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What is Archaeology?

Archaeology is the study of past human societies, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data which they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes. Due to the fact that archaeology employs a wide range of different procedures, it can be considered to be both a science and a humanity.

The purpose of archaeology is to learn more about past societies and the development of the human race. Over 99% of the history of humanity has occurred within prehistoric cultures, who did not make use of writing, thereby not leaving written records about themselves which we can study today. Without such written sources, the only way to learn about prehistoric societies is to use archaeology. Many important developments in human history occurred during prehistory, including the evolution of humanity during the Palaeolithic period, when the hominins developed from the australopithecines through to the early homos in Africa and finally into modern Homo sapiens. Archaeology also sheds light on many of humanity’s technological advances, for instance the ability to use fire, the development of stone tools, the discovery of metallurgy, the beginnings of religion and the creation of agriculture. Without archaeology, we would know nothing of these evolutionary and technological changes in humanity that pre-date writing.

Nature of work

The task of Archaeologists is to study architectural relics or monuments or whatever it may be, to identify the period to which they belong which may later become historical evidence. They examine the relevance of any evidence, which may range from ruins of large cities to stone flakes and thus trace the stages of development of civilizations. They analyze the data and write reports on their findings.

This is not a career for someone who is easily bored with cold facts and tedious chores, it is a challenge for a person who is curious, has a deep interest in the past and wishes to discover how people of all different races and nations used to live and think. An archaeologist needs patience; dedication; imagination; a logical mind; honesty; the ability to report findings factually and good language and writing skills. As much of the work is done in laboratories, you would need to be familiar with laboratory procedures and able to record, in minute detail, your findings. 
You would have to study relics (man-made objects) from the past technological, social, spiritual and other cultural activities in order to determine how long-dead people lived and developed through the ages. There are unwritten prehistories of countries and peoples. In order to understand the relics, you would need a regular use of other disciplines such as zoology, palaeontology, botany, geology, sedimentology, chemistry and physics. Your tasks would include excavation, recording and processing and a great deal of painstaking research. 

In the 1970's, two sensational discoveries were made; in Kenya bones and a human skull were found below a layer of earth dating back 2.8 million years ago; a cave in Southern Africa, on the border of Swaziland and Natal showed signs of being inhabited by men of modern type - possibly as long ago as 100,000 BC. Biology textbooks of the 70's stated that the only humans in existence 100,000 years ago were beetlebrowed, bandy-legged Neanderthalers but the remains which had been found were those of a Homo sapiens who was not supposed to have appeared until about 35,000 BC - some 65,000 years later. 

The Border Cave dwellers apparently had discovered mining and had manufactured sophisticated tools including agate knives with edges still sharp enough to slice paper! It was presumed by scientists that the tribe had held religious convictions and believed in the afterlife because a child's body had been given a ceremonial burial. This implied that members of the tribe had a language and had been able to reason abstractly - immortality cannot be conveyed with simple guttural sounds. Carefully notched bones suggested that they had even learnt to count. 

Did you know that scientists believe that the Sahara Desert was once a lush, green land peopled with many races and filled with animals that are now only found in museums, jungles or reserves? Imagine if you could discover another treasure like that found by Howard Carter who unearthed the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Where to Study Archaeology in India ?

At the postgraduate level, archaeology is offered at more than 25 universities across the country. In the north you can look at the following:

Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India,

Red Fort Complex, Delhi 110006 (GoI) 110001

Course: PG diploma in archaeology (two years)

Eligibility: Master’s degree (ancient/medieval Indian history)/(archaeology/anthropology/Indian classical language/ geology with knowledge of pleistocene age; 55%).

Stipend: is paid to unemployed students for the period of two years.

Barkatullah Vishwavidhyalaya, Bhopal (MP);

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (UP);

Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (Haryana)

The Delhi Institute of Heritage Research & Management,

18 A, Satsang Vihar Marg, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi 110067,

(Affiliated to GGSIPU)

www.dihrm.org

Course: Master’s in archaeology and heritage management (two years)

Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree (humanities/science)

Selection: Entrance test.

Future Prospects

The profession of Archaeology offers interesting job opportunities to those who have a fascination for the past. Specialists in the field of Archeology can work as Numismatists and Epigraphists. Numismatics is the study of old coins, tokens and other related objects while Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions on ancient monuments, rocks, temples, copper plates etc.

