Careers in aviation grow but sector faces slowdown

New Delhi: The Indian aviation sector may have hit an air pocket because of an industry slowdown and rising airfares, but a leading travel and tourism training institute says that this is temporary - the sector will boom, and jobs abound. The Kuoni Academy of Travel, the Mumbai-based training institute that is part of the Kuoni Travel Group, has tied up with the Britain-based Cabin Crew Direct and the Dubai-based International Airline and Business Academy (IABA) to train cabin crew aspirants. It is offering a four-month diploma course comprising 18 modules designed in association with leading international airlines to meet training standards across the world. "We have tried to ensure that our courses meet the highest standards of quality. The tie-up with Cabin Crew Direct and IABA underlines our commitment to provide Indian students with world class content which can help them with their careers," Kuoni Academy principal Smeeta Gulvady said. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its latest estimates, reckons India will be the driving force behind the world's civil aviation business that is globally expected to grow from $5.1 billion to $5.6 billion this year. The current market size of the international air traffic in India is nearly $5 billion (Rs 21,000). Industry insiders forecast that it is expected to grow phenomenally, creating a huge need for skilled manpower. "There is such a huge demand for cabin jobs and a vast number of such jobs are available, not necessarily in India at the moment due to temporary problems," John Ellis, chief executive officer of Cabin Crew Direct, said. "International airlines open a great career option, offering an opportunity for the cabin crew to visit different countries and continents that they could ever dream of," he added. Ellis also said that Indians perform better as cabin crew than many nationalities across the globe because they are highly educated. "They adapt well to training, they are very presentable, and India is the nation that speaks English best though it is not the country's first language," Ellis said. "The best types of applicants are those who are well-educated, very presentable and enthusiastic and have experience in customer service. Other criteria include height, weight, eyesight and, as most airlines demand, the ability to swim, " he said. "The average Indian applicant fulfills a lot of these criteria being a very hospitable, intelligent and friendly race. However, the ability to swim is not as high in India as compared to some other countries. And this is an area where the Kuoni academy will be helping the candidates," he further said. Overall, Ellis said, the quality of cabin crew from India is world class, as can be seen from international airlines who recruit from them in large numbers

English introduced as a subject in engineering colleges!!!

Sensing that poor communication skills in English might be holding back engineering students in Uttar Pradesh from getting good jobs, authorities have decided that the subject would be introduced in engineering colleges and institutes in the state, an official said on Monday. Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) that governs over 230 technical institutes across the state will introduce the subject for engineering students, the official added. "At times, our students, especially those coming from rural areas, are unable to get good jobs owing to poor spoken English skills," said a senior UPTU teacher, preferring anonymity. "60 per cent of students are not able to get satisfactory jobs because of their poor interaction in English language," he added. In the last academic session, over 40,000 students were enrolled in the four-year B.Tech stream of engineering, officials said. According to UPTU officials, the varsity will not provide degrees to those students who score less than 30 percent marks in English. "To introduce English as a subject, we are consulting the varsity's executive council members," said V K Singh, examination controller of the varsity. The subject is likely to be introduced from this academic session. (IANS)

MISSING GIRLS- No country for women !!!!

"She would never have been born if her parents had not wanted a daughter." This copy went along with a small photograph of Indira Gandhi as a young girl. It was one of the prize-winning entries nearly two decades ago in the Ashok Jain Awards for Public Awareness Advertising. It was also a direct attack on the growing practice of female foeticide in India, driven by the then-new medical technology called amniocentesis. This added to the already rampant practice of female infanticide in some parts of the country and led to a sharp fall in the sex ratio biased against females.

The 2001 Census shows that the sex ratio is continuing to drop at an alarming rate all over the country though the degree might differ from one state to another. According to some estimates made by Population First, a non-government organisation that works on population and health issues in India, approximately five million female foetuses will be aborted every year over the next five years. Child sex ratio statistics in the 0-6 group has been showing a continuous decline over the last four decades, growing sharper since 1981.

The current all-India sex ratio in the 0-6 group is 927:1000, which is a dangerous sign of a demographic catastrophe on a nation-wide scale. This fall, from 976:1000 in 1961, is alarming because the country is registering an upward growth in many other areas. This underscores that economic prosperity and education have no bearing on the sex ratio, or, in other words, the traditional preference of sons over daughters. It also points to the fact that modern medical technology is being used for purposes that are at complete odds with the stated goals of healthcare.

How to Deal with Ragging ?

Although ragging is a punishable offense, we still see youngsters hanging themselves to the ceiling. A bully will always do what he is good at, but what is topping you from defending yourself? If not anything, you should atleast learn to defend yourself against any potential danger of any magnitude. The world will always suppress the weak, but you have the choice to be weak or well built.

One man with courage makes a majority. If you want to protect yourself you should first change the way you think. If you think you are too feeble you will always be dominated and bullied. You have to tell yourself that there is nothing more important then yourself respect. If you can’t defend yourself you lose all rights to be respectable. It is always better to jump in the battlefield and then die fighting rather then dieing without even trying.

It is true that no one makes you feel inferior without your consent. Nobody will rag you unless you allow them to. Don’t allow anybody to scare you, believe that you are mighty enough to scare them all. Once you let it happen to you, you will never have the courage to fight it. If you are unable to do it yourself you can always resort to help. If you are alone and nobody is in sight when you are being ragged raise an alarm and shout for help. You can be sure that you’ll be heard. A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

Most of the time, the ones ragging, are the ones who put up a strong face but are uncourageous, actually. Like we say, empty vessels make the most noise. Because ragging usually takes place when you are a fresher, being extra alert then can be of help. Learn a few basic self defense mechanisms. Keep things handy that can help you protect yourself like pepper spray or if needed, a Swiss knife.

Remember that facing your fears is the best way to fight them. Might is right!

Britain's youngest doctor is of Indian origin

London: An Indian-origin woman is believed to have become Britain's youngster doctor, preparing to start work at the age of 22, a newspaper reported.

Heenal Raichura was accepted into university to study medicine in 2002 when she was 16, after an exceptional school record that saw her race several years ahead of her classmates.

She is to start work at the University College London Hospital where she hopes to become a surgeon, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Raichura said: "It's quite a surreal feeling to actually, finally, become a doctor after six years of a degree. To finally come out at the end and say, 'I'm a doctor', my childhood dream, is an indescribable feeling."

She took her GCSEs (class 11) examinations at the age of 14 and obtained the best results in her school that year.

On top of the normal five years of medical study, she also spent an extra year to get a degree in Anatomy and Developmental Biology from the University College of London. IANS