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I’m studying in Std XII. I want to pursue a career in Human Resources. What is the scope in this field and the package offered? What are the courses available? Which are the best colleges for these courses in Mumbai?

A diploma/degree course in HR with duration of two years is required to make a career in human resources. The eligibility for this is graduation in any stream. Every large and medium-sized organization keeps a fully functional HRM/HRD/Personnel department managed by HR professionals.

Apart from professional qualifications, an HR professional should be a good listener and a good decision-maker. Being a good judge of competencies and personalities certainly helps, especially during recruitment and promotion process. Several institutes/universities all over India offer courses in HR. Some of the institutes in Mumbai are: Tata Institute of Social Science (TSS), Mumbai; NMIMS School of Business Management, Mumbai; S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research.

 

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I’m in Std XI. I want to know the difference between BBM and B.Com – which is a better course and what are the specializations it offers? Which field has more scope as in finance, marketing, human resource, etc? Which are the best colleges in Bangalore that offer BBM/B.Com? What are the aptitude tests that people often speak of as being very difficult to clear? I’m in a fix, please help.

BBM and B.Com. are both undergraduate degree courses and the duration of both is three years. By doing a BBM course, you gain good exposure to the world of business management. You gain a lot of practical experience through your final year project and internship. B.Com, on the other hand, is more theory-oriented and covers a wide array of subjects.

While BBM is more focused on management concepts, B.Com is more about accounts. While the two undergraduate programmes have some similarities in their course content, there is a huge gap in the course fee. B.Com is offered by almost every college in India, but BBM is also becoming very popular. Bangalore University offers both these courses.

Admission to BBM is generally through a competitive test, which is not very difficult. Just go through 10th level maths, English and general knowledge.

 

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Aviation refers to all activities involving the operation of aircrafts. It mainly deals with the flying operations (pilots), air crew (air hostesses), air traffic management, cargo marketing and management.

For technical jobs like pilot and air traffic management you need to have physics and maths in 10+2, but for air crew you can have 10+2 and preferably graduation in any stream. But in all these fields, a high level of concentration and focus is needed as there is a lot of minute observation and immediate response required.

 

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I’m a B.Com. student and I want to study filmmaking as I want to work in the film industry. Which colleges can I choose from and how secure is this line of career?

To get into filmmaking, you not only need a passion for filmmaking but also skills like leadership qualities, ability to bring out talent in others, creative instincts as well as managerial and administrative abilities. Good training helps to hone these skills. There are diploma, post diploma and even certificate courses available throughout India. A good course introduces aspiring candidates to the craft of filmmaking. Some institutes include: Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune; Whistling Woods International, Mumbai; Zee Institute of Media Arts (ZIMA), Mumbai; Asian Academy of Film and TV.

Duration, admission criterion and eligibility of a course depend on the course one opts for and the institution chose. For example, FTII offers a 3-year PG diploma in direction for which eligibility is a bachelor’s degree.

 

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I am a 17-year-old girl and I have a boyfriend. We have been together for 6 months. I love him but he always tries to control me. If I don’t pick up his calls he scolds me, if I’m not at home he warns me to come home early. I know he loves me a lot, but he’s annoying sometimes. Should I leave him?

The fact that you and that boy have been together for 6 months doesn’t mean that it is enough for understanding each other’s character, ideas and values. He seems to be rather possessive and dominating in his approach while you are getting annoyed to the point of thinking of leaving him. Have a frank dialogue with him regarding your understanding of friendship and love. If he has very different opinions which cannot be reconciled with yours, it is better to part ways.

 

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I am in love with my teacher who is 23 years old. I am an interior design student and I’m 19. She also really loves me. Every day after college we spend time with each other. When we think about our future she tells me that she will marry someone because she doesn’t know what to do – our age matters and religion matters (I’m Christian and she is Hindu). I don’t know what to do. Please help me; I really love her!

Your teacher “doesn’t know what to do” about the future of your relationship because she is aware that your difference in age and religion makes it unacceptable in Indian culture and society. You too “don’t know what to do” for the same reasons. In this situation it is better for you to concentrate on your studies and for her on her teaching, rather than spending time with each other after college. There is nothing wrong in a friendship between you, but stop planning a life together, which will cause only troubles.

 

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I am shifting to a new school in Lucknow. I am not very good at making friends. I am very tense about it. The words ‘new school’ make me more nervous and sad as I’ll be leaving my old school and friends. Please tell me how to deal with this?

I presume your parents have some serious reason for changing your school and they may have shared it with you. Though this change makes you nervous and sad as you’ll be leaving your old school and friends, try to cooperate with them. Changes are common in life: change of residence, job or educational institution. Learn from your past experience with your old good friends and use it in making new friends. You may discover that this is fun and a chance to start some beautiful new relationships.

 

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I’m sick of my parents’ over-expectations. Because of studies they asked me to let go of all my hobbies. They don’t even want me to listen to music or watch TV. I’ve tried to do this, still I get a scolding. This frustrates me a lot. Now I’m good at nothing; forcefully doing my duties. This has changed me. Now I don’t like to talk to anyone, I’m not eating properly, always lying on my bed simply; always seeking loneliness. I’m very worried about my career.

