Faith in yourself

I am Soma Roy, now doing Ph.D in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. After giving 12^th examination, I came to Kolkata from Siliguri, my hometown for higher education and got admission in renowned Jadavpur University. I am a very simple girl from a very simple family. From childhood, I was very studious and serious. My parents were always there to support me in all cases. They gave me all the opportunities to take education despite our financial problem. Without their support, I couldn’t cross all the barriers and achieve my dream. While studying in Jadavpur University I came to know about Sheela Kanoria Foundation in B.Sc 2^nd year and applied for the scholarship. After getting selected, I received the scholarship throughout B.Sc and M.Sc. I’m very much thankful to this foundation for their co-operation and financial support. This helped me a lot for my education as well as to get a bright career. They are doing very noble work by helping needy studious girls for education. We have also the responsibility not to misuse the money, but to utilize it properly. It is very much essential to educate the girls for the improvement of the whole society.   If anyone has strong desire for education, then money is not a problem at all now, just we need the proper information of appropriate scholarship that can be obtained from newspaper, friends, teachers, internet. Today, I am successful because of many people starting from my parents, family, teachers, friends and well-wishers. They have tried to give me the best facility they can, whether I be a boy or girl. But, even now also girls are meant for marriage in many villages. We have to change the mentality of our society by informing the people about benefit of education.

I would like to share following things with all of you about my study during last 5 years. I have studied 6-7 hours per day during B.Sc and M.Sc for scoring better result. I am very fond of books that may be story books or study books. I am never afraid of study. I always try to understand the subject, to ask questions in class wherever there were doubts. Because if I don’t clear my doubts in primary level, then it will accumulate in higher level and I will be in trouble for further study. So, always clear your doubts from teachers, friends, and seniors. First try to understand the subject, not to mug up whole thing blindly. I used to follow a lot of text and reference books that were available in our departmental library. Then I made my own notes which I used to read during exam time for scoring good results. Besides that, I used to practice to write answer within expected time as I was always slow writer during exam time. To overcome that, I had to do a lot of practice. From B.Sc to M.Sc I never had private tutors. I only follow our university professors in class. I had all India 55 rank in GATE exam and CSIR 48 rank in NET exam. I also have cleared the SET exam which is organized by West Bengal College Service Commission. For these competitive exams, I followed all the class notes of B.Sc and M.Sc and I read thoroughly some good books which were advised by our teachers. I solved last 10 years questions to get an idea about the question pattern. There are negative marking in all the exams. So, I tried to avoid answering the unknown questions. Lastly I would like to suggest all of you to love the subject, and then you can conquer any tough exams.

“The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is the treatment of its women.”- was said by Swami Vivekananda. Being a girl, I can say that if we really want to take education, then no one can stop us to go further and conquer. 

A Creative Thanks Message from Benojir Yasmin

Benojir Yasmin an undergraduate student of geography who secured 99 out of 100 in HS, made this beautiful card for the foundation based on her subject. Thanks.

Importance of Vocational Training

Education is so much important in today’s life. As Swami Vivekananda had said “Education, education, education alone! Travelling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people, and I used to shed tears. What made the difference? Education was the answer I got. ” Here if we really look back to the word ‘education, ‘we just don’t understand knowledge associated with books. The definition of education has been “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university”. This systematic instruction method has undergone change, with time, lot of other aspects has been added to the word EDUCATION.

If we go back to the words of Swamaji, we find that while he was travelling to Europe he had observed how education was used among people to help the mankind and the nation to be build.  In the same way if our Nation and our mankind is required to rise, and become “Bharat abar jagato shabhae shestro ashno pabae”, then we have to look back to that education system, which is not only restricted to academic knowledge, but something along with that. And here it comes the opportunity of Vocational Education / Training, which is so much popular among the European countries. 

Now one may question, what is Vocational education / Training, well to look into that, its a method of education and training which aims to equip people with knowledge, know-how, skills and or competences required in particular occupations or more broadly on the labour market. Labour or skilled people are the back bone of any industry, so here the role of vocational training is an important element.

If we look back to our historical background of the nation, vocational training was also part of our culture. It can be traced back to 1000 BC where we had these technical system of education of carpentry, smithy, foundry and weaving. During the medieval period this vocational training in the country reached its peaked, where the Archaeologists have founded traces of high quality articles such as cotton and silk fabrics, embroidery painted and enamelled wares, gold and silver jewellery, swords and knives, potters, metal utensils. Hence Vocational training was very was back bone of this nation in past. Slowly in the later part the technical education became a family related occupation and was passed down from generation to generation. This is where the culmination of ancient knowledge and modern technology have not taken place. And meanwhile through Industrial revolution lot of changes have come to World Scenario and as well as in India also. It was soon realised that the old system of training of artisans by passing on knowledge and skills from generation to generation of craftsmen and artisans were not useful.

So, if we look at the present context Vocational Education Training its important element in Modern India’s education initiative. So, in modern time Vocational Training / Education can be redefined as flexible, contemporary, relevant and creative. 

Going back to the ancient method of applied in Vocational Training in India, it was mainly pass on from male member in the family to next male member in the family. “Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody.”

― Jane Austen. 

This is what present India is thinking about women education, and it’s well applied in the field of Women Vocational Training. A woman has to be economically independent.

Those women due to different reasons cannot able higher education, could very well get into Vocational Educational Training. This is will be a combination of basic education, vocational skills, market skills and the ability to be independent and become an earning member in the family and a self independent individual in the society.

