GG Speak (published as Gyan Guru's column in The Hindu Education Plus'06)

GG’06


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

It’s yet another Monday and hey, here I am back in high spirits just enough to wake you all up in a terrific mood that could be described exactly the way it has been awesomely sung by Evelyn Knight which goes ‘Powder Your Face with Sunshine’ …and without a doubt it also made it to the top of the charts way back in 1949. So let’s get the cool sunshine illuminating us to emit that right kind of brightness that is just enough to be the cool starters of this week, the winners ahead and to be the ones to rock with the real spirit of the one and only E-tribe. Having announced my ‘upbeat and cool’ arrival this day…lemme throw some ‘thought provoking trivia’ as they always feature in the intro part of the GG’s column. Did you guys know that it was exactly on this day that a man by name Alan Shepard hit a golf ball for the first time on the Moon in 1971…and that folks is another reminder to the mankind that impossible is nothing and its that dream we need to have coupled with the commitment and determination achieve newer and greater things in life. And hey, I am sure this man, when he took that first shot wouldn’t have actually thought that someday someone will end up selling real estate on Moon or promote space tourism. So it’s all about dreaming big and never giving it a limit…simple because the future has no limits for those who think who can…! Alright folks, before I start rolling out all the gyan for this week lemme wish all those in the E-Tribe who are celebrating their birthdays today and hey, you guys share your day with the famous Ronald Wilson Reagan, was born on this day in 1911 and went to become one of the oldest Presidents at an age 70 to serve the United States of America.

Let’s welcome Aravind into the one and only E-Tribe. (Welcome aboard dude!) Aravind is a 1st year B.E Mechanical student and he is interested in getting into designing line and wants to know if he should take up a course such as Autocad as his syllabus in B.E doesn’t cover much on this. He also wants to know on the other hand that if he should get into GNIIT for a masters course and hey, he is hungry for the gyan. Alright dude, here I go…first as a Mechanical engineer the most sorted job for you will always be in the manufacturing sector and in this field the most coveted jobs are in Engineering design. So f you wanna make it out there staying right in line with the current route through B.E Mechanical engineering, it is good to take up Autocad and that’s one course that rocks…and the place that you can check out based on the years of their experience in training in this line will be Cadd Centre. And on the other hand if you wanna pursue a masters kind of a course in addition to your Engineering background, you could take up a course called ANIIT @ NIIT which handles the fundamental programmes to get you there with that IT edge.

Let’s say Hello to my good old friend and a regular in the most happening E-Tribe Anant Sthapak who has appeared on my screen wanting to know if he could shift his major stream to ECE from Chemical engineering as he has got that choice in his first year of study. Well Anant, I am sure you must have put in all your thoughts on why you wanted to take up Chemical engineering when you had taken it a year ago…but hey, its nothing wrong in taking stock of where you are right now and whether you are where you wanted to be. All you need to do is to weigh down these two options that you have entirely based on where your interests and strengths are and where exactly you want them to take you in your career. In an effort to give a start on this process lemme throw some basic fundas on these two streams…Chemical Engineering is a branch that is concerned with application of chemical science and some of the aspects such as Production design construction, maintenance and management concerning petroleum, fertilizers, food processing, cement, synthetic fibres, ceramics etc are considered in this area and your route to success could be in corporate sector companies, atomic reactors, space research, Defence establishments and so on. Assuming that you take up ECE, then as an instrumentation engineer you get deal with the process of ensuring high quality and efficiency of the end products in any industrial undertaking through finalizing the right type of instruments. And you could find yourself in one of those R & D units in the electronic industries and heavy industries such as power stations, steel plants, refineries etc. Well Anant Sthapak…lemme say in a typical GG’s style… “it is always good to have choices in life as long as you don’t find yourself struggling too hard to pick one of them”…(so go ahead do a swot on yourself and I am sure you are gonna rock out with the best one for you. Dude!) All the very best dude!

Sowmya, a 12th std student who loves GG’s bike mails in to say that she wanted to do B.Arc and she also wants to take up AIEEE too. Alright dudette…that’s why I keep saying that ‘E-plus is all about timing…bringing you the best and at the right time’…I am sure you tested yourself in the AIEEE mock tests that was conducted in city recently and yes it was E-plus that made it happen to you in association with AIMS education. In addition to the test that you’ve taken you could go through the previous question papers and hey, you could get really lucky very soon as they might get carried in the future issues of the one and only E-plus quite soon. So you stay addicted to E-plus and keep rocking.

I sign off here to be with you next Monday. Stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG

Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

It’s really cool to wake up to know some of those interesting facts on this very day such as…it happened to be the day when Edward Bransfield aboard his ship called Williams discovered Antarctica, the first lifeboat was tested at sea by Mr.Greathead the inventor on this very day in 1790, the great Beatles perform their last gig together, a free concert on the roof of Apple on this day in 1969…and the last one being more relevant to what’s happening in the world of cricket…on this special day in 1994 Kapil Dev equals Richard Hadlee's world record of 431 Test wickets. But hey…what matters most at this moment on this day is that it’s a Monday and you in the E-Tribe are rocking with the one & only GG as you experience the super cool pages of E-plus. Well here I am back with you with all the gyan for this week and to give you the perfect start as the song by ‘Seduction’ that actually was the chart topper on this very day in 1990 that goes ‘Just to Make It Right’.

Let’s welcome my new friend Sunder, a final year engineering student from Sri Sairam Engg. College. Sunder tells me that he wasn’t a regular newspaper reader until he came across GG’s column in E-plus and now he thinks that GG has become synonymous with his Monday mornings. (That’s really cool man…and hey, you stay addicted right here dude!) Sunder wants to know all about the new course M.A in Human Resourses Management and Labour relations offered by Tata Institute of Social Sciences- Mumbai (TISS). Well dude, till last year it was called as M.A in Personnel Management and industrial relations which was restructured and revised to reflect this new course in order to suit the industry requirements. You can get to do this course in their Mumbai campus of TISS and apart from the basis of the overall percentage of marks secured in your Bachelor’s Degree Examination…you will be selected on how exactly you get to fair in their ‘Essay Test’, ‘Group Discussion’ and ‘Personal Interview’. (I am sure you are gonna rock your way in TISS as someone from the E-Tribe dude!) On the career opportunities…they are in plenty in many fields such in IT, Service, Industrial and Business based organizations, in Banking, Consultancy, Factories, and Government departments. So the doors out there are wide open just for you to get in in-style and hey, to know more details on this course you can log onto www.tiss.edu

Say hello to Rohit who is doing his 3rd year B.Tech. He wants to know how different J2ME is from J2EE and how he could get to do it. Well Rohit, lemme start the gyan for your Q in a typical GG’s own style… ‘when you have decided to row…you need to be ready to face the change in the waters too and hey, it is always the person who adapts himself to learn and acquire the skills to face the ever changing challenges that lie ahead’… (Well Rohit…I am sure you wanna acquire the exact skills to ‘Row’ well to ‘hit’ the right destination of success!) Alright dude, the basic difference is that J2ME deals with the Mobile applications…software development for mobile devices and for you to take up the course it is always better that you do J2EE first as it is a pre-requisite for you to take on J2ME. All the very best.

S Madhan who is doing his 3rd year C.S.E has rolled in a couple of Q’s. First he wants to know what his post graduation should be and secondly his interests are in doing it abroad and specifically in New Zealand or Australia and wants to know more. Well Madhan, having done C.S.E, you could set your eyes on MSc Computer Science or even specialize in Robotics / Artificial intelligence. (Now that sounds really cool eh?!...and more so when you get to that in the land of Kangaroos or the Kiwis!) To know more on your education in Australia, you can log onto to www.idp.com or www.studyinaustralia.gov.au and www.mynzed.com for New Zealand.