The over-expectations of parents for their children are often caused by the desire to assure them a good and successful future life. A strict attitude of this kind can result in ignoring and suffocating the natural talents and aspirations of their children, sending them into depression and isolation. Success in life does not depend only on getting good marks in school or college, but also on developing good, inter-personal relationships, talents and original skills. These too should be encouraged by the parents. In your case, I suggest you share your problem with a good and trustworthy teacher or school counsellor who can talk to your parents and help them change their strict attitude.

 

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Alston’s singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina) produces vocalizations that are barely audible to humans. Unlike simple squeaks or chirps, the “songs” of these mice last longer and have multiple notes, and the mice can modulate both the amplitude and the frequency of the calls. Researchers have now found that besides using them to attract mates and repel rivals within their own species, these high-pitched tunes can serve as signals across species, too, helping males protect their turf.

 

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-93.2 degree Celsius is the temperature recorded by NASA satellites at the coldest place on earth. The record temperatures were found in 5 by 10 km pockets where the topography forms small hollows 6 to 13 feet deep just off the ice ridge that runs between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji – the ice dome summits of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. A lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said, “I am told that every breath is painful and you have to be extremely careful not to freeze part of your throat or lungs when inhaling.”

 

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Tired of the usual flavours of ice cream? How does bioluminescent jellyfish flavour sound? U.K.-based Lick Me I’m Delicious has developed the first-ever ice cream that glows in the dark using a protein that gives the jellyfish its bioluminescence.

Founder Charlie Francis explains that the act of licking warms up the protein in the ice cream, causing an increase in its  level, which produces the glow. “Is it safe to eat? Well I tried some and I don’t seem to be glowing anywhere, so we’ll go with a yes for now.”

Price of glowing treat? US$225 per scoop!

 

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A recent study showed that people who took photographs of items during a museum tour were less likely to remember details than those who merely looked at the objects. “When you press click on that button for the camera, you’re sending a signal to your brain saying, ‘I’ve just outsourced this, the camera is going to remember this for me,” said Linda Henkel, a psychological scientist at Fairfield University, Connecticut. “The photos are trophies. You want to show people where you were rather than saying, ‘Hey, this is important, I want to remember this.” Henkel called this the ‘photo-taking impairment effect’.

 

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The oldest known mathematical puzzle is a dissection puzzle mentioned in a treaty dating back to 250 BC, known as Archimedes’ Stomachion (or Ostomachion, or Syntemachion). Greek mathematician Archimedes described in detail, piece by piece, a dissection of a square into 14 pieces to which there are 536 distinct solutions. It is also known as Archimedes’ Box or Loculus of Archimedes.

It is likely that Archimedes would have challenged others to try and fit all the pieces of the Stomachion back into the original square shape. Other possible uses may have included assembling the pieces into familiar shapes such as animals or birds. 

If you spend some time playing around with the Stomachion, you will soon release that there are several different ways of reassembling the puzzle back into the square. Mathematicians started to wonder how many distinct solutions there are. A distinct solution means that it is not just a rotation or a reflection of a previous solution. In 2003 Joe Marasco offered $100 for the first person to come up with an answer.  Bill Cutler soon claimed that prize with his solution of 536 distinct possible arrangements.

 

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This pair of red lips belongs to Psychotria elata, a tropical plant found in the rain forests of Central and South American countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador. Affectionately called the Hot Lips Plant (for the shape of its bright red bracts that resemble two lips), it has apparently evolved into its current shape to attract pollinators including hummingbirds and butterflies. The bracts are only ‘kissable’ for a short while, before they spread open to reveal the plant’s flowers.

Hot Lips grows where the soil is rich and humid from leaf litter, moist and sheltered from the most powerful sun rays by upper story trees. Interior growers turn to plants from around the world to add exotic touches to the home. Hot Lips plant fits the bill but requires a tropical environment. For this reason, it is mostly a collector's plant for much of the United States.

Growing Hot Lips plants requires a heated greenhouse or solarium, high humidity and shelter from harsh solar rays. Growing Hot Lips plant means mimicking the under story tropical environment for which it is suited. Most potting soil will not have both the excellent drainage and moisture retentiveness necessary to raise these plants. 

 

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The world’s first official air mail flight took place in Allahabad, British India, on 18 February 1911 when Henri Pequet, a 23-year-old pilot, delivered 6500 letters to Naini, about 10 km away. He flew a Humber-Sommer birplane and made the journey in 13 minutes. The event marked the first time airplanes flew in India. All mail received a special cancel depicting an airplane, mountains, and “First Aerial Post, 1911, U.P. Exhibition Allahabad.”

An appeal from Rev. W.E.S. Holland, a chaplain of the Holy Trinity Church, Allahabad, spurred the event. He had appealed to Windham for help in fundraising for a new youth hostel. Windham conceived the aerial post and obtained approval from the post office for officially sanctioned mail. Postal officials asked Windham to design the cancel. Most mail has a magenta cancellation, but a few examples exist with black ink. The regular postage rate required an additional surcharge as a donation for the Church Hostel Building.

 

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