In India, students who pass out from the Institute of Archaeology, the academic wing of the Archeological Survey of India, have brighter prospects because they are readily absorbed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Archaeologists can seek jobs in government sectors through examinations conducted by Union Public Service Commission or Staff Selection Commission and also in private environment monitoring companies or in similar organizations. They are employed in Defense services, museums, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, cultural centers and historical division of the Ministry of External Affairs. A degree holder in Archaeology can work as tourist guides, heritage managers, interpreters, resource persons of trip organizers in the tourism industry. After obtaining Doctoral degree or successfully clearing SLET (State Level Eligibility Test ) or NET (National Eligibility Test) one can take up teaching and research work. Archaeologists can even seek employment in other disciplines as historians, linguists and surveyors.

Archaeology graduates have great scope abroad for jobs as well as research as various colleges and universities are well furnished with research programmes. Here one can work as curators, heritage conservators, archivists or even as teachers.

Besides government organisations, there are various other heritage bodies like INTACH and some foreign universities and foundations that are involved in urban conservation or excavations in India that provide employment to archaeologists. Archaeologists can also seek funds to go abroad to join or conduct excavations in their sphere of specialisation. They can also work as experts or consultants on mediarelated projects like films or documentaries on archaeological sites and cultures. Private collectors and museums may also require their services.

 A combined examination for recruitment of medical doctors to various services and posts under the Central government is conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission in accordance with the norms of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There would be nearly 350 vacancies.

SERVICES AND POSTS

The usual services and posts are indicated below:

Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in the Railways

Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service

Junior scale posts in Central Health Services

Medical Officers in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi

General Duty Medical Officer in New Delhi Municipal Council

You may apply for admission to the examination in respect of any one or more of the services/ posts. You will be given an opportunity to indicate your preferences for the services / posts at the appropriate time. You need to submit only one application, even if you want to beconsidered for different services/ posts.

CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY

You should not have attained the age of 32 years as on January 1 of the year of the examination. There will be the usual relaxation in the upper age limit for the eligible categories. You should have passed the written and practical parts of the final M.B.B.S. examination. Final year students may also apply; but they should produce proof of having passed the written and practical part of the final M.B.B.S. examination along with the detailed application to the Commission, after qualifying in the written examination.

Those who have not completed the compulsory rotatory internship are eligible for admission to the examination. But they will be appointed only after they complete the internship. Candidates should be physically and medically fit, in accordance with the prescribed norms.

STRUCTURE OF THE EXAM

The overall structure comprises two parts.

Part I – Written examination; two papers ; 2 x 250 = 500 marks

Part II – Interview: 100 marks.

Let us look at the contents of the written papers in some detail.

Paper 1 has three components, with a total of 120 questions

General ability: 30 questions

General medicine: 70 questions

Paediatrics: 20 questions

General ability: Indian Society, Heritage & Culture, Polity, Economy, Human Development Indices and the Development Programmes; Natural Resources, their distribution, exploitation, conservation and related issues; Basic concepts of Ecology and Environment and their impact on health and economy; Impact of changing demographic trends on health, environment and society; Indian Agriculture, Industry, Trade, Transportation and Service Sectors; Natural and man-made disasters and their management; Food adulteration, Food processing, food distribution, food storage and their relevance to public health; Recent trends in Science and Technology

General Medicine: Cardiology, Respiratory diseases, Gastro-intestinal, Genito-Urinary, Neurology, Hematology, Endocrinology, Metabolic disorders, Infections/Communicable Diseases (Virus, Rickets, Bacterial, Spirochetal, Protozoan, Metazoan, Fungus), Nutrition / Growth, Dermatology, Musculoskelatal System, Psychiatry, General Paediatrics

Paper 2 also has three components, with a total of 120 questions

Surgery: 40 questions

Gynaecology and Obstetrics: 40 questions

Preventive and Social Medicine: 40 questions

Surgery: General Surgery [Wounds, Infections, Tumours, Lymphatic, Blood vessels, Cysts / sinuses, Head and neck, Breast, Alimentary tract ( Oesophagus, Stomach, Intestines, Anus, Developmental), Liver, Bile, Pancreas, Spleen, Peritoneum, Abdominal wall, Abdominal injuries], Urological Surgery, Neuro Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Thoracic surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Traumatology