Sai (welcome aboard dude!) who is doing his 1st year ECE, wants to know if he can choose Cryptography for his Post graduation as he is looking to pursue a career in DRDO. Well Sai, (I am sure you are one rocker in the E-Tribe who knows what goal setting is all about…way to go dude!) you can do that as it, as a specialty gives you the edge to get you where you wanna be.

Alright folks…with that I see myself exactly at the end of what turned out to be another rocker of a Monday that rolled out the chance for me to vibe with the one & only E-Tribe. And hey…let’s give ourselves a moment to think about the ultimate sacrifice that was made by the father of our Nation on this very day and how lucky and fortunate we are to be this independent as a result of it all. Let’s think and be the ones to do something in line as the responsible youth. Till I see you next Monday, stay addicted to E-plus; remain hungry for more; keep the E-Tribe rockin’ and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

“An authentic attitude leads to ‘altitude’.”…now isn’t that an awesome way to say that it is the ‘right attitude’ that matters when it comes to making it to the top?! And hey…always remember if it’s all about achieving the incredible success in life, then sporting the winning attitude is the finest way to just do it! It’s Monday and I am back urging all you guys in the E-Tribe to wake up not just today but everyday with the right kind of attitude that takes you to greater heights…to those awesome ‘altitudes’. Alright folks…It’s all about having a dream and realizing it with the winning attitude coupled with dedicated efforts and that’s exactly what the ‘thought provoking trivia’ of GG is gonna roll out today. Carl Lewis had it all when he jumped that long enough to set the indoor world record on this very day in 1984…Tiger Woods at 16, had it (and he still has) amazingly, when he became the youngest, PGA golfer on this very day in 1992. (Isn’t just talking about these guys enough to get us inspired to step out and just do it?... I bet it is!). Ok…now that little lighter side of the trivia…on this day in 1867, Dr. William G. Bonwill of Philadelphia, got a wonderful idea that led him to invent the dental mallet (OUCH!) while watching a telegraph key sounder operate in a Philadelphia hotel (now isn’t that a cool piece of info…freak it out as a part of your conversation @ campus and be the one from the E-Tribe!). Lemme rock and roll with all the gyan for this week:

Let’s welcome James who has mailed in for the second time with his Q regarding a healthy career option for his brother who is in 12th now. (Well James…you sure got second time lucky dude!) My buddy James wants to know all about BSc Nautical Science and Nautical Engineering. Well James, B.Sc Nautical Science programme can be done after 12th and it is a sure path to get to be a qualified Deck Officer. There are certain courses tailor-made in this line as in the case of International Maritime Institute in Noida, wherein the candidate undergoes a 12 months two semester residential Pre-sea training at IMI where apart from the academics he will undergo practical training in seamanship apart from familiarizing him with various aspects in workshop comprising of Carpentry, Plumbing, Machine Shop, Electrical shop and Hot-work. On successful completion of the semester 1 & 2 Diploma in Nautical Science being awarded by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), he gets to undergo 4 months post-sea training and then is awarded the Certificate of Competency by Director General of Shipping and B.Sc. Degree in (Nautical Science) by IGNOU. He needs to be physically fit as per the requirements for this course and hey, once he is through the opportunities are plenty…as he gets to enter the international shipping industry as a qualified engineer officer opening up numerous career opportunities in the shore-based industry, both marine as well as non-marine. If you wanna get to know more on this, log onto http://www.imiindia.com/. On the other hand BE Marine engineering as you know is a 4 year degree course that really rocks when you wanna get into Nautical Sciences as an Engineer. And there are some relative courses that are cool to take up…especially the ones that are approved by the foreign Universities such as Plymouth, UK wherein you get that international colour right from your certificate itself. All the very best to your brother dude. (And hey…GG thinks that you sure are one cool brother to have…right guys?!)

To continue cruising on the same waters…lemme introduce to the E-Tribe, my new friend Kiran who is doing his 10th in D.A.V and wants to know all about Naval Architecture (well dude…that’s cool interest that you’ve got there…and I am sure we’ve already got a young and enthusiastic Noah out here in our E-Tribe!) Kiran, this 4 year degree course can be taken up after your 12th and hey, you’ve got all the time to throw that anchor right onto the desired spot so much so that it turns out to be just enough to find yourself in one of those coveted benches in the classrooms of institutes such IIT, Chennai, College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam, or Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi. The other route that you can get to look at is through the Indian Navy via technical Cadet Entry on the basis of your marks. (I am sure both sounds equally cool and exciting…right?!) So make your plans and act accordingly and I am sure you are gonna see yourself cruising towards those beautiful shores of successes.

Let’s come off the waters and greet Nandini who is doing her CA here and hey, she tells me that she is also doing her CS (Well guys, I am sure we have one busy dudette out here with us!) My busy friend Nandini tells me that she is confused because she wants to see herself rocking in the land of Kangaroos very soon and now she gets to hear that her CA might not be valid in Australia. Well Nandini, first lemme tell you that it’s an awesome land to be in…and I am sure you are gonna find yourself OZing in enthusiasm out there. So stop being confused and all you need to do is an additional course on 3 subjects that falls in line with the CPA that they have over there after your CA and guess what….? You can get to do it right here itself and do it online…for further guidance on this, your destination could well be IDP, Chennai to take you through the process. (Nandini, don’t you forget to keep the E-Tribe rockin in Australia and hey…promise me that you will send GG the legendary and a special ‘boomerang’ from there!)

I sign off right here…Stay addicted to E-Tribe, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin @ campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

Wassup folks!
It’s Monday and it is just the right time when you get lucky as you lay your hands on the most happening E-plus and when I get really excited as you read these lines. And hey, as a matter of fact, isn’t this coolest thing that the E-Tribe gets to do as a perfect start to a brand new week?! I bet it is…even when the testing times for all you guys stays at its hottest best in those examination halls. Alright it’s all about competition and it takes the best of what you’ve got to come out in flying colours…and hey, talking about competition, it’s our man with that golden aim who had shot himself to a newer glory as an awesome Indian shooter making us all undoubtedly proud at the Commonwealth Games in the land Kangaroos. And I am sure everyone in the E-Tribe too is sure to show that very character when it comes to taking on the examinations. Always remember “it is an inevitable journey where the waters are bound to get rough and sometimes nastily threatening too, but it only makes us stronger when we actually look forward to them, well prepared.” With that cool line in an effort to motivate all you guys out there, lemme throw some “GG’s trivia” at you, just to cool off your brain cells a little bit to handle the heat of the exams. It is told that it was on this very day in 1790 that the shoelace was invented (Thanks to the dude who did that…if not for him, can you imagine all of us wearing only slip-ons…boring eh?!) and hey, it was also on this day 1860 that the device which, officially, is a “covered gimlet screw with a ‘T’ handle” or simply the corkscrew, was patented by M. L. Byrn of New York City (now that was really cool eh?...can’t imagine pulling corks out of those wine bottles with our teeth…!) Let’s rock and roll:

Let’s welcome my new friend S Vanamali into the E-Tribe’s groove as she makes her first ever appearance in the hottest “GG’s inbox” saying that she really likes and admires the hot gyan that is dished out in a cool ‘cucumber’ act. She also goes on to say that one of those GG’s opening lines really gave her the adrenalin rush and readied her in welcoming the whole new week. (Merci beaucoup dudette…and hey, I really like the way you’ve put them all and in fact you’ve been really infectious in passing on that enthusiasm not only to GG but to the whole E-Tribe…right guys?!) Vanamali is doing her CA and she is interested to know all about CISA and tells that she stays ravenously hungry for the gyan. Alright Vana, the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) program, sponsored by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), has been the globally accepted standard of achievement among information systems (IS) audit, control and security professionals. Although certification may not be mandatory for you at this time, a growing number of organizations are recommending that employees become certified. To help ensure success in the global marketplace, it is vital to select a certification program based on universally accepted technical practices. What’s cool is that CISA is recognized worldwide, by all industries, as the preferred designation for IS audit, control and security professionals and so it’s a good career move dudette. Any individual who is interested in Information Systems Auditing can write the exam as there is no pre-requisite qualification or experience requirements to write the Exam and you with a interest like that, I am sure you are gonna rock it. As for the exam it is said that the Registration for the June 2006 Exam closes on 8th February 2006, and the final deadline is 5th April 2006 and to know more log onto http://isaca.org.in/faq.html or contact@isaca.org.in. All the very best dudette and you stay just the same way as you are now…hungrily addicted to E-plus.

