Significance of financial independence

Self-reliant India is impossible if youth, especially students above 18 years of age remain dependent on parents or banks, which is not a sign of a prosperous society. Besides, it is often observed that financially dependent youth easily fall prey to social insecurity and low self-esteem. Whenever they fail to meet any financial exigency they blame luck or follow an illegitimate path of earning money. On the other hand, students self-sufficient in bearing their expenses have a better confidence level and they successfully achieve their academic as well as personal goals.

During the inaugural address at the India Education Summit (IES) 2021, then Minister of Education, Ramesh PokhriyalNishank, said, “By connecting students with the internships, vocational training as a student reaches class 6, we will imbibe atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in a student. By the time these students will complete school education, they will be warriors who can take on any task.” However, this ambitious statement doesn’t clarify potential avenues of earning for students. Besides, the focus should be more on college and university students, school-going kids are already laden with academic pressure and board exams.

Stock market, a potential source of income

Through investment and trading in stock markets, students can enjoy financial freedom and curtail the burden on parents. Stock market can be a promising source of income for millions of students and unemployed youth in India. When the traditional job market is struggling to create new opportunities, stock markets are creating easy income avenues for a large section of society. Hence, students must understand that stock trading and investment are easy options to make money and share financial responsibilities with parents.

Power of Compounding

Experts often claim that if you want to see the magic of the eighth wonder of the world “The power of compounding” then you should start it as early as possible. They believe that the size of the investment is not the only factor in the creation of your wealth but the consistency and the time you give to your money pay off with surprise returns. That’s why investors create wealth in the longer term, not in a day or week.

The power of compounding can be better understood with the below example.

Jackson started investing at the age of 20 years and contributed just Rs 24000 per annum whereas Tyson started investing at the age of 40 and contributed five times the amount contributed by Jackson which is Rs 120000 per annum at the same rate of interest for their retirement goals at the age of 65 years. Now, who would you think has a better ROI?

Let us analyse:

So, one can clearly see how the magic of compounding works. By investing just Rs 2000 per month with discipline can garner these results, then one should think of a situation where the investor does the same thing consistently in equities or ETFs.But, beware of blindfolding chess. Proper research should always be undertaken before investing in stocks, one should take care of the following things.

1. Invest in Blue-Chip stocks, the reliable companies present in the stock market for a long time.
2. Never invest in one single company or sector, and always diversify your portfolio with conservative as well as innovative sectors.
3. Try to invest more funds in large-cap (50% of funds) and remaining in mid-cap (30%) and small-cap (20%) companies.
4. Always have some buffer money ready with you to accumulate more equities in scenarios of corrections (crashes) of more than 25 %.
5. Start learning Technical and Fundamental Analysis today to be an intelligent investor tomorrow.

The coda

Investment or trading in the stock market doesn’t require 8-10 hours of dedicated job. Investing 30 minutes to one hour daily in stocks, students can earn enough to meet their academic and other day-to-day expenses. This way, they can make themselves a responsible and self-dependent citizen of the self-reliant country.

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In conversation with Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder, Global Classroom Private Limited (GCPL) & Global Education & Training Institute (GETI)

• What new skills are required by a teacher to cope with the younger generation?

Our education system needs leaders trained in non-cognitive skills, assuming they are already thriving at sustaining attention, improving logical reasoning, and taking care of the other cognitive skills. Our classrooms have shifted online reducing the attention span of young children making it critical for teachers to make a shift in their methods by including applications, techniques, and technology to promote skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, socio-emotional, and self-control.

• How to ensure teaching skills go beyond academic content delivery for students?

In order to enhance the classroom relationship, teachers could use different strategies to build confidence and improve communication with the students. This could happen with the help of techniques such as acknowledging participation & rewarding; giving & taking feedback on learning & teaching, respectively; and introducing informal meeting space to initiate conversations.

• What does research show is the best practice on education from around the globe?