Gynaecology and obstetrics: Obstetrics (Ante-natal conditions, Intra-natal conditions, Post-natal conditions, Management of normal labour or complicated labour); Gynaecology (applied anatomy, Applied physiology of menstruation and fertilization, Infections in genital tract, Neoplasma in the genital tract, Displacement of the uterus); Family planning (Conventional contraceptives , U.D. and oral pills, Operative procedure, sterilization and organization of programmes in the urban and rural surroundings, Medical Termination of Pregnancy)

Preventive social and community medicine: Social and Community Medicine, Concept of Health, Disease and Preventive Medicine, Health Administration and Planning, General Epidemiology, Demography and Health Statistics, Communicable Diseases, Environmental Health, Nutrition and Health, Non-communicable diseases, Occupational Health, Genetics and Health, International Health, Medical Sociology and Health Education, Maternal and Child Health, National Programmes

The questions in both the papers will be of the multiple-choice objective-type, with four options in each question. Wrong answers will be penalised through negative marks; one-third of the marks assigned to the question will be deducted as penalty. Giving more than one answer will be treated as a wrong answer, even if one of the given answers happens to be correct. Consequently there will be the usual penalty for the error. However, if a question is left blank, there will be no penalty. Calculators are not permitted in the examination hall.

INTERVIEW / PERSONALITY TEST

Candidates who qualify in the written examination will be invited to attend the interview / personality test to be conducted by the UPSC.

The interview will be in the form of a comprehensive personality test. It will not be a cross-examination. This exercise is a supplement to the written examination in which the general awareness in relation to the medical profession as also academic knowledge in medicine and surgery has already been assessed.

The interview would focus on aspects such as the candidate's intellectual curiosity, critical powers of assimilation, balance of judgment and alertness of mind, ability for social cohesion, integrity of character, initiative, and capability for leadership. There is a common form for submitting applications to the UPSC, which is available in the main post offices.

The form along with an Information Brochure, an acknowledgement card, and an envelope for sending the application costs twenty rupees.

A fee of hundred rupees has to be paid in the form of a Central recruitment fee stamp to be affixed to the application form and got cancelled by the post office. SC/ST and physically challenged candidates as well as women applicants need not pay this fee.

What is Horticulture?

Horticulture is the aspect of agricultural sciences that deals with the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts and ornamentals. The term “Horticulture” is derived from the Latin ‘hortus’ (garden’ and culture (cultivation), which means garden cultivation. It also covers floriculture, or the cultivation of flowers, and other agricultural practices.

With technological advancement, great emphasis is being put on improving regular varieties of fruits and vegetables for processing purposes, creating exotic species for decorative and commercial purposes, and mass scale multiplication of species for increased productivity.

Moreover, India’s advantageous geographical location, with its varying soil and climatic conditions and the advantage of three harvests a year, as well as an abundant labour force, provides ample opportunities for the growth of a range of agri-products throughout the year.

Nature of Work

The work in horticulture and floriculture broadly covers growing and maintaining horticultural and floriculture farms, parks and gardens, plant pathology, fruit and vegetable processing, preservation and marketing of fruits, vegetables and flowers, and involves -

Production which covers the growing and harvesting of raw fruits, vegetables and flowers carried out mainly by farmers. Much of the work is that of farming, involving management and supervision of agricultural practises for maximising yields. With the widespread commercialisation of this activity, there are now industrial houses which handle large scale and scientific cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

Processing covers all aspects of handling fruits and vegetables for distribution whether in their natural form or as processed foods. New and scientific methods of farming have made it possible to extend the shelf life of these perishables. Processing involves various tasks, from the procurement of the raw material to the final distribution of the end product, which may remain in its natural form or be packaged. In floriculture, this would involve the work of procurement of seeds, and the collection and distribution in natural or packaged form for the domestic and export market. Experienced horticulturists can become plantation assistants or quality inspectors for commercial canning in quick-freezing stations or packaging for the domestic and export market.

