My son (26 years old) is a B.Com graduate and for the past six years has been working as Team Leader in the BPO of a leading multinational bank. He would like to pursue higher studies which would help him in his career. His strength is the theory subjects and not Mathematics. I want him to complete the programme that he takes up in two or three years.

Shankar K.

Your son should check with the Human Resources and Training department of his organisation if it has a corporate tie-up with any institute or university as this will help him to carry on with the day-to-day routine and also focus on academics. A senior executive in the organisation will become his mentor which will help him further in bringing the necessary connect between theory and practice.

Since he is a graduate in Commerce, pursuing CA, Company Secretary and similar programmes will help him to reach the top echelons of the corporate world. All the programmes provide an opportunity for off-campus and distance learning that should suit him.

I am a first year engineering student and I want to become a civil servant. My parents insist that I prepare for the Civil Service from now itself. How do I go about it?

Ravi Kiran

Preparing for the Civil Service Examination (CSE) is not only a challenge but a learning by itself. It makes you a better person from the perspective of knowledge and information. Starting early will help you to face the competition and ensure success. The subjects/optionals that you select are crucial. You need to go through the syllabi for the CSE and take a stand as to the choice of optionals. The CSE demands a wide and intensive study of the subjects/optionals which will bring success.

Selecting optionals based on the confidence that you have in the subject will help in your preparations. Current affairs and newspaper reading should become a habit as this helps you in articulation of your thoughts. Preparing through IAS study centres and coaching classes/sessions will bring in peer interaction and add value to your learning/unlearning.

I am in 12th standard and have taken PCMB. I am interested in Environmental Studies and want to pursue research in the field of Environmental Science. Please guide me.

Amruta B.P.

One of the best places in Karnataka to pursue a course in Environmental Science would the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (http://ces.iisc.ernet.in), Bangalore. Ph: 2360 0985. E-mail: cesoffice@ces.iisc.ernet.in

An alternative would be the Environmental Science Programme that is conducted at the Bishop Heber's College (Autonomous) (www.bhc.ac.in), Tiruchi, which attracts a lot of talent from across the country. The college conducts the M.Sc in Environmental Science which is popular with the students.

Another organisation that has created a niche for itself is the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) (www.ncbs.res.in). It offers M.Sc in Wildlife Biology and Conservation with a focus on the most important aspects of Environmental Studies/Science. Integrated programmes will surely attract your attention. Address: NCBS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bellary Road, GKVK, Bangalore-65. Ph: 23666001.

On completion of 12th standard, you should pursue B.Sc in Science with a focus on Zoology, Botany, and Environmental Science which will keep you in good stead. Have a long-term goal as Environmental Science will really take you to the best of action research and a doctorate will support you further.

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary academic field that brings an integration of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Soil Science, Geography, Geology and Zoology. It helps us understand man-nature relationships. Environmental Engineering has a prime focus on design and technology that will help improve environmental quality and of course our own quality of life.

With the world focusing on Environmental Science and Engineering to make the planet a better place to live in, it is good option for studies.

My son has completed 10th standard with a good percentage. Presently he is pursuing first year of PUC in a college with PCMB as his combination. He is interested in pursuing engineering at any of the IITs or NITs. I want to send him to tutorial classes for the IIT entrance test. Which is the best organisation for IIT preparation?

Prabhat Mani

Quality preparation will ensure qualification at the highly competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE). It is considered as the ‘mother of all examinations' in India. Besides regular studies to qualify in the intermediate/PUC, once has to have a focused preparation for the entrance test. One of the organisations that had helped many to qualify is FIITJEE (www.fiitjee.com). You can contact the FIITJEE counsellors at: 113/114, 3rd Floor, HTR Chambers, SC Road, opposite Hoysala Hotel, Seshadripuram, Bangalore. Ph: 41135682. One can even register for the various programmes on offer at www.fiitjeeonline.in

I read about the one-year Post-Graduate Diploma in Management and related programmes that are conducted by Bangalore University through various colleges. My question is, are these programmes on a par with the MBA of any university?

Shamim Ahmed

Bangalore University and designated affiliated colleges offer the one-year Post-Graduate Diploma Programmes in various areas of management which have the content of a Business Administration programme but cannot be considered as Master of Business Administration. The MBA of any university in India is of two-year duration. Those undertaking MBA by distance education spend a total of three years as per the norms of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The AICTE-recognised Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration/Business Management (PGDBA/PGDBM) are two-year programmes. The IIMs and leading institutes such as XLRI/XIM provide the two-year programmes which are nomenclatured as PGDBA, some of which are considered as on par/equivalent with the MBA of any university as per the norms of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Hence, if you have decided to undertake a MBA on regular basis it is advisable to pursue the programme of two-year duration and get the benefits. The one-year programmes are primarily modelled for working executives who want to specialise in a specific area of Business Administration.