There are number of Vocational Skills / Education system available where any one can get trained in those particular course and be self-independent.  The course comprises of:

• Computer Operator & Programming Assistant 
• Architectural Draughtsmanship
• Secretarial Practice(English)
• Dress Making
• Hair & Skin Care
• Desk Top Publishing
• Fashion Technology
• Interior Decoration & Designing
• Secretarial Practice
• Principles of Teachings

One can do these course after 10^th standard or 12^th standard. Statistics reveal that employers prefer students with some general education skills in addition to vocational skills. Thus, in all schemes related to Vocational Education general education courses should be emphasized. E.g. Problem Solving, English, Soft Skills, Business Management etc. A very good example can be given from China there are three levels of vocational education:  junior secondary, senior secondary and tertiary. Junior vocational education refers to the vocational and technical education after primary school education and is a part of the 9-year compulsory education i.e. from age group of 13-15 years. 

The industrial and labour market trends clearly indicate the necessity of strengthening of vocational education in India. And with that each women empowerment is equally important in present scenario. Self-independent for any women is very much important. So, let us not only be educated, let us be well educated along with well-skilled.

TIPS FOR STUDENTS OF B. COM, CA and CS

by Sadhvi Jaiswal, CA & CS

Hello friends, I am Shadhvi Jaiswal, a girl much like you who have big dream but less resources. But no worries!  My friends I am giving some tips as how I have studied and what should you do for better results though I know many of you must be following the same line that I followed.

Let me first introduce myself. I am a beneficiary of Sheela Kanoria Foundation from 2010.I have cleared my C.A final in First attempt in May 2015 and also is a topper of St. Xavier’s College Kolkata with Rank 1 in my specialisation in Accounts and Finance. I got All India Rank 5 and 8 in my Company Secretary Examinations. I am writing this article only to inculcate the feeling in you that there is much more potential in ourselves which we should first recognise and then methodically work on it to improve effective studies on a day to day basis.

You know to succeed in life you have to set your goals first and assign priority to each, then you should analyse your strengths and weakness. Like my strength is in practical subjects and weakness was theory subjects .For this I regularly practised practical sums to maintain my strength level and supplemented my theory with practical examples. I never mug up any theory. I continuously strived for gaining an understanding of the subject matter. Once you understand something you can write it in your words. For that you have to have command over your English language. Till now I try to improve my vocabulary. You can also do so by:

·    Daily reading English newspaper. This will increase your current affairs knowledge as well as support your fluency.

·      Always keep Oxford Dictionary by your side while reading newspaper, so that the word you don’t know, you can write it down in your notebook along with its meaning and the sentence.

·        Try to learn 5 new words each day and make an entry of it in your notebook.

·         Keep a separate notebook for this purpose.

Now I come to the technical part of C.A course, C.S and B.COM. See whatever the course may be but a serious dedication is a must for success. I find all these courses similar while C.A. focuses more on practical where as C.S. is based on theory (law) and B.COM is a combination of both.

Tips for C.A.Exam-

My dear friends, the concept that Tuition is necessary for C.A. Curriculum is totally wrong. You just need the right approach to study.

Take help and guidance from everyone who knows your subjects better be it your school teacher, college teacher, your boss, your relatives, your friends. Important thing is to develop the urge for learning.

• Try to first study the institute module again and again till you gain an understanding of the concept, look for reference books from libraries. In this way you are expanding your knowledge base. After such expansion, you need to summarise your notes. Write down the salient points in your notebooks.
•  The best thing is the institute’s practice manual. This is the compilations of the questions that Institute have asked in the previous examinations. Each year at least 60% of the questions asked in exam come from these Practice manuals which are supplied by the Institute.
• Always write ‘to the point’ answers in Exam and try to answer and present all the 6 questions even if you don’t know much.
• In practical sums there are always step marking. You get the marks even if your final answer is wrong. So show up each step clearly.
• ACCOUNTS- learn the accounting standards name. Try to understand what the standard is trying to say about and make your own notes in concise form. For sums Institute Practice Manual and Study Materials are sufficient.
• Financial Management-You can follow khan and Jain but again Institute study materials are by far the best.
• Audit- you must follow ‘Surbhi Bansal’
•  Law- Since the company law has changed so better follow the institute books.
• Direct tax-V.K.Singhania is a good book. Read it along with Institute Book. Supplementary Paper and Case law Study Materials from institute are must. Citing case laws name and matter in law, direct tax and indirect tax paper adds to your marks.
•  Advanced Management Accounting A.K.A Cost- This is very easy paper just go on practising the sum given in Institute Materials. Try to supplement it with theory. You just need to understand the theoretical portion first and then move to practical. For practicing more sums can refer Saxena AND Vashishst.
•  Indirect Tax- refer Bangar book supplement it with latest circulars and notifications.
•  Information Technology-Just follow Institute Book.

For C.S. Exams Only One Simple trick- READ THE INSTITUTE MATERIALS THOUROUGHLY four TIMES:

1^ST TIME JUST READ.

2^ND TIME TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

3^RD TIME MARK IMPORTANT POINTS.

4^TH TIME FOCUS ON SUCH POINTS

After doing this buy C. S. ‘Subject Scanner’ for each subject from Lawpoint book store in Dalhousie and go through the questions asked in the exam.  Learn all the answers especially focusing on the repetitive questions.

I hope this article may be useful to all of you and come out with flying colours from the examination hall.

“WINNERS NEVER QUIT AND QUITTERS NEVER WIN”