Gardening involves all aspects of cultivation of flowers, flowering plants, shrubs, and ornamental trees for decorative purposes in gardens. Grafting, collecting seeds and de-budding are some of the other functions which have to be performed. Development and maintenance of town and country parks, picnic areas, golf courses , as also landscaping of gardens, lawns , hot-houses and nurseries are other areas handled by horticulturists.

Research and Teaching -In the area of Research, horticulturists look for ways to improve and breed new varieties of fruits and vegetables or flowers, by the application of scientific techniques such as tissue culture, micro-propagation, and embryo culture etc. This would generally be undertaken in government-funded research institutions , although there are research and development laboratories being set up by private sector companies in the business of processing or marketing horticultural foods and flowers. Development also includes multiplication and distribution of planting material and establishment of nucleus production centres. 

There are also opportunities in Teaching and Advisory Services which would include motivation of fruit growers, and liaison with marketing agencies within the country and abroad.

Job Prospects

Govt Sector

For M.Sc and Ph.D in Horticulture

(i) Scientist: Examination conducted by the Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board, ICAR, New Delhi offers opportunities for scientist.
(ii) In Education: Lecturer, Reader, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor in Agricultural Universities and Colleges.
(iii) Training Organizer & Training Associate in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).

For Graduates

(i) Civil Services: Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (U.P.S.C) for IAS/IFS (Civil Service & Allied)
(ii) As District Horticulture Officer/ District Agriculture Officer through examination conducted by State Public Service Commission.
(iii) Technical Assistant / Technical Officers in Agricultural Universities ICAR, DRDO, IARI, & CSIR
(iv) Horticulture Inspector / Fruit & Vegetable Inspector / Marketing Inspector.
(v) Training Assistant in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
(vi) Farm Supervisor.
(vii) Section Officer (Horticulture / Landscaping), Horticulturist or Supervisor (Horticulture).
(viii) Agriculture Development Officer
(ix) Village Level Worker
(x) Agricultural Inspector.

Private Sector

(i) As Horticulturist / Horticulture Officer or Supervisor (Landscape) in Industries, Farm Houses, Hotels, Golf Courses & Construction Companies etc.

(ii) As Horticulture officer in processing companies of agriculture production

(iii) Marketing job also in pesticides and insecticides companies.

Self Employment

(i) As Horticulture Consultant provide advice, design, evaluation, supervision of garden or orchard etc.

(ii) You can start the Agriculture clinic. Government provides money (up to 10.00 Lac) for this work.

(iii) Raise commercial nursery of fruit plants, flower and ornamental plants.

(iv) Seed producer of vegetables and flower crops.

(v) Fruit/ Vegetable / Flower grower.

(vi) Floral decorator/ florist shop

(vii) Horticulture Services Contractor

(viii) Mushroom grower

(ix) Seed dealer / Merchant

(x) Proprietor-cold storage

(xi) Processing work of Horticulture production

(xii) You can start establish an institute for vocational education (Horticulture/ Landscape)

How to start a career in Horticulture

To become a horticulturist, a candidate should join the agricultural stream for a B.Sc. in agriculture or horticulture. Most colleges do not conduct a separate course for horticulture at the under-graduate level, but treat it as part of the academic curriculum of agriculture. An MSc in horticulture however, offers specialisations in floriculture, pomology (cultivation of fruits), and olericulture (cultivation of vegetables).

Eligibility :
The basic eligibility criteria for a B.Sc. in horticulture is 10+2 with sciences including Physics and Biology. For an M.Sc. in Horticulture, one must have a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture or a related subject.

Duration :
Courses in horticulture are available at some universities, and are normally of 2-5 years duration, depending on the course.

Institute Index

College of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP.

College of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.

College of Agriculture, Pune, Maharashtra.

Faculty of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU), Coimbatore.

College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Trichur, Kerala.

College of Agriculture Dapoli 415712, Ratnagiri

Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture Parbhani 431402

College of Agriculture, Murtizapur Road, Krishnagar, Akola 444104

South Gujarat University, Udhana Magdall Rd., Surat 395007

College of Agriculture, Hebbal, Bangalore 560024

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002

Dr. BR Ambedkar Univ., Rae Barelly Road, Lucknow 226016

Investment banking and management consultancy are popular career options for graduates from the country’s top institutes. Campus Fever brings to you the potent opportunities these lucrative careers entail.

