Your Counsellor Replies

After completing my Plus Two (arts) I would like to enroll in the National Law School of India University (NLSUI), Bangalore. Please provide details of the admission procedure, eligibility requirements and curriculum.
Nalini Rao, Chennai

Admission application forms are available from the first/ second week of January for entry into the five-year BA, LLB (Hons) study programme at NLSUI, Nagarbhavi, Post Bag No.7201, Bangalore 560072 (www.nis.ac.in). The deadline for submission of applications is mid-March. There is a highly competitive all-India entrance exam for which you can prepare by obtaining copies of previous years’ entrance test papers. For this you need to remit the amount indicated in their admission notification.

Reviewing previous entrance test papers will give you an idea of the content of the test. Knowledge of history, geography, civics, general science, and current affairs is required. The admission test is usually held on the first Sunday of May every year in several cities simultaneously.

I’m an engineering (information technology) graduate and would like to pursue a career in animation. What courses are on offer in this subject?
Rajiv Puri, New Delhi

You are eligible to apply for admission into the two-year Master of design programme in animation offered by IIT-Bombay (http://www.idc.iitb.ac.in). Admission is through CEED (Common Entrance Examination for Design). The highly reputed National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (www.nid.edu) also offers postgrad programmes in design — new media design, software and user interface design and design for digital experience — to bachelor of engineer-ing (IT) graduates. You can rest assured of campus placements in the country’s best animation companies as soon as you successfully complete your training at the premier institutions cited above.

You must also keep track of the admission notifications of other institutions like the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, A 34 Industrial Area, Phase VIII, SAS Nagar, Mohali 160071 (Punjab), which offers a one-year postgraduate diploma in animation and multimedia (www.cdac-mohali.in). Your IT specialisation will prove useful as IT is the medium for animation.

I’m in the third year of my bachelor of management science degree. Should I start working after graduation and seek admission into an MBA course a few years later, or should I enroll in a MBA programme immediately after graduation? Please advise.
Rajesh Sule, Pune

Acquiring work experience before signing up for an MBA programme is definitely the better idea. However, if you secure admission into a reputed business school immediately after graduation, grab the opportunity. I suggest you apply for MBA admissions during the final year of BMS and if you don’t succeed in securing admission into a front-ranked B-school, you could take up a job. After one/ two years’ work experience you can re-apply for an MBA. It will give you weightage in the admissions process.

I’m in the second year of my biomedical engineering degree programme. After graduation, do I need a specialisation in this field to improve job prospects? Please suggest some institutes which offer specialisation in this field.
Dilip Sen, Kolkata

Biomedical engineers help to replace damaged or diseased organs, perfect ways to preserve and repair body tissue for transplantation, and research inventions which make our lives healthier and safer. They are employed in universities, industry, hospitals, research facilities of medical institutions, and government R&D centres.

The number of biomedical engineering jobs is set to leapfrog in advanced countries like the US due to the increase in the number of senior citizens, and rising demand for improved medical equipment. The growing usage of computers in surgery, cellular and tissue engineering, rehabilitation and orthopaedics is another indicator of rising demand for biomed engineers. Ideally, a higher degree programme which familiarises students with bioinstrumentation, biomechanics, orthopaedic bio-engineering, rehabilitation engineering, etc will improve your career prospects. ME/ M.Tech programmes in biomedical engineering are offered by the University of Hyderabad (www.uohyd. ernet.in); Jadavpur University, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Kolkata (www.jadavpur.edu); IIT Bombay (www.iitb.ac.in); Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal (www.manipa.edu), while an MS programme in bioengineering is offered at the Christian Medical College, Vellore (http://home.cmcvellore.ac.in/admissions/PG/Bioeng.htm).

I have a Masters degree in economics. I’d like to know about the examinations conducted for recruitment into the World Bank or UN. Please advise on entry requirements and posts available.
Shalini D’Souza, Mumbai

The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for a career in the World Bank. Candidates who are 32 years of age or younger may apply if they have a Master’s or equivalent degree and have specialised in subjects such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning and natural resource management. Applicants should have at least three years of professional experience or continued academic study at the doctoral level. Fluency in English is vital. Working knowledge of Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese or Portuguese, is preferred. Log on to http://lnweb28.worldbank.org/hrs/careers.nsf/vacancies for information on vacancies.

The UN normally recruits junior professionals (P2) through its National Competitive Recruitment Examinations. The examinations are organised as a matter of priority in countries that are inadequately represented in the secretariat. They are administered in a number of occupational groups, including administration, economics, information systems and technology, finance, legal affairs, library, political affairs, public information, social development and statistics. To qualify for P2 positions, a candidate must possess a first class university degree. Fluency in English or French is required.