Let’s say a big ‘Hello’ to my buddy Vijay Paul (who signs in a cool way as VJPaul…and if you guys are thinking that he wants to make it big as a VJ, you are stumped!) who thinks that GG is the coolest and he loves all the gyan. (Thank you dude!) VJPaul is doing his B.E Mechanical currently and he tells me that he is really interested in doing a PG in Marine Engineering and wants to know all about what his next move could be. Well VJ, first lemme congratulate you on having a cool interest and yes you could get on to do it as a PG course too in institutes such as C V Raman College of Engineering-Bhubaneshwar, Marine Engineering and Research Institute (MERI)-Kolkata, R.L. Institute Of Nautical Sciences-Madurai, Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies-Mumbai. Having said that you can even look at the other cool alternative of joining the Marchant Navy and in your case you could look at the one year course that they offer for Graduate Mechanical engineers. (Now that sounds cool right?!) So pick your choice buddy and hey, for more details on that log onto www.namacindia.com

I sign off right here as I am about to zoom off from you guys and hey, not before I get to say those popular lines that belong only to GG...so here I go again! Stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin @ your campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo! GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

‘Here I am (back with you) to rock you like a hurricane’ …now that’s GG’s style of announcing his arrival in a typical ‘Scorpions’ mood in the early hours of this third Monday of the month…just to be with you. And hey, it’s also a special Monday in history and lemme start off with some ‘thought provoking trivia’ which goes like this…it was exactly on this very day way back in 1789, Georgetown University became the first Catholic college in the US to be established in what is now called Washington D.C. And to give you a bit of one of those what I call ‘the cool things that keep happening’…it was on this day in 1973, Neil Young interrupts his concert to read a message handed to him, announcing the signing of the Vietnam peace accord and goes on to say “Peace has come” triggering off a ten minute celebration by the audience after which he launches into his single ‘Southern Man’. Well achieving peace indeed is great as it really is the need of the hour and it simply warrants celebration at any time. Alright folks, with those lines lemme roll out all the gyan that I’ve for you today:

Lets say a big ‘Hi’ to my good friend Deepthi (I am sure you guys remember this intelligent dudette who had mailed in with hunger and took away all the gyan from the one & only GG…!) who says ‘Hats off’ to GG as she thinks that GG is simply cool and the gyan is super cool and thoughts written are encouraging students like her. (Merci beaucoup dudette! And hey…you stay addicted to E-Plus) She tells me that as the new year dawned she wanted to do an additional course through correspondence and as she is always interested in Psychology she wanted to know whether she should take up a BSc or BA course. Well Deepthi, based on what GG’s ‘expert friends’ say there is some difference between the two courses technically in the curriculum as BSc deals more with scientific approach and hence gives you a headway to et into Social Psychology and Corporate Psychology and many recognized universities do offer this course. And keeping in mind that you are doing your MSc environmental science you could well take this science based move. Well to answer the second part of your question (she is also been advised to concentrate on her MSc first and then look further)…I would say they are right too…and hey, you need to do what I cal ‘mapping your career’…based on what your interests, goals are and where exactly you would want to see yourself in 3 to 5 years from now. This will give you a clear picture so as to know whether you would have the time to devote yourself to anything further to your regular course and on the other hand …the answer is yes, you can get to do your Ph.D in environmental science after your current course. So dudette…hoping that this little bit of gyan from me will make you think clear and feel happier than the first time I answered your query…wish you all the very best.

Let’s welcome Balakrishnan S who has completed his BCA, tells me that he is interested in pursuing a PG course in ‘Cyber Crime’ and wants to know where to start. Well Balki…all you need to do is to log onto www.cyberlawcollege.com and there you will find a suitable course for yourself as your interest warrants you to get into a law course associated with cyber crime. Cyber Law College in association with KLE Society Law College offers through their courses the Corporate Employment Opportunities for Law Students by bringing together the Companies who look for "Legal Compliance Officers" as well as "Legal BPO Professionals" with the students having the desired skill sets. The students will also be provided necessary soft skills training to make them employable in the industry. You can get to do one of those certificate courses in Cyber Laws, Techno Legal Cyber Security, etc. (GG thinks that we are gonna have our own ace ‘cyber lawyer’ in our E-Tribe very soon!)

Deeksha doing her 12th in SBOA Anna Nagar (who is a regular reader of E-plus) tells me that E-plus is really informative and GG really rocks (That’s exactly we are cut out to do and hey, it really feels good to know from your lines like these that we are getting there…thank you dudette!) and he want to know all about Architecture as he is looking to pursue a course after is 12th. Well Deeksha, architecture combines aesthetics and creativity in the application of engineering principles to the design of technical systems of buildings, including their mechanical, electrical and structural aspects. Creation of landscapes, roads, bridges and townships are also in your purview as an architect thus making your role very significant in the development of the society. The B.Arch programme will normally include theory and studio based courses on History of Architecture, Design of structures, Materials and Construction, Architectural Drawing, Computer Design and Architectural design. Opportunities are plenty as you could get to be a self employed professional and still be world famous as well as employed in CMDA, PWD, Railways, etc. All the very best.

I sign off right here just to be back with you next week…and hey, till then stay addicted to E-plus; remain hungry for GG’s gyan; keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.” – Ivern Ball
Being successful is all about working our way from point A to point B wherein during the transit we never cease to… acquire the knowledge that helps you reach the destination, face obstacles that actually makes us stronger and experience testing times that actually gives us that awesome feeling of success when we finally get there. And hey it does make us powerful and in fact without knowledge we’ll never get to know what it is to be powerful but first we need to be powered with unending enthusiasm. With that super cool thought lemme say a big and exciting ‘Hello’ to each and everyone on the E-Tribe this yet another Monday morning. With the contest against the English in the most popular game of the willow and leather gaining momentum especially after the exciting win by our men in blue at home…and with all those incredible acts by some of our ace shooters with the golden aim and those who are making lifting the heaviest of the heavy metal plates attached to those bars to strike gold and silver at the commonwealth games in the land of the Kangaroos…all happening on TV and the exams just getting to hit the climax…here I am with these opening lines of mine in an effort to take it all in the right kind of attitude to acquire the knowledge with all the enthusiasm and emerge as winners. Let’s rock and roll:

Lemme welcome C Dhivya who is doing her 10th now, has mailed in to appreciate GG for all the gyan (Merci beaucoup dudette! You stay addicted to E-plus) and she wants to know all about Cryptology. Well Dhivya, just to give you a dose of history lemme start my gyan in the form of an interesting story which goes like this…when Julius Caesar in his times, sent messages to his trusted acquaintances, he didn’t actually trust the messengers that he used and so he used to replace every A by a D, every B by a E and so on through the alphabet. Only someone who knows the ‘shift by 3’ rule could actually decipher his messages. (Isn’t that an intelligent technique…boy, I guess that’s why he became to be known as the Julius Caesar we all know of!) Now this method of disguising messages is an art and is called the cryptography and the art of breaking the cryptosystems is called cryptanalysis and the study of both cryptography and cryptanalysis is called Cryptology. Cryptology in the modern world is a field of mathematics and computer science concerned with information security and related issues, particularly encryption and authentication. It is an interdisciplinary subject, drawing from several fields and more recently, the emphasis has shifted, and cryptography makes extensive use of mathematics, particularly discrete mathematics, including topics from number theory, information theory, computational complexity, statistics and combinatorics. Also considered a branch of engineering, it is an unusual one as it deals with active, intelligent and malevolent opposition and is a tool used within computer and network security. (Now that really sounds cool…right?!) So Dhivya, I am sure you are gonna work towards in turning this cool interests of yours into an exciting career. All the very best dudette!