Ask most MBAs what they want to do after they graduate and the answer is likely to be: work for an investment bank (i-bank) or a leading management consultancy.

Consultancy and i-banking are similar, but offer two separate career paths. While both are fiercely competitive and involve travelling, dealing with clients and large salaries, i-banking pays more. On the flip side, i-banking hours are longer and often involve all-nighters, leaving little time for a social life or family.

I Banking

Investment banks provide governments and firms with services such as buying, selling and trading securities, managing assets and giving advice.

Consultancies advise firms and the government on strategic, operational and organisational issues. A typical project handled by a consultancy firm would be providing a company that hypothetically wants to enter the Chinese market with expertise.

According to Rohit Balasubramanian, manager, Global Finance Transformation Deloitte Consulting, LLP, “There’s a strong focus on service and value creation,” he says, “This means value to the client, fellow practioners, the community and to self.”

New trends

Campus Track T-Schools, a study by ACNielson ORG, which collects perceptions from recruiters, has found i-banks and management consultancies recruiting from the top 20 engineering campuses across the country. “These are the top firms that we're talking about,” asserts Prasenjit Das, associate director, Client Service, The Nielsen Company, as he reels off names such as Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Deloitte and McKinsey.

Skills in demand

The transformation from a bright B-school or engineering graduate to a savvy investment banker or consultancy associate involves a few factors. True, the skill set differs according to the area, but there are a few attributes that are common across all sectors. These include:

Building relationships: Both consultancy and i-banking require graduates with excellent people skills. “Ideas are only good when clearly understood by all stakeholders,” says Balasubramanian, “It’s about thinking out of the box and coming up with new ways of responding to challenges.” Neeraj Aggarwal, recruiting director, Boston Consulting Group, Mumbai, agrees. “Relationship building is a vital part of the job. You need to come across as approachable and be able to articulate yourself.”

A lot of deals are made over golf, tennis, lunches or drinks. “At the end of the day, it's all about relationships,” sums up David Varughese, a private banker now based in Singapore. It may sound simple, but each transaction Varughese makes with a client begins at USD one million.

Attitude: “When recruiters come for campus interviews at IIM, they look for a few things in our graduates, including attitude,” says Sarsaraz Khimani, external relations secretary, IIM Calcutta. Attitude in this case means being able to work under pressure and what Khimani calls “an appetite for risk”. “In i-banking, such an approach is important for areas such as trading and equities,” he explains.

Analytical skills: Students have to be very good at analytical analysis if they want to get into areas such as corporate banking and management consultancy. According to Balasubramanian, analytic ability is important. “It’s the ability to sift through volumes of data, requirements, noise and effectively hone in on key issues to be addressed,” he says.

Recruitment

Getting a foot in a consultancy firm or i-bank is tough as competition is cut throat. Firms are, however, clear on what they expect from candidates at interviews. I-banking firm Goldman Sachs, for example, not only expects graduates be aware about the firm's business and culture but also ask questions about the firm during the interview.

BCG recruits undergraduates for associate positions and MBAs as senior associates. “We are looking for students who demonstrate excellence. We are looking for out of the ordinary behaviour,” says Aggarwal.

Remuneration

One of the main attractions to jobs in consultancy and i-banking is the money. “I'd estimate starting salaries to be from Rs 7.5 to Rs 8 lakh a year,” says Das.

Courses
According to Khimani, the first year of a top B-school provides an overview of what to expect for those aspiring to go into consultancy and i-banking. “Students usually decide whether they want to go into i-banking or consultancy in their fourth year and IIM offers electives in areas such as corporate finance, portfolio management, corporate restructuring for them,” he says.

Some institute offer diploma and certificate courses in banking while the Tamil Nadu and Manipur Universities offer graduate courses in banking.

* B.B.A. Banking and Financial Services

* Diploma in Banking Technology

* Diploma in Banking and Finance

* M.B.A. Banking

* M.Com. Banking and Insurance

* Post Graduate Diploma in Banking, Insurance and Financial Services Management (P.G.D.B.I.F.M)

New Delhi: The Union Service Public Commission (UPSC) will be conducting the Special Class Railway Apprentices' Examination-2010 on December 19, 2010 for recruitment to the Special Class Apprentices in the Mechanical Department of Indian Railways. 

