Sports management
I am absolutely crazy about sports. Although I could not pursue it professionally, I would love to run a sports management company. Please give me some tips. Do I need to get a degree in mass communication?
Shi Raman
No, an academic degree is not absolutely necessary, although some background in marketing, either through education or experience, should help.
Managing celebrities is a wellestablished concept abroad. In India, it is more in vogue with film stars, but now cricketers, tennis players and golfers are also becoming savvy about their image. People who are creative, confident, self-motivated and have an eye for detail are well suited to work as event managers or PR managers for companies that organise sporting events. If you have a sports background, it would be useful.
Some institutes where you can apply for a course are Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, Pune, which offers a PG diploma in sports management, the Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, New Delhi, which offers a 1-year PG diploma in sports management, the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (www.iiswbm.edu), Kolkata, which offers a one-year postgraduate diploma course in sports management (Bachelor's degree an eligibility criterion for this course) and the Alagappa University, Karaikudi, (www.alagappauniv.org) which offers a PG diploma course in sports management of one year duration through distance learning .
Appearing for class X board exams
I am a housewife and a mother of a class IX CBSE student in Delhi. My education stopped at class IX after I got married in my early teens. Since then I have been helping my son with his studies all through his schooling, I have studied all his textbooks through the years. Can I write the class X board exam with him as a private candidate?
Jignesh Pandit
CBSE conducts two regular class X board exams every year, one All-India exam in which many upscale Delhi schools also participate, and the other restricted to the rest of the Delhi schools, many of them run by the Delhi government. You have not
made clear whether your son will be writing the All-India exam or the Delhi exam.
To be eligible to write as a private candidate in either exams, one should have either failed the last board exam or should be teaching in a CBSE school. Neither of which is applicable to you. There are additional categories of people who can write the Delhi exam: female Delhi residents and physically handicapped people, provided they fulfil certain conditions. Among others, they must give sufficient evidence that they found it difficult to attend high school.You can get all the relevant information in the FAQs section of the CBSE website
Otherwise, you can always register with Patrachar Vidyalaya, which is located in Timarpur, Delhi. This is affiliated to CBSE and conducts courses through distance learning.
Yet another option is to enroll with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), an autonomous institution. NIOS offers a flexible educational alternative through distance learning supported by coaching through a country-wide network of study centres and ondemand exams. For details log onto their site www.nios.ac.in
Development Studies
What exactly is Development studies all about? Where is it taught?
Rahul Singh
Development studies, is a multidisciplinary branch of social science that addresses issues of concern to developing countries such as globalisation, inequality, poverty, gender relations, child survival and development, environment and sanitation, health and nutrition, prevention of HIV/AIDS, ethnicity, and the cultural and moral implications of these issues. Since it is essentially
concerned with issues related to social and economic development, its relevance also extends to communities and regions outside of the developing world.
Programmes in development studies are designed to expose students to the bigger picture on development and to create an understanding of participatory, self sustaining and people-centric public policies and development models. These programmes also help in developing expertise in specialised methodologies and skills for research. They also inculcate a participatory approach along with programme planning and management that can be applied in a variety of careers.
As it is concerned with the understanding and analysis of processes which are transforming people's lives throughout the world, a degree in development studies provides an entry point to a career in the government and NGOs associated with issues such as aid and development planning. The United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank are some
places where one can work in. One can also work for national and local government bodies and large private companies.
Places where one can learn about development studies include the Annamalai university situated in Tamil Nadu (refer to www.anamalaiuniversity.ac.in) and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) located in Mumbai (refer to www.tiss.edu ). Both these institutes offer an MA in development studies. The Bangalore University, (refer to www.bubernet.in) the Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, (refer to www.mids.ac.in) and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai (refer to www.igidr.ac.in) are some other institutes where one can avail of a course in development studies.
Educational management
I'm a school teacher. I wish to do a course in educational management. Could you please suggest some recognised courses, preferably through correspondence?
Vikraj Chauhan
Like any other sector, the education sector is getting 'corporatised' and professionalised. As a result, many structured positions and profiles are opening up in this sector. Besides teaching, exciting and innovative changes are happening in content, research, and delivery mechanisms.
Positions can be at three levels: front-end, back-end, and a combination of both. The frontend involves functions like teaching and delivery while the back-end involves research of content and support material amongst other functions.
We also have people who manage education, teachers, content, and replication. So, there are many opportunities opening up. Also, there is a huge reservoir of talent, which has been untapped. The phenomenal growth of secondary education in India has created a huge gap between demand and supply of principals, head masters and teachers.
Some universities, which offer MPhil in Education through distance learning, are the Annamalai University in Annaimalainagar, Alagappa University in Karaikudi, Karnataka State Open University in Mysore, Madurai- Kamaraj University, the Manonmanian Sundaranar University in Thirunalveli (TN) and Mother Teresa Women's University at Kodaikanal (TN). In addition the UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University at Allahabad (UP) offers a PG diploma in educational management, the University of Kerala, Institute of Distance Education at Thiruvanthapram (Kerala) offers a PG diploma in eucational planning and management and the Yashvantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, at Nashik offers a PG diploma in school management through distance learning.
New Age Art
I recently saw a documentary on installation art and now feel very inspired to become a new age artist. Could you give me some details about this art form?
Shubhendu Mehta
The art world has seen the emergence of new-age artists who have broken away from the white cube limitations of a gallery and the monotony of frames. These artists have liberated themselves from the age-old clutches of conventional art making and art viewing. Their tools are also unconventional to say the least. The easel, paintbrush and canvas have given way to the keyboard, mouse and monitor. For some, art means video projections
while a few use bizarre materials like eggshells, feathers, sand, cloth and beads and music to create their masterpiece.
Transitional art, installation art, computer art, interactive art, figurative art, video art, environment art are just some examples. Avantgarde artists are not just pushing the limits but re-defining traditional art parameters. Installation art is a genre of western contemporary art that came into prominence in the 1970s. Through the use of sculptural materials and other media it seeks to modify the way art connoisseurs experience a particular space.
Experts feel that there is a great future for artists dabbling in new age art as it provides extraordinary
freedom and space to experiment with ideas.
Some well known names in this genre are -- Sheba Chhachhi, George Martin, Manjunathh Kamath, Ranbir Kaleka, Vivan Sundaram and Navjot Altaf. Many others are joining the fray.
Sunil Sharma
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