Keerthana, Harini, Balaji, Arun and all those dudes and Dudette who had have some kind of interests in getting to see yourselves as Company secretaries and in related fields…here’s a little bit of gyan that I would wanna roll out…especially to you guys who’ve mailed in looking for a right place to start off. Well guys…it requires you to be a degree (UG) holder in any streams be it Arts (No fine Arts), Commerce or Science and it will always be an advantage when you get to pave your way in relevant streams. From there on you can take up the Company Secretary study which actually takes you through different stages before you succesfully become a Company Secretary which includes foundation, intermediate, final examinations followed by Pre-Membership Training and continued professional development. You guys can check out The institute of Company Sectretaries of India which has their regional councils in all the Metros.

Having realized now that I’ve already come to the bottom of the page and ready to zoom off into my world of gyan hunting…lemme throw at you one of those ‘GG’s super cool facts’ and it goes like this…It was on this very day in 1865, a plan by John Wilkes Booth to abduct President Abraham Lincoln was foiled when Lincoln changed plans and failed to appear at the Soldier’s Home near Washington, DC. But hey, (how would you say it…whether Booth got lucky or the President got unlucky the second time…?!) Booth would later assassinate the President while Lincoln was attending a performance at Ford’s Theatre in the nation’s capital. Alright folks stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG



Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, awesomely dream, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must, one day or the other, inevitably come to pass!”
…and hey, success is all about how you get to imagine the best, desire for it so much so that you keep dream about it, strongly believe in it and excitingly act upon it. Now this is exactly the thought that I’ve decided to wake you guys up on this bright Monday morning as I got ready for another gyan-sharing ride with the one and only E-Tribe with that cute song in my mind which went ‘How Do I Turn You On’ by Ronnie Milsap - a chart topper on this very day in 1987. Alright folks…lets get on with some of those GG’s ‘Thought provoking trivia’…and as it was quoted, as a result of starting all that with a brilliant imagination that became to be a part of even the current successes in the world of comics…it was on this day in 1944 Batman & Robin comic strip premiered in the newspapers. And it was an incredible dream that came to pass…by a fifteen year old U.S. figure skater Tara Lipinski when she became the youngest gold medal winner in the Winter Olympics history, as she won the ladies figure skating category at Nagano, Japan on this day in 1999. (Bravo…what an inspiring act!). Before I start rolling out the gyan for this week lemme share this with all you guys who are celebrating your birthday today…and hey, did you dudes know that you share it with the legendary actor / Academy winner, always remembered for his brilliant performance as the teacher in ‘To Sir With Love’ and you dudettes with the super model / actress Cindy Crawford.

Let’s welcome Rohith S…who mails in to tell me that he just can’t find words to describe how great a fan he is to GG and he thinks that GG is coolest and he loves GG’s hairstyle. (Thank you dude…you guys are one big motivation that makes GG better and keeps E-plus rockin’!) Rohith, doing his 12th in pure science stream, is thinking about biotechnology or genetic engineering, but as an alternative plan he wants to all about Veterinary Sciences as he really fond of animals. Well Rohith, just as in the case of medicine, veterinary science can also be studied after your 12th as you are in pure science stream and Veterinary colleges in most states offer both graduate and post graduate courses in veterinary science and animal husbandry. The graduate course is of four years followed by a year's practical internship, which can be followed up by a Masters. (B.V.Sc and M.V.Sc) Your Masters can be specialized in branches such as medicine, surgery, gynaecology, pathology and so on…and it can be chosen from animal anatomy, animal biotechnology, animal husbandry, animal economics, animal husbandry extension, animal reproduction, livestock extension, animal genetics and breeding, dairy science and technology, dairy chemistry, dairy engineering, dairy microbiology, food hygiene, feed and fodder technology, meat science and technology, animal nutrition, poultry science and technology, piggery, preventive medicine and toxicology to name a few. In terms of the disciplines…you’ve got Basic courses like anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. v Clinical courses, surgery and radiology, gynaecology and obstetrics. v Paraclinical studies like pharmacology, parasitology, microbiology, pathology and epideiology. v Animal production studies which include nutrition, breeding, livestock production and management, animal and poultry products processing technology. There are many sectors, in which you could find yourself as a veterinarian and they include the agriculture sector, government animal husbandry departments, poultry farms, dairy farms, stud farms, veterinary hospitals and clinics in both the private sector and the government sector. (the career options are plenty and they really rock dude!) And hey, if you’ve really got what it takes… genuine love and compassion for animals that come in various sizes, moods and behaviour; physical stamina, quick reflexes and the ability to instinctively gauge the animal's mood; and hey…always remember a veterinarian's patients cannot communicate verbally. So a veterinarian needs to be extra sensitive, patient and perceptive.

Let’s say hello to Dhananjeyan…who is doing his second year in Biotechnology (B.Tech) in SRM, finds himself in my inbox telling me that GG is one of the coolest guys in the whole universe. (Well buddy…thank you for taking me as the coolest one…and hey, it really requires one to be cool when you get to handle the hottest act of gyan-sharing and the very fact that you getting to do in to the one and only E-Tribe…simple because its guys like you…the super cool ones who make the E-Tribe and keep E-plus rockin’…right?!) Dhananjeyan wants to know when should get to do is GRE and TOEFL as he settings his eyes on to secure a seat for himself in one of those prestigious foreign Universities for his PG studies. Well Dhanan J…(or how about me calling you DJ) the ‘expert’ friends of GG keep saying that the syllabus is gonna change and you need to look for that first. And it is always best to get into GRE and TOEFL …just before you enter your 4th year of engineering study…as it is best suited and you could start your preparation right at the end of your 3rd year and May is what that brings in these tests. And for all those coaching centers that you are looking for your GRE and TOEFL…all you need to do is to just flip the incredible pages of the most happening E-plus…you will find them all right there.

G Karthick…(hey Kar’thick’…I am sure your bonding with the one and only E-plus is pretty ‘thick’ as it is with your name buddy…right?!) who is doing his 12th wants to know about Career Counselors in Chennai that he and his friends could benefit from. Well Karthick (you stay thick with your friends and the E-Tribe buddy!) you can check out Bodhi…as they sre specializing themselves in this line. All the very best dude!