There is not one superior way of teaching that meets all the standards, however, the one I personally find the most powerful is ipsative practice. In the education industry, ipsative assessment is one where a child’s only competition is himself/herself. This kind of approach makes it easier to measure progress and development as a teacher can take their past assessment as a basis for their current and future performances. It also establishes a healthy competitive environment.

• Well being of the teacher. Who cares for them?

Only a successfully thriving educational institution would take care of its teachers. The pandemic caught most of the teachers off-guard who had to make themselves tech-friendly, however difficult it was. Also, with the forces causing paradigm shifts in the classrooms, teachers have to prepare themselves with the most current job skills and institutions could play a huge role in ensuring their in-service training is up-to-date. Other than that, their mental health must also be kept.

• How do we replace the conventional style of teaching with modern methods?

We could do so by introducing creative ways techniques and strategies. The modern education system requires technology and tech-expert teachers to be able to impart knowledge with the help of project-based learning; co-operative learning; introducing games and puzzles to intrigue minds; problem-based learning; and other ways to contribute to their competency-based learning.

• What is the future of training modules for teachers and who provides best teacher training in India?

Our organization Global Education and Training Institute (GETI) is already making trainingprograms for in-service and pre-service teachers for years. The idea of changing the existing teachertraining format has helped many become better at their jobs. Schoolsare gladly accepting virtual classrooms and it is inevitable fair to assume it to be the future.So to help teachersovercome the fear of technology or ensure children are exposed to cognitive as well non-cognitive skills in an asynchronous teaching format, GETI uses its teacher training program to develop theirprofessional skills using new age methods and approaches.

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The major challenge for Indian Higher Education is find a way to be pioneers rather than catcher-uppers in equipping the students with the confidence to be original and creative in whatever field they choose to pursue. The main way to overcome, or aid this would be to instil confidence in students to explore, to be curious, to take chances rather than following the herd.

No Indian university was spotted in top 100 prestigious QS global rankings 2019. Can Higher Education in India ever be world-class?

Indian education is already world-class – look at the number of Indian origin CEOs heading leading global institutions! However, the need of the hour is to make that a norm rather than an exception. This can be done, in my opinion, by encouraging risk-taking and deep understanding of subjects rather than focusing solely on learning by rote and exam-focussed studies.

How can the current higher education system overcome the shortage of quality teachers?

Finding quality employees is an issue not just with education, but with all institutions. I think what would be immensely helpful is if the schools really invest in talent identification and their continuous education and up gradation of skills. Teacher training should be as high a priority for schools as is education of its pupils.

What factors should students consider while selecting a course for higher education?

I believe, first and foremost should be passion or aptitude. If you have passion for something, you will find a way of making things work no matter the circumstances. However, if they are pushed into selecting the latest in-thing, they will succeed, but against odds and forever feeling like fish in a sky full of birds. Parents and educators have a very key role to play to encourage them in right path.

What is your message for students.

In the words oft repeated – fail often, fail fast! Or to transcribe this, try a lot of different things and spend time identifying your passion and aptitude. This will serve you not just in studies but the whole of your life.

Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

These days, learning is not just restricted to schools and is not just the responsibility of your teachers. The internet is a great equaliser – use this resource to explore and educate yourself about what appeals to you and identify your strengths and challenges before you come to a stage where you have to make a choice about what you want to pursue. And remember, the world is your oyster!

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For young adults, the constant barrage of beautifully filtered images that appear on social network sites can also cause low self-esteem. Continued exposure to unrealistic standards of beauty through social networking sites can impact one’s own self worth and confidence.

Use of social media gets problematic when somebody uses social networking sites as an effective way to cope with stress, isolation, or depression.

Social media detox

If you feel anxious or depressed when you are unable to use social media? The chances are that you are dealing with a social media ad-diction and it is time for a social media detox.

The remedy includes deactivating social media accounts and replaces the time spent on social media with some other activity. Social media can cause havoc on our Dopamine (Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, in the brain). Experts agree that, it would take minimum 100 days for our dopamine to return to normal, post leaving social media.

A detox need not be forever. After a few months one may decide to return but with conditions which include; no-screen time periods during the day such as during meal times, or leaving the mobile phone at night in a different room to avoid disrupting sleep. These practices would increase interaction with the people and help reduce dependency on social media.