The examination will be held at various centers across the country. For details regarding Eligibility Conditions, the Syllabus and Scheme of the examination, Centres of Examination, Guidelines for filling up application form etc. aspirants must consult the Detailed Notice of the examination published in the Employment News/Rozgar Samachar dated August 28, 2010.

To be eligible for applying for the test, a candidate must not be less than 17 years and not more than 21 years on August 1, 2010. The upper age limit is relaxable for Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes / Other Backward Classes and certain other categories of candidates to the extent specified in the Notice.

A candidate must also have passed in the first or second division, the intermediate or an equivalent examination of a University or Board approved by the government of India with Mathematics and at least one of the subjects Physics and Chemistry, as subjects of the examination.

Physically, the candidate must be physically fit according to the Regulations given in Appendix-II of the Rules for the Special Class Railway Apprentices' Examination, 2010 published in the Gazette of India dated August 28, 2010.

Candidates, who wish to apply offline can apply in the Common Application Formdevised by the Commission for its examinations, which can be purchased from the designated Head Post Offices/Post Offices (specified in Appendix-III of the Notice published in the Employment News dated August 28, 2010) throughout the country against cash payment of Rs.20/- (Rupees Twenty only). 

Each such form can be used only once and only for one examination. In case of any difficulty in obtaining Application Forms from the designated POs the candidate should contact the concerned Post Master or UPSC Forms Supply Monitoring Cell" over telephone or fax.

Candidates can also apply Online on the official UPSC website. Detailed instructions for filling up online applications are available on website.

All offline applications must reach the "Controller of Examination, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069" either by hand or by Post/speed Post or by courier, on or before the September 27, 2010. However, in respect of candidates residing abroad or in certain remote areas , the last date for receipt of applications by Post/Speed Post only is October 4, 2010.

Online Applications can be filled up September 20, 2010 till 11.59 P.M. after which the link will be disabled.

In case any clarification is required by candidates regarding their applications, candidature etc, candidates can contact UPSC Facilitation Counter in its campus in person or over telephone.

The growth in hospitality industry has giving rise to a growing demand for professional chefs. As a chef, one not only gets the opportunity to spice up palatable dishes, but also make a fortune by way of it. It is the chef, who holds the recipe for the success of an eatery or a catering business. If one nurtures the desire to win a million hearts by serving people with good food, a career as a chef is the right answer.

Benefits

If you are looking for chef career information, you are likely looking for the benefits of this career. Of course, there is the obvious benefit – you get paid for doing something that you love to do. It is really great to actually love your work. You will never feel like reporting for work is a drag. Long hours baking or whipping up delicious meals go by hardly noticed.

There is a great sense of accomplishment attached to being able to create delectable or mouthwatering dishes. The best thing about this is that you actually get paid for cooking these dishes! It is also extremely satisfying to see people enjoying the meals that you prepare. It is certainly enjoyable to hear a customer praise you for a delicious hearty beef stew or your pan fried fillet of red snappers.

The Other Side

When looking for chef career information, it is also advisable that you familiarize yourself with the job drawbacks. Again, it is not easy to pursue a culinary career. It will require you to stand on your feet for several hours on a daily basis. There is often no time for rest. This is not a laughing matter. It is exhausting. You may not notice it if you enjoy your work, but you will certainly feel the exhaustion at the end of the day. This is why it is not really a job for everyone. In truth, the long hours of work are also one of the drawbacks to this career.

Another drawback is the kitchen environment. You can hardly find a kitchen that is sweet and breezy. A busy kitchen is often hot and noisy. You need to prepare to sweat. You will often find yourself cooking over an open flame or opening hot ovens. You will have to deal with grease as well on a daily basis. The job is often associated with burns, cuts and bruises. You will likely find yourself being burned a number of times. This is expected considering that you will be dealing with boiling liquids and simmering oils. You will have to handle knives and blades on a daily basis, so it’s fairly common to find your fingers and hands with nicks and cuts.

Many people imagine themselves becoming celebrity chefs. It’s a nice thought, but this is not what often happens. Just because you have a certification from a prestigious culinary school does not necessarily mean that the Food Network will give you your own show. It doesn’t mean that you will be earning thousands and thousands of dollars a week. Of course, this is a good dream, but if you will bother with any chef career information, you will know otherwise. Of course, you can always do your best to make it big. Perhaps, Lady Luck will smile at you and you can end up with your own cooking show. However, you need a lot of luck and you need to work really hard for this.