I sign off right here just to be back with you soon. Stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ the campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." And hey…that’s exactly why, on a perfectly poised Monday morning like this, I am right here talking to all you guys at the E-Tribe, all charged up to urge you to…keep dreaming about the future; take guts to believe in what you dream; live in with that incredible feeling of undeniable ‘hope’ that you can succeed and get ready to experience the sweetness of that inevitable success. And what makes all of this more colourful is when we get to be the first ones to just do it…and that’s exactly what today’s ‘GG’s thought provoking trivia’ is all about. It was on this very day in 1704, John Campbell, known by many as America’s first news vendor, published what would eventually become the first successful American newspaper, the Boston News-Letter (now shouldn’t we be saying that he created the future for himself to do what he did and to be called this day as the first one to be successful in what he did?!...I bet we should.) And on something to munch on…it was also on this very day in 1810, Pineapple cheese was patented by Lewis M. Norton and the best part of it is that Mr. Norton lived nowhere near pineapples. (Hey…if it isn’t for him, we would’ve never yelled ‘Yummy’ in joy just after that every moment we get to experience the Pineapple cheese melt in our mouth!) Alright folks…lemme quickly roll out some gyan before I come up with an exciting stuff about how exactly we @ the most happening E-Tribe, are gonna create the future with a change in this very GG’s column.

Let’s welcome Kaushik, who has just finished his 12th and thinks that E-plus is really useful to the students like him and GG rocks. (Thank you dude and hey, you stay addicted to E-plus!) Kaushik wants to know how he could pursue a career in advertising. Well Kaushik lemme say this as it was said… “Doing business without advertising is sailing a beautiful ship in the middle of the night expecting people to spot you from the shores”…in other words advertising rocks buddy! In advertising there are many areas that you could get in…and it all depends on what you are good at. If you are creative person then you can look at getting into the creative line…and if you got the mind for numbers and an interest to work with different media options then your cake is gonna be the media department in an advertising agency…and hey, apart from these if you’ve got the taste for working out business solutions for clients, then you could choose client servicing. Art direction, designing / graphics are some of the other lines you could get into…so do a swot on yourself to find out where your interests are and start off. The Madras Ad club offers a cool diploma and degree programme on advertising…so check it out buddy.

Let’s say hello Agni (And if you guys thought I am asking you to say hello to the summer outside…nope…it’s my new friend out here and hey, his full name is Rajarathinam…that’s a cool short form dude!) who is doing his 1st year in Mechanical engineering and he says that he is crazy about aerospace engineering and he wants to know if he could do take up a course for his PG. Well Agni, I must say that you have an absolutely shining interest and you are currently in the most apt path to get a jump start for a blazing career. Mechanical engineering is turning out to be a most suited course to take your stride into aerospace engineering and yes you can check out institutes such as MIET, Chrompet and hey, if you are looking for Universities abroad…your destinations could well be US, Canada or Australia (with RMIT). All the very best dude!

Sankarganesh (your name rings in some melodies of yesteryears dude!) who is very happy to have E-plus, tells me that he is an addict to E-plus as GG always says. (Way to go dude…keep it rockin’!) He is doing his 2nd year BSc Chemistry and wants to pursue a PG in Chemistry and wants to know how. Well Sankar, Industrial Chemistry really rocks and the ‘expert’ friends of GG say that the opportunities are cool out there for you as someone with Industrial chemistry background. So go right ahead and just do it…most universities offer the course.

With that I am exactly in that part of the column where I get to do something different…create a future…a change and hey, lemme say this… “Change is the only constant around” …and yes, from the next issue of E-plus you’ll get to find a different yet excitingly looking ‘Q&A’ column instead of the typical GG’s space. You guys can keep mailing your queries to edufeedback@thehindu.co.in with ‘Q & A’ in the subject line. While the one & only GG is all set to go on a bike cruise around the world, always remember this….
If ‘education’ is the power to think clearly,
let e-plus be the battery that powers the best of your moves
If ‘education’ is the power to act well in the world's work,
let e-plus be the stage that brings out the best in you
and if ‘education’ is the power to appreciate life
let e-plus be an addictive habit in your campus life
Till we meet again, you guys stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more knowledge and keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ your campus. Yo, GG


Wassup!...it’s Monday and I am back with a bang! Yup…I get the right to announce all the winners for those super cool contests that were carried in our super cool 2nd Anniversary special of E-Plus. And hey you guys really rocked like never before. ‘Bravo’ to all those dudes and dudettes who took that initiative to show the world that you’ve really got what it takes to participate in a contest and win prizes too. CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who rocked those contests to win those exciting prizes. Alright guys it has been a super issue that we had last week and talking about the ‘super’ issue…did you guys know that it was on this very day that the comic strip ‘Superman” made his debut way back in 1939. If you are thinking that this event really made this special…hold your breath guys…this is the day when the special E-plus with all the contest results happens and yes…I am getting to roll out all the winners all around me…as you can see! Alright folks, lemme roll out the little bit of super gysn that I’ve for today :

Let’s welcome Preetha who thinks GG is the only person to rock both in style and gyan (Thank you dudette…you’ve just made me melt like the hot fudge on a cool Monday!) wants to do her MBA as she is currently doing her B.Com. She tells me that she is confused and wants to know if she can do it through correspondence. Well dudette, lemme put it this way…first I think you should focus on your degree course now and my suggestion would be that you need to do a swot on yourself just to find out what exactly you wanna do after your degree course. Based on your strengths and interests and also the fact that you wanna take up a job (Which actually determines the time that you have for higher studies) you could decide if its gonna be regular or correspondence.

Mohan who is currently in his 12th wants to know all about Diary farming (as he raises himself from an agriculture background) to pursue a career in this line. Well dude this is what I call ‘perfect timing’…and Eplus is all about perfect timing…simply because just when you are looking for that cool info to sketch that incredible plan for the future…E-plus does the rest! Hey Mohan, Diary farming awareness for cattle breeders is a new programme from IGNOU in the coming academic year…Isn’t that really great…and hey to know more info on that, all you need to do is to lay your hands on our 2nd Anniversary special (last week’s E-plus) or log onto www.hinduonnet.com/edu.

And hey…for all those who were not that lucky to win the prizes…always remember whether you win or not…the very fact that you keep yourself rockin’ with E-plus is what that matters and be sure that it’s you guys who make E-plus the most happening thing in town. With that I sign off…and hey, stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

"Every success is built on the awesome ability to do better than good enough…and hey, in this highly competitive world it takes the very best of what you’ve got”…on a wonderful Monday morning, this is exactly the message with which I wanna wake all you guys up in the E-Tribe who are experiencing a formal test of knowledge and your proficiency in all those subjects to find yourself how well you have progressed on that awesome path towards success. So guys…give it you’re best and I am sure you are gonna see yourselves at the top. Alright let’s have some trivia happening just before I roll out all the gyan for this week…and it goes like this. On this day in 1852 the New York Lantern newspaper published an Uncle Sam cartoon for the first time. It was created by Frank Henry Bellew and through the years, the caricature changed with Uncle Sam becoming symbolic of the U.S. and calling everyone to join the army. The origins of how he became known as Uncle Sam are varied, but include a dock worker wondering what the words “From U.S.” meant on shipping crates and reportedly, he was told jokingly, “Oh, this is from your Uncle Sam.” (Now that was a cool fact eh?) And hey did you guys know that it was on this day in 1639, the Cambridge College was renamed Harvard after clergyman John Harvard and it was also the day in 1781 the German-born astronomer William Hershel discovers Uranus (He thought he saw a comet…What a lucky sight that was!) the seventh planet from the sun and the third largest planet by diameter. Ok folks…let’s rock and roll:

Let’s welcome M S Kandra who has mailed in looking for some info on Institutes of Hotel Management especially in Hyderabad. Well Kandra, with the Hospitality industry at its peaking best right now, I am sure you are peeping in the right direction too. And hey there are several Institutes of Hotel Management across the Nation and it includes Hyderabad too and they offer specialized courses such as 3 year degree programme in Hotel Management and in Catering Technology and if you are looking specifically for the one that is run by the Taj group of Hotels…it is located in Aurangabad.

