UPSC website for more details. The posts that an officer can hold are principal chief conservator of forests, additional principal chief conservator of forests, chief conservator of forests, conservator of forests, and deputy conservator of forests.

Q. My son has just completed his BDS programme from a private college after spending R15 lakh. He does not want to start a clinic and now insists on taking an MDS degree after his internship. There are, however, only a few seats for MDS and colleges demand a huge premium. Please guide. -Surinder A. Most dentists in India take up practice after finishing the BDS degree. The MDS programme does enhance one’s employability, but it is not essential to work as a fresher. Seats in an MDS programme are also hard to come by. If your son wishes to build a career as a dentist, I’d advise him to work for a couple of years before attempting for a place in an MDS programme. This is a less expensive and more sensible option. It’s possible that your son is considering this qualification because he is reluctant to work as a dentist and would prefer to continue his studies to get into research or a specialised field. If that is so, he could also look at other postgraduate degrees in disciplines such as hospital management, physiotherapy, pharmacy, biotechnology and so on where he would be eligible to apply and which offer job opportunities too. Most of these courses are available at government universities and institutes and wouldn’t be so expensive.