Eligibility

One needs to pass class X examination in order to go in for a diploma course in food craft. In order to opt for a degree course in culinary arts, one should have completed 10+2 in any stream.

Career-Prospects
Professional chefs may find jobs in hotels, restaurants, air catering, food processing companies, catering in confectioneries, cruise liner, corporate catering, etc. Departmental catering services of defence and railways departments are also open to them. They also can work in canteens operated by universities, colleges and private schools. Chefs also become a food writer or food journalist. A two-year post graduation degree from IHM institutions can offer you to join as faculty member in government or private institutions offering hotel management courses. And, of course, you can become an entrepreneur by setting up your own business. In addition to all you can find a job in abroad as Indian chefs are lately much in demand in countries like the USA, Australia and Canada.

Remuneration
Even though the pay scales may vary from place to place, the differences are not too many. A new entrant can earns about Rs. 10,000 - 15,000 per month. After gaining 5-7 years of experience one can easily earns Rs.50, 000 - 60,000 per month. As you reach the top and become the Executive chef, your salary can be anything between Rs. 1 lakh - 2 lakh per month.

As one gains experience of around 10 Years, one can draw a salary of Rs.40000 to Rs.50000 in a five star deluxe hotel. when one reaches the top and becomes an executive chef one's salary can be anything between Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh per month.

According to the ITC's latest annual report 1, the executive pastry chef at maurya Sheraton earns a gross remuneration of Rs.52 lakh plus while the Chinese chef at grand Maratha Sheraton gets a package of Rs.50 lakh.

It is a well - known fact that mostly, food habits are culturally determined, so one should be adaptable to the changing social order and food habits of people.

Besides, as a chef, one must keep oneself abreast of the latest technologies and techniques of cooking. If one works sincerely and passionately in this field, the sky is ultimate limit.

Institutes
Courses in hotel management and food processing are offered by several institutes in India. Some most important among them are:

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Goa;

Indian Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad;

The Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal;

The Oberoi Center of Learning and Development, New Delhi;

Government Institutes of Hotel Management and Catering, Dehradun and Almora;

The Oriental School of Hotel Management, Mumbai, Delhi and Vadodara;

National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi;

Delhi Institute Of Hotel Management, New Delhi;

State Institute Of Hotel Management And Catering Technology, Thuvakkudi

Amity School Of Hospitality, Noida

Campus Fever brings to you an in-depth look into the realm of Legal Process Outsourcing.

In Legal Process Outsourcing Companies, Law Firms and Lawyers outsource legal work from off-shore areas where cost of providing Legal Services is high (United States of America, Europe, UK, Germany, Australia) to Countries where the cost of Services is comparatively cheaper - India, Philippines etc.

Legal services are the next destination for a "cool" BPO. With legal process outsourcing (LPO) recording a 50 per cent growth last year, LPOs are coming up in a big way in many metropolitan cities in India. Since 2003, in India alone, the number of companies offering legal process outsourcing services to U.S. and U.K. law firms has grown to over 120

The growth in the sector is primarily due to the increase in demand, vendor maturity and the capability of vendors to offer higher value services.

This sector has potential to grow and large number of foreign firms are outsourcing work to India, as these LPOs offer quality work at a lower rate. A recent study by the US-based Forester Research pegs the current annual value of global legal outsourcing at $146 million, which could rise up to $640 m by throwing up 32,000 jobs by 2010 ($4 billion and 79,000 jobs by 2015).

Indian LPOs are in demand because we produce a large number of legal professionals who have a good working knowledge of English. Currently there are about 100 LPO firms in India. Companies such as Inventurus, Pangea3 and Integrecon, Mindcrest have started massive hiring in Mumbai.

Work in an LPO is diverse involving quantitative/low-skilled tasks, qualitative/skill-intensive tasks, legal transcription, drafting contracts, research memoranda, pleadings and briefs.

The future growth will be in high-volume services like document review, eDiscovery, legal publishing, etc. as well as niche areas in Intellectual Property and contract services.