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To become a professional interior designer, one must have the knack of choosing right colours, textiles, spatial concepts, animations, architecture, building codes, ergonomics, spatial concepts, ethics, and even psychology. Indeed, one needs to be well-educated and well-rounded in the field of designing to become a successful interior designer.

It is essential for good communication skills and to retain a good network with clients, contractors and suppliers. One needs to market the design solutions and promote them well in traditional as well as digital media.

Learning about plumbing codes, electricity, carpeting and load-bearing walls may not be exciting but is integral to the job and a necessity to build rapport with engineers and vendors of all these fields to get expertise in turnkey projects.

Holding a decent salary depends on a lot of factors which includes education level, work experience and size of the company. Indeed, one has to be good at negotiation to get excellent reward of knowledge, skills, experience, and creativity. Moreover, the average pay to start career as interior designer is Rs 4 lakh per annum, while a senior interior designer could earn up to INR 30 lakh per annum.

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Admitting students into your institute should involve much more than just checking their grades. If an institute wants to determine whether a student is a right fit for their chosen course, it’s crucial to have a face-to-face interview process or aptitude tests in place.

Someone might decide they want to study hospitality but they have no interest in building social skills or interacting with people – making them a bad fit for the industry and meaning they won’t have an easy time adapting to the course. Simply taking a look at their marksheet won’t reveal this, but the element of human psychology will.

What are elements to look while selecting college or course?

Students who are looking for a higher education course or institute should pay attention to:

• The institute’s location – is it urban-centric? Will you have a good work/life balance?
• The infrastructure – is it up to date? Do you see yourself enjoying time there both working and on time off? Does it have the latest equipment and technology?
• Industry connect – does the institute have connections with the industry you plan on joining? See their partners – these are the brands you should want to work with.
• The faculty – are they experienced in their field and have up to date training in teaching methodologies?
• Book an open day –the best way to see if the college or course will be the right fit for you is booking an open day; not only will you be able to experience a day at the institute, you’ll get to see what the community vibe is like and if all of the above points fit what you’re looking for!

How to measure pros and cons of a niche course?

Going for a discipline that’s further from the beaten path can be a way to pursue your passion – but can feel a little scary since you’re not ‘doing what everyone else is doing’. Pros of going for a niche course include the chance to study something you’re passionate about – be it graphic design, filmmaking, geology (or thousands of other exciting paths). The other pro is a less saturated graduate market, which can also mean there are less job opportunities.

Some courses like hospitality provide the highest job opportunity levels – with 1 in every 10 jobs worldwide relating to hospitality. It might be harder to find jobs for disciplines less in demand in today’s corporate world.

Do the mainstream courses influence student decisions by compromising their interest?

It’s a common phenomenon around the world that a lot of students pursue ‘popular’ streams that go against their passions or aspirations. Whether it’s pressure from parents, their community, or the belief that it’ll be a better ROI than what they truly dream of studying. At the end of the day, a student’s choice for their first venture into higher education doesn’t have to determine the rest of the career or life. If this decision pays off for them and they find happiness –  great! If it doesn’t and they still wish they had done something else – it’s never too late to go back and start over. We’re seeing so many of our students leave behind other disciplines or careers to pursue their true passion.

What are the emerging courses in India?

We’re seeing a rise in more people taking up less traditional courses. Around 40% of students opt for liberal arts in undergraduate studies, and culinary arts are seeing a massive surge in popularity. We’re also happy to see hospitality gaining more traction too as more international partnerships are entering the country, giving students access to international exchange programmes and overseas placements.

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It’s always a much more enjoyable and constructive conversation when I meet students who have an interest, and are looking to pursue that interest, rather than pursuing something because they feel they should. In an ideal world someone’s strength would hopefully be related in some way to their interest. Students perform better in their academic and professional career if pursuing something that they’re interested in, and in this way we should perhaps view interest as a strength.

How to determine student’s interest to avoid switching courses in future?

Passion, enthusiasm and understanding should jump out from a statement of purpose.  We want to see that a student has made a considered application, in that they have demonstrated a strong understanding of the programme and have a clear idea of where the programme might take them in the future.  Relevant work and voluntary experience is also incredibly attractive in an application as it demonstrates motivation and that the applicant is conscious to develop their overall profile and will continue to do so while studying.

What are the factors to be considered to choose a university or a course?

Every institution will have their own strengths and be known for particular subjects, but the culture, in terms of student life and teaching practices may vary.    It’s important to see who the university might be working with at a research level as this can influence the content of the taught programmes and create opportunities for students to engage on a practical level with external organisations.   Employment prospects are also enhanced by having the opportunity to benefit from experiential learning by putting into practice what’s been learnt in the classroom.   In terms of the course, it’s recommended that students do some research themselves on the job market for a particular course in their own country as this can vary.

Select university working on a research level as this can influence the content of the taught programmes and create opportunities for students to engage on a practical level with external organisations

Could you identify the upside and downside of a niche course?

There’s a lot of variables and it can also depend on what we’re defining as a niche course. Any university or course provider see there is a market for that particular course and a job market for the graduates.  In some cases, university reach out to industry first to ascertain where they see the shortages and what they need graduates to be qualified in.

Eventually the niche courses may then become more mainstream but our job is to keep innovating and developing new programmes to meet or shape the market demands.

Do the mainstream courses influence student decisions by crushing their personal interest?

It depends on the individual and perhaps who might have an influence in their decision making.  It’s understandable that family would want to be involved, as in many cases they’re supporting financially, but the risk is that less well known courses may be dismissed by family members if they don’t fully understand them.

What might be considered mainstream is due to what was available at one time. If you were interested in studying a postgraduate course in business your options were limited to MBA/Management.  Many students assumed that was what they needed to excel, but now things have changed and industry wants people with specialist knowledge in a subject such marketing, data or innovation etc.

Nationwide test to check students’ interest before admission. What is your comment?

It would be incredibly difficult to create a ‘one size fits all’ test to measure interest.  It would unfortunately result in some good candidates being discounted because they weren’t able to complete a test in the right way.   Interviews however can be beneficial for particular courses, especially vocational, and can be a good way to assess in more detail an applicant’s interest and understanding of the course they have applied to.

What courses have grown steadily in India?

India is driven by what’s happening, socially, economically and perhaps politically in the country.  There is a huge rise in interest in programmes such as Architecture which is due in part the rapid rate of expansion in the cities and more demand for a design focussed approach.

Challenges created by rapid population growth and demands on healthcare have piqued interest in Psychology and social welfare courses.    In the business sector organisations are screaming out for data specialists and I’m seeing finance professionals retrain to take advantage of the favourable employment prospects.  In the future courses related to water sustainability, environmental issues, waste management will become valuable but the public and private sectors need to first invest in these areas so there are opportunities for skilled graduates.  It is happening but there’s certainly some way to go.

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A nine-month survey conducted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2012 based on 4,000 students states that about 40% of teenagers are confused about their career options. The study took inputs from 4,000 students in 44 schools. The three-member panel headed by chief scientist N G Goswami said, “Not many students have a clear concept about careers. Importantly, the lack of guidance and motivation from parents and teachers is the major reason.” Cut to 2020, the scenario has not improved. Even today, students are as unsure as they were in 2012.

Studies show that less than 10% are able to define a career path. It also found that more than two-thirds are highly confused about what job roles. Even after 17 years of formal schooling, it is still difficult for students to understand what they aspire to be.

Amol Arora,
MD & Vice Chairman,
Shemford Group of Futuristic Schools,
says, “The key to find the most suitable niche for yourself while pursuing higher studies is to focus on specific interests. For a fulfilling life, one needs to identify a passion and tailor academic choices towards the same.”

According to psychologists from Stanford University and Yale-NUS College, in Singapore, “Passions are not necessarily inherent, waiting to be found but rather they are cultivated.”

 Carol Dweck,
Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford,
says, “It’s the idea of broadening the possibility of having more interests. Especially in higher education, where a student can readily get exposed to a number of areas and see connections.”

Corrina Gordon-Barnes,
a self-employment career strategist writes,
“If you want to contribute your passion to the society and make income from it, a student needs to get realistic whether this could actually turn into career.”

Experts such as Shiv Khera
say “Proper skill training is needed to turn a hobby into a money-making venture.”

V K Menon,
CEO – India,
S P Jain School of Global Management
says

1)   Introspect and develop possible choices.

2)   Identify three mentors; should be senior and successful professionals from the areas that a student has chosen

3)   Brainstorm the ideas with mentors and narrow down the choices to a stream that one would like to pursue.”

He adds, “The golden rule in managing careers successfully is to choose one that a student intuitively likes and which is aligned with the intrinsic strengths, rather than getting pushed into a career by societal pressures.”

(Four basic questions to start with)

What are you good at?

What do you like doing?

How would you like to see yourself?

What is your preferred lifestyle?

Once a student zeroes down on a path, he/she can check the courses, feasibility, eligibility, entrance exams, scope of job and career growth.

Beas Dev Ralhan,

Co-Founder and CEO,

Next Education India Pvt Ltd advise,

“Successful course choices are, above all, goal-focussed. Students should be meticulous while browsing through the course outline and curriculum. They should narrow down their course choice based on their interest (through self-introspection), industry trends, career prospects and scope of further education/research.”

Another interesting trend seen today is the emergence of Liberal Arts. Amol Arora, MD & Vice Chairman, Shemford Group of Futuristic Schools says, “Gone are the days when only technical career paths were considered to be more stable and promising, while creative education was largely undervalued.”

“Today, we have a wide array of great career options that allow a student to put the creative abilities to work, and even get paid well. So, if a student is someone who is an innovator at heart and is good at out-of-the-box-thinking, a creative field is the way to go.”

Designing, advertising, content writing, photography, film-making – the sky is the limit.

Today, there are number of private universities in India that are taking the idea of Liberal Education ahead. Universities like Ashoka, FLAME, Jindal Global University (JGU), and Ahmedabad University are few in line. Today, JGU has 100 students for Liberal Arts. Thousands of students from all over country in different universities are opting the interdisciplinary approaches with unique combination of subjects like – English and Philosophy, Law and Humanity, Math and Social Sciences — to keep the doors open for multiple career opportunities.

Arora adds, “If you are technically inclined and prefer to work in a structured environment, you might be a right fit for a technical job. Technical Programs provide a wide range of learning experiences that specialise in the skilled trades, applied sciences and modern technologies.”

To begin with, we divide the courses as per the number of years:

1-year diploma courses:-

There are more than 250 diploma courses a student can choose from after clearing 12^th. Listed below are some sample courses.

2-year diploma course:-

Like 1-year diploma, there are many options in 2-year diploma courses. 2-year courses tend to cover more subject and tend to more practical in nature. Two-year diploma courses are available both in form of Post Graduate Diploma or PG Diploma as well as Under Graduate Diploma or UG Diploma.

Due to higher course length, there is a possibility that the subject is covered in more depth or more breadth. Hence, two-year diploma course graduates have slightly better edge that the single year compatriots.

Following are some of the 2-year diploma courses in India.

3-year courses:-

Anyone opting to dedicate 3 years for education post HSC has the option to choose between a graduate degree or an advanced polytechnic diploma. While bachelor’s degree is generally preferred on a usual basis, there is no dearth in earning opportunities for a polytechnic diploma.

Being more practical and industry oriented, polytechnic diploma is preferred in manufacturing & allied sectors. But bachelor’s degree is also not devoid of its sheen. For soft sectors such as creative and performing arts, accounts, social sciences, bachelors in respective areas is preferred.

A survey conducted by Wakefield Research in 2019, finds that teen and young adults in USA continue putting off career decisions as they progress from high school to college.
Research by Career Builder finds that as many as a third of college graduates do not work in a job related to their college major.
“What this research indicates is that many young people are entering college without a clear idea of what their career goals are,” expressed Jack Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA

As per data from AISHE 2018-2019, within Bachelors, B.A. (23.3 Lakh) degree has been awarded to maximum number of students. B.Sc. (11.6 Lakh) is the second highest followed by B.Com. (9.6 Lakh). Similarly, there are 15.13 lakh students enrolled in Polytechnics and out of them 81.76% are male students and the remaining female with a very less participation of around 18.24%.

As recognized by UGC, there are 9 recognised 3-year bachelor’s degree in India. While polytechnic diploma is offered in all major branches of engineering, bachelors in nursing, physiotherapy and other vocational/medical courses are also offered in 3 year format.

As per AISHE, the total number of polytechnic colleges are 3440 and nursing colleges are 3039.

4-year courses:-

Commanding around 13.5% of the total enrolment in bachelors, BTech/BE is one of the most common courses in 4-year format. With good focus in practical as well as theortical aspects, BTech prepares students for a career in engineering, data science, manufacturing and software sectors.

The students can aspire to graduate in any of the following discipline.

1. Computer Science & Engineering
2. Information Technology
3. Electronics & Communication Engineering
4. Electrical & Electronics Engineering
5. Mechanical Engineering
6. Chemical Engineering
7. Civil Engineering
8. Industrial Engineering
9. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
10. Instrumentation Engineering

Apart from the mentioned, there are many specialized disciplines available of which many are upcoming.

As per NIRF ranking 2019, the top institutions for Engineering are

Apart from engineering, B Arch, Graphic Design, Fashion Designing, Food Chemist, is also a sought after course. In medicine domain, BDS and B Pharma are also some popular options.

5-year courses:-

Biology students aiming for a career in medicine can opt for a MBBS or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. In the 5 year of the course, students learn the basics of human body and its ailments. Basic medicine and surgery knowledge

Internet is a torch bearer. It is the world of knowledge. It has several career aptitude tests, career quizzes, assessments and sites that are dedicated to help choosing a student understand and analyze the right fit. Some of the effective sites include
• My Next Move • Interest Profiler
• Psychometrics • Career One Stop
• Career Advice | The Guardian • myersbriggs.org

*Compare each colleges and course for better results

are also imparted. With a very good focus on practicals, MBBS is one of the most competed courses in the country. Due to paucity of enough seats and infrastructure, the competition for getting into the course is very intense.

Apart from AIIMS and JIPMER, top medical colleges in India are:

1. Armed Force Medical College (AFMC), Pune
2. Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
3. Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi
4. Grant Medical College, Mumbai
5. King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
6. Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute
7. St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore
8. Institute of Medical Science, Benaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU), Varanasi
9. M.S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
10. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Apart from the medicine courses, for non-biology students, law is also a lucrative option. The advantage with law is that it is both an expert course whilst being a bachelor’s degree. A person can choose her/his domain of interest to do a bachelors such as BA, B Com or B Tech, and then pursue law in the respective domain. A LLB or Bachelor at Law will provide all necessary skills to influence law and public policy in their subject of interest.

Choosing your niche in Higher Studies is a very important decision that one as a student takes. It lays the foundation to the career, that spans around 40 years if not more! So, it is vital to choose wisely, choose well.

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Focus on how much or how many chapters will you complete in one day, not on how many hours to study

How are you feeling after securing this rank?

I always used to work hard but securing first position is the moment of pride for me now. I am very happy, as this is the first time that I have received a ranking as a topper. I have to contribute this success to two things, one is being self motivated and then the support that I received from my surrounding, which includes, my parents, my college and my coaching.

When did you decide to start preparing for the entrance exam?

I had started my preparations of MH CET in beginning of 11th grade. From day one, only I decided that I will study hard no matter what. In fact I got a great support from all the faculty of K J Somaiya College of Science and Commerce where I am studying right now. I have received an immense support from my family too.

How many mock tests did you take before taking the exam?

Well, before giving actual MH CET I had given a good number of mock tests. The mock tests have helped a lot to improve. I had also solved past