Let’s say hello to Deborah Priscilla who is doing her 2nd year UG in Chemistry. She thinks that GG’s hairstyle is haute and that he rocks the city every Monday. (Merci beaucoup dudette…you’ve just made me melt like hot fudge on a Monday!) My friend Debo wants to pursue a suitable PG course in Chemistry and is looking for the options. Well Debo, you’ve got some exciting options out there dudette…and hey, when I spoke to those cool ‘expert’ friends of mine…they came up with different options such as industrial, environmental and Biochemistry. And what’s really cool is that you could get into the specialization…and there many specialized Universities that offer these courses such petroleum or molecular as specialities. If you are looking to enter IIT for your MSc course which is cool too, then you need to test yourself at the ‘GATE’ that every IIT has formulated, so go ahead and get on with your preparations after you choose one from these cool options. All the very best dudette.

S Gayathri who is doing her 1st year BSc in Bio-Chemistry at SRM College wants to go on to do her MSc Neuroscience or M.S Neuroscience and she also has PhD in her mind thereafter. (now that’s what GG calls ‘goal setting’ and hey, I am sure we’ve got someone here in the E-Tribe with a clear vision of where she wanna she herself in the years to come…and that’s really cool eh?!) Well Gayathri, as you have set your eyes on getting into a professional career in neuroscience, you can get into deemed universities such as Sri Ramachandra Medical and Research Institute (SRMC) which offers you MSc in neuroscience. And you could well get to do your M.S.Neuroscience (2 year course under CBCS) offered by the University of Madras (www.unom.ac.in/anatomy). To complete your plan of looking at a PhD in Neurosciences there several research areas such as Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Systems Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience as offered by National Brain Research Centre, Gurgaon and for more details log onto www.ndrc.ac.in

Aruncoumar (I am sure some of you are wondering about the way our buddy has spelt his name…right?!) is an Indian with French nationality (well that doesn’t give you a clue for the spelling or does it?) is looking for ‘education in UK’. Well buddy all you need to do is to log onto www.educationuk-in.org

I sign off right here only to be back with you guys next Monday and till then stay addicted to E-plus; remain hungry for more GG’s gyan; keep the E-Tribe rockin’ and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at mailto:educationplus@thehindu.co.on with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

‘Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing’ – Abraham Lincoln.
Here I am completely thrilled to start a brand new week with an awesome thought that was beautifully transformed into words that said it all by a great soul who was declared to be the president of United States of America on this very day in 1861. With that piece of info this is your one and only GG announcing his grand arrival just to “Rock with You” as it was sung in that ‘only-Michael-could-do-it’ kind of a unique style by the king of pop Michael Jackson which went on to hit the top of the charts on this very day in 1980. If it’s all about doing it right, then you’ve got to do it in style…and if doing it in style is all about doing it in your own way…then what matters most is that you have to make sure that your way is always the winning way…and that’s exactly what E-Tribe is all about…so don’t you worry folks, whether there are entrance tests or no tests, make sure that you are ready to face it all and give it your best. And for all those gals out there in the E-Tribe who simply think that the best thing about being a girl is getting to Barbie doll, this trivia is for you…did you gals know that it was exactly on this day way back in 1959 Barbie doll went on sale!? (I wonder who that lucky person was to buy the first Barbie doll ever that was sold!) And hey, for those of you who love writing long sentences or at least find yourselves doing that, here’s what you get…on this day in 1981 the New York Times published the longest sentence which actually had 1286 words. (Now that really is a long one right…and hey, do you guys think that GG can break that record one of these days?!...or if you think you can help GG do that, just your pen stay writing for a long time on the paper till the ink last and send it me so that we could show it off in E-plus.)

Let’s welcome Monica Angel (now that’s a cool name dudette and hey, lemme if I can be the one to guide the ‘angel’ in you with the right kind of earthly gyan!) who mails in to say that this is the first time that she is attempting to ask a question…and after regularly reading this column and getting many of her unasked questions answered, she finally decided that she would ask for the first time and she chooses to ask GG. (I am honoured to be the chosen one dudette!) Monica is a final year student in Women’s Christian College doing her B.Sc in Psychology and looking to enhance her UG degree to be better employable, she wants to know what course she should take up for her PG. Well Monica, lemme tell you that there is absolutely no reason to worry (as I sense that in your mail) simply because you have ma options dudette…you could take up one of those course offered by Madras University such Industrial Psychology or Organisational Psychology and you can even get yourself seated in one of those classrooms in Madras School of social work by taking on a suitable course for your PG. (All the very best Angel and I am sure the ‘light’ of knowledge will shine bright enough to help you see yourself flying high in success!)

Let’s say hello to Revathy, a third year student of B.Sc microbiology from SIET College who appeared on my screen telling me that she is confused about selecting a branch for her PG. She wants to know which PG course would suit her and she wanted to do it in Chennai only. First things first…and lemme say as I always say for those like you who are in a confused state… “It is as easy to be clear & confident as getting confused, if only we make a conscious effort to think positively, plan clearly and act accordingly”. And hey…MSc in Microbiology or even Bio Chemistry could well be your next step and they are being offered by Madras University and most affiliated Colleges in Chennai.

Aashish (that’s cool name dude you’ve got there and I like it even more as it leaves me with a sustaining ‘shhhhh’ sound when I get to call you!) who is in his tenth now wants to know how he could get to do a speciality course in Nanotechnology as he is very interested in this field. Well dude…(I really like the way you are already looking at yourself as ‘Aashish – six to eight years from now’…cool man and stay focused buddy!) you could get into the actual course on Nanotechnology only in your PG as it is always better that way (That’s exactly what the ‘expert friends’ of GG think) and on your way to get there you could do your engineering be it electronics or mechanical or even chemical. All the very best dude!

Alright folks…now this exactly where I get to zoom off from you as swiftly as I zoomed in on my super cool ‘machine-that-gives-speed-the thrill’ cruiser bike…just to be with you on the same day next week and hey, before I do that lemme wish you guys a very happy, extremely exciting and a never-before ‘Valentine’s Day’ that may make you be a reason to show the world that ‘all we need is love’ for better living and to make this world a better place to live in. Stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin’ and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at mailto:educationplya@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” – George Bernard Shaw

Wassup E-Tribe…and I bet, you guys are just that kind of young dudes and dudettes simply because you guys have all got up this fine morning looking for the exciting E-plus with all the enthusiasm to rock with the one & only GG and on your way to find them all about success. And hey, it’s always about making our own move, finding our own choice and working it out successfully…and that’s exactly what the mood is set for us this morning with that awesome quote that you just read. Alright folks, all successful deeds may not be big enough to rave about, but hey, no success can be measured to be small…and in literal sense that’s exactly what the most wanted “GG’s thought provoking Trivia’ today is all about. Exactly on this very day in 1849 one Mr.Walter Hunt of New York City patented the Safety pin. For all those dudes who may have thought that it was a deed that small…the deed proved them all wrong inside out and hey as we all know, most of us still use the same device which now comes in a variety of sizes and colours and is really cool and handy to have one around. But the most funniest part of this story is that the man, the creator himself thought the safety pin to be a temporary convenience and sold the patent for a total of $400…and I bet he could just ‘stick’ himself for doing that and hey, this leaves us with another line from GG. “Never ever give up on anything big or small that is of our own attempt…our successes simply because most often we’ll never know the exact measure of our successes.” As you keep thinking about your successes that you had and the ones you are attempting to have, lemme roll out all the gyan for this week:

Let’s welcome my new friend B V Pratheep who has landed himself in my hot inbox and hey, I have to tell you guys that this dude has a style of his own and it’s seen in what he has written to me. Firstly he has come up with a poem called (Mr.Voice) that he has written on GG and it’s quiet good too. (Cool dude…! And hey it’s always nice to know that you guys never cease to rock with GG every Monday! Stay right there buddy…absolutely addicted to E-plus) Pratheep tells me that in spite of his busy schedule of preparing and writing his 12th exams he has appeared on GG’s screen because he wants to know how he could get the hang of the entrance exams (TNPCEE) and he likes to what he should do. Well buddy, there are couple of things that you can do…you can take a stroll across some of the well known book shops and you might just find few books that are a compilation of all those previous year’s questions bank published. The other best thing that you can / should do is to appear for the Model exam that will be conducted in different centers throughout Tamil Nadu by the one and only E-plus in association with Aspire. Don’t miss this opportunity to test yourself and get equipped to take the real one. The tests will be conducted on 22nd and 23rd of April. Check out your nearest Aspire center dude. (Now isn’t that really cool…and hey, E-plus is all about timing and it’s the precision that matters and that’s exactly why E-plus and E-Tribe rocks!)

Let’s say hello to Krithikaa R who is doing her 2nd year of IT course. She mails in to tell me that she is totally crazy about E-plus and all the gyan from what she calls the ‘Rocking GG’…so much so that even though she leaves home as early as 6.30 am to her College, she never forgets to carry the one and only E-plus with her every Monday. (That’s really cool dudette and thank you for all the support and encouragement which actually gives all of us in the E-plus Team an overdose of motivation!) Krithikaa’s ambition is to do her MBA and she is very clear that she wanna do it right here in one of the top Institutes in India and she could serve our own matchless country. (Bravo dudette…that’s the way GG likes it too!) She wants to know all about what her moves should be. Well Krithikaa, all you need to do is to bell the cat…and bell it very smartly too…in other words you to get your CAT scores right that will get you rocking into the top 15 B-Schools in India except for the XLRI’s wherein you need show what you’ve got in the XAT exams that they take into consideration. All the very best dudette!

And here’s s cool one for today…Aarthy who is doing her first year B.Arch (All set to change the skyline of our cool city and many other cities in the world) is actually interested in Tarot reading and she wants to know where she could learn it all in Chennai…Well dudette (First lemme tell you that you’ve got a cool interest there!) you’ve just got lucky (That’s exactly what happens when you are in the E-Tribe) and yes you can get yourself taught by Scharada Bail (24451333) right here in Chennai.

I just realized that I am right at the bottom of the page just about to slip off and disappear only to be back with you guys the next Monday. Till then, stay addicted to E-plus, remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan, keep the E-Tribe rockin @ your campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

It’s Monday and it’s just not another one as it is a very special day…
It’s the second birthday and it’s all about getting ourselves into the right mood to play.
As this special issue is all set to rock everyone in the E-Tribe…
And I am so excited that I am running short of the right words to describe!
So lemme wake you guys up with this one & only E-plus which is nothing but a blast…
And hey, I am sure it’s gonna be such an experience that will never cease to last!

This day January 9th might have given itself all its characteristics as a special day in history especially when you get to hear this very day witnessed the first ever Women’s Golf Tournament being held in 1811, UK introducing Income Tax in 1799, the first ever demonstration of small-screen colour television was given by the Columbia Broadcasting System in 1941 which apparently failed miserably and the “Beatles ‘65’” album hitting the charts to be No 1 and went on to stay that way for 9 weeks…but hey, to top it all this day happens to be the grand day that witnesses the Second Anniversary Special issue of the one & only E-plus. So lemme join with all you folks in wishing the most happening E-plus ‘A very happy and a rockin’ B’day’.

Alright guys… with E-plus turning two today would you ask for any better reason to celebrate…so here’s all the fun that you can ever imagine to have…all built into this special issue that is brought to you in two different sections (probably we might just get to rock in the third Anniversary special in three different sections next year…right guys?!) So just get yourselves lost in the process of participating in all those wonderful contests and give yourselves the brightest of the chances to win some exciting prizes. This is your lucky day…and just go ahead and do it! Ok, just before you do that lemme unleash the gyan that I have for today:

Let’s welcome Avinash Chand who seems to be a very serious kind from the way he sounds in his mail, tells me that GG should keep giving more gyan than what he actually does now. (Hey dude…I know it’s always good to have more of what you like…but hey it’s also good to have the right portion of it and what really makes it even more good is to give it in the style that is unique…and that’s GG’s style!) Avinash is doing his 1st year ECE and he wants to know about his career options. Well buddy, there are three main options…you can get into Software engineering by specializing yourself in application development technology by acquiring those additional qualifications in .NET or J2EE frameworks. The other option could well be in infrastructure Management services by acquiring those skills in Networking and the third one could be seeing yourself into communication line by learning the current technologies in communication / mobile computing. So dude…the opportunities are many and they all sound cool too…so pick your path and stride to success.

Say hello to Hari who thinks GG’s hairstyle is really cool (Thank you dude!) and he wants to know if he could get into those Deemed universities after his 12th to do his B.Tech in terms of the placements and opportunities once he finishes the course. Well Hari…don’t you worry, go ahead and join them and as you’ve mentioned Universities such as SRM, VIT, etc. are really rockin’ and I am sure that you really have what it takes to come out as a winner.

With that I sign off and hey, don’t miss the excitement that this 24 pages- special issue has in itself to offer in plenty…so go ahead and give your best shot at all those contests that are created just for you to rock them and win exciting prizes. This is your day and get lucky now! Stay addicted to E-plus; remain hungry for more of GG’s gyan; keep the E-Tribe rockin’ @ campus and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in subject line. Yo, GG


Hey Dudes & Dudettes

Here comes the time…
When you’ve got to get yourself highly focused and thoroughly concentrate in what you are expected to do…
When you’ve got to plan and prepare yourself putting into use the best of wisdom that you are gifted with…
When you’ve got to give your best shot with the very best of what you’ve got with the only aim to achieve your goals…
When you’ve got to realize that this is the very moment that could actually make your dreams come true!
Oh yes…to all those dudes & dudettes in the E-Tribe out there…this is the ‘exciting exams’ time folks…and it simply means all of what you’ve just read in my previous lines and even more. With Cricket ‘hot’ on TV, the exam fever getting ‘hotter’ everyday and the weather outside looking to get ‘hottest’ this year yet surprising us with those lovely little showers now and then …boy it’s all happening! But hey, nothing beats E-plus and the evergreen gyan from the one & only GG…right?! And hey…talking about the ‘Exciting exams’ lemme say this loud and clear… “When the future hinges on how well you write those answers as an indication to your preparation and understanding of the subjects that you get to be tested by those well thought of questions, don’t let anything interfere…believe in yourself and just do it the best way you can.” Alright guys, reiterating the fact that the E-Tribe has surely got exactly what it takes to take on those Q’s…lemme throw those GG’s ‘thought provoking trivia’ at you…whenever you get nervous thinking that you could’ve prepared even better, stop and think this guy Charles B King who rode his ‘Horseless Carriage” for the first time on this day in 1896 in Detroit (What a dream ride that would’ve been?!). Hey, it was exactly on this very day in 1971 our own little ‘sunny’ master made his Test cricket debut vs West Indies at Port of Spain facing those absolute fearsome pace army…and GG wishes all those of you who are taking on their maiden attempt at those big exams to make it academics as big as the batting maestro did in the game. So folks…humming in with that Chart topper of a song on this day in 1945, “Accentuate the positive” by Johnny Mercer lemme start all the gyan for this week urging you to be just positive @ the exciting exams.

Let’s welcome Praveen, a final year student who thinks that clearing the E-Tribe’s doubts is a tough job and he thanks GG for that (Thank you dude…you are guys who keep GG rocking’ and hey, just stay right there…addicted to E-plus!) Praveen tells e that he has been placed in a networking Company (Lucky you dude…I think you really got what it takes buddy!) but surprisingly he says that he is worried on whether there is enough scope for networking and is there a course that he could do to enhance his chances. Well Praveen…take this away from me… ‘Sometimes life is like that incredible hunt for the gold and the tricky thing about it are these incredible moments when you keep looking for the gold without realizing that you are actually standing right on top of it’…so my friend, according to the ‘expert’ friends of GG, you are actually in the best place…and hey, networking is the best thing that you could et in as it is the fulcrum in an organisation and it really is the highest growth segment. As you are fresher, you can get yourself the international certification offered by Microsoft (MCSE) or Cisco. And hey, your future plans could well be in line to get into systems administration which actually has the option of web systems and enterprise system administration and the latter really rocks dude. Alright Praveen don’t you worry and hey, you are right there standing on the treasure called ‘success’ in life…and it is time for you to dig deeper till you find it all.

Let’s say hello to I R Vedavalli who is doing her B Sc Computer Science 2nd year and feels that GG’s is the best gyan and the coolest one too. (Merci beaucoup dudette!) She wants to know if she has to go on to do a MCA / MSc or else take up a job. Well Veda, what you could ideally look at is to take up a software testing kind of a job and get all those skills of your well horned, say for a period of 2 years and then you could well take up a part time MCA course. By doing this what you get to do to yourself is that you gain valuable working experience through which you better your skills and then get your MCA too and in the process your next move could really rock. All the very best dudette.

Staying on a similar tone of my gyan lemme address my friend Sridhar, a computer science engineering student, who is placed at an MNC as a testing engineer. This gyan alsop goes to you dude…as you wanna know if you could do a MBA through part time.

Nandini, Ashok, Venkatesh, Aarthi and all those dudes and dudettes who wanted to know all about ‘Education in Australia’…you guys just got lucky…don’t miss a special on Education Australia which will be brought out along with The Hindu on 8th of March 2006. I sign off here and don’t you ever forget to keep appearing on my screen. Mail me at educationplus@thehindu.co.in with GG in the subject line. Yo, GG



Hey Dudes & Dudettes,

It’s a brand new and bright morning of a very special Monday simply because it happens to qualify itself as the luckiest day to bring in the very first issue of the most happening and the one and only E-plus of this all new and ‘what promises to be the best’ kind of a year 2006. And what’s more exciting is the fact that I am right here zooming in as freaky as I could ever get in my ‘all-new’, ‘awesomely yellow’ and ‘all-eyes-on-me’ kind of a piece of ‘machinery that gives speed the thrill’ – bike just on time to wake you up in a typical GG’s style with the E-plus in your hands. Welcome aboard 2006…dudes and dudettes! Let’s get rockin’ right away with a whole new year ahead of us and hey, this is also the right time when I get to type in my heartfelt and sincere wish that reads like this… “Let every Dream, every Wish, every Plan, every Work and everything that you get to do this New Year…turn out to be like the smooth flow of those distinctively different yet harmonious notes that are perfectly orchestrated to make an awesome song called SUCCESS”.

Let’s welcome Sunil who is a mechanical engineer working as a Purchase Manager in Materials Management for the past three years and now he wants to switch to ERP stream preferably SAP (Materials Management module) and he wants to know all about it. Well Sunil, (you are aiming at a cool switch there buddy!) you have the Sapient college in Nungambakkam which pioneers in this course and yes, that’s cool course you could choose to do and in case you are looking for options you could also look at the Oracle financial course that are similar to what you are looking for. And to answer you second part of the question whether it is necessary for you to pursue a Diploma / Degree in Materials Management to increase your employability, it is always good to have that edge in this competitive world buddy. So go right ahead and give yourself all the chances to stay ahead and get noticed.

Say a big ‘hello’ to Veena (who apparently thinks that she is not in great tune) who is currently working in a software company has mailed in to tell me that she is really confused as to which course to take between MCA and MSc-IT. Veena, you’ve got two reasons not to be the way you think you are…you’ve got all that it takes to hit the right note to make an awesome song, going just by your name dudette and the second reason is that GG always says… ‘It is as easy to be clear & confident as getting confused, if only we make a conscious effort to think positively, plan clearly and act accordingly’. Now in an effort to give you little bit of gyan…it all depends upon what you’ve actually done in your graduation and also in what specialty you are actually working in. Assuming that you are into application / development field, you could choose to do MSc-IT as it has more focus on Applications / Development when MCA deals strongly with the concepts. So go ahead, make you choice based on what you are now (your qualifications and experience) and when you get to do that, I am sure it’s gonna put that clear and confident smile back on your face and a happy song in your mind. All the best dudette!

Mohan who is currently doing his MBA at a premier B-School in TN mails in to tell me that he’s been following GG style ever since the first issue of E-Plus and feels that GG is getting Glitzier with every issue. (Thank you dude! And hey…it’s always good to have your own style after all it’s just one life that we have and it’s all up to us on how cool we make it to ourselves…always remember ‘Life is luckily too wonderfully to be spent worrying’…so go ahead live it king size and in style!) Mohan wants to get into a career in Foreign Trade and wants to know what he could do. Well dude, the best place GG can think of is Indian Institute of Foreign Trade for a right kind of course and as you will get to have a Management degree as your basic qualification you could well pursue a cool course Masters in International Trade out there. I am afraid you might be unlucky in case you are looking for a similar course through correspondence.

Put your hands together to welcome my new friend Naomi (and you guys thought for a moment that I am talking about the most famous international model…chill guys!) I am talking about a very special friend in the E-Tribe Naomi Christabel (that’s a real cool name you’ve got there duddette!) who is doing her 9th Std in CSI Jessie Moses School and she wants to become an environmental scientist and wants to what she do. Well Naomi, whether it’s CBSE or State Board, anything is fine as far as your +2 is concerned, so you needn’t worry too much on that. And after your 12th, you can get into Civil engineering or Chemical Engineering streams and then make your move by taking on a specialty course in Environmental science. The second option could well be that you get to do your graduation in any of the life sciences courses and then land yourself right on a PG course in Environmental science. (hey…GG thinks we @ the E-Tribe are already sure that you will walk that competitive ramp of academics in style, to be our own environmental scientist in a few years to come…right guys?!)

And hey…if you are thinking that the New Year celebrations are over…think again it’s only just getting started…you are just about to witness and be a part of the ‘BEST’ and the ‘BIGGEST’ issues of
E-plus…yes it’s the E-plus 2nd Anniversary Special issue on 9th Jan 2006…packed with many Special columns, Hot topics, Interesting views, Absolutely MEGA versions of ‘Brainbytes’ – to give all the action for those quizzing heads, ‘Virtual Views’ – to turn in the best of your creative side in graphic designing, ‘Mobile in Style’ – to set the speed of your thumb in SMSing right, ‘Know your English’ – to test your skills on what you speak, ‘Power of Knowledge’ – to pick your brains on what you know, ‘E-plus Crosswords’ – to check out how well you fall in line with the right words, ‘Figure IT out’ – to sharpen your IT edge, ‘GG’s Middlers’ – to ignite the spirit of success in you…And many more all created just for you (regular ‘contest’ buffs, those of you who always wanted to try it out and all the rest who never tried before) to win those absolutely awesome & Mega Prizes.
That folks, is the last and the final Trailer – reel no 4. Now trying hard not to lose myself in all the excitement lemme sign off only to be back with you next Monday. Yo, GG