As most of the work comes from American and UK law firms, it is essential to be familiar with their law, as it gives the company an edge over its competitors. Law colleges such as Pune-based Indian Law Society, Symbiosis and Government Law College, Mumbai, are already collaborating with US law schools to teach US law to their students.

The job could be contractual or an hourly-wage basis. However, most LPOs prefer working on a contract basis, as this is hassle free.

Fresh law graduates prefer to join LPOs instead of jostling for clients in crowded city courts where the opportunities for freshers are somewhat limited. Moreover, LPOs offer lucrative salaries — as high as Rs 25,000-30,000 for an entry-level job. Even lawyers from traditional legal firms are quitting to join LPOs for fatter salaries.

Why outsource law?

The legal industry across the globe is gradually turning towards outsourcing for gaining efficiencies and staying profitable in a highly competitive marketplace. Recognition of the fact that legal companies need to focus on their core competencies and leave back office processes to the hands of competent outsourcers is creating a compelling case for outsourcing out non-core processes. A further rationale for the outsourcing is to facilitate at the same time the in-house counsel of the foreign law firms to concentrate on core legal issues. The availability of outsourcing ventures with world-class resources and expertise is also boosting the growth of outsourcing by legal entities. Legal Process Outsourcing is a lucrative route to reduce cost and increase efficiency by outsourcing legal works to India.

The Realm of LPO

The LPO derives its roots from KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing). KPO refers to knowledge-intensive work that involves specialized domain expertise. High value processes that fall into this realm include: valuation research, investment research, patent filing and legal and insurance claim analysis. LPO in India started as a low-end work that mainly included transcription. But now LPO in India is a high-end knowledge intensive work. Presently everything from patent application drafting, legal research, pre-litigation documentation, advising clients, analyzing drafted documents, writing software licensing agreements to drafting distribution agreement is being outsourced to India. This potential growth took place to such an extent that today patent filing has its own separate existence different from LPO referred to as Patent Process Outsourcing (PPO).

Why is India a preferred location for outsourcing?

The Indian Legal System is much like the UK, US, Canada, and a sizeable part of Europe -- the major source of outsourcing. The Indian litigation and dispute resolution methodologies are well founded on the classic Constitution of the biggest Democratic Republic in the world and are understood universally. Indian legal system is also one of the most researched and informed legislations to ensure a uniform yet practical interpretation of the legislation throughout the breadth and depth of this land of unique diversity.

There are several factors that favour Indian attorneys:

Service Providers

None other than the U.S does the majority of legal outsourcing. Legal services, outsource-able from the US alone are pegged at 3-4 billion dollars comprises paralegal and research support, contract drafting and revising and contract management, library services, patent and trademark prosecution and litigation support. It also includes some other European countries. Other major countries providing legal services market include UK, France, Australia, South Korea, Japan and China.

The Growth Prospects

Industry (ASSOCHAM), more than 200 top US companies alone are looking for offshore locations towards achieving saving of 30-70 per cent. The Chamber says, "India is already known for its large and increasing pool of quality engineering graduates, many of who are being attracted to the patent services segment of legal BPO."

About one-third of the registered professionals currently provide patent services to European and American end clients, and this number is likely to double to 1,800-2,000 by 2010. India is set to achieve significant growth from its current share of 3-4 per cent to 6-7 per cent in the 250 billion dollar global market of Legal Process Outsourcing, by 2010.The global knowledge process outsourcing industry is expected to reach about USD 17 billion by 2010, of which USD 12 billion would be out sourced to India.

In addition, the India KPO sector is also expected to employ more than 250000 KPO professionals by 2010. Legal process outsourcing, as it is being called, has very high growth potential. It can fetch 79,000 jobs in India by 2015. While the LPO industry is rather nascent and has initially encountered many of the same struggles that early BPO outsourcing faced, it is poised to become a major sector of offshore outsourcing in coming years.

Top Colleges

1. NLSIU, Bangalore
2. NALSAR University of Law , Hyderabad
3. NIKU, Bhopal
4. National Law University , Jodhpur
5. Campus Law Centre, Delhi University , Delhi
6. NUJS, Kolkata
7. Symbiosis Society’s Law College , Pune
8. ILS Law College , Pune
9. Government Law College , Mumbai
10. Amity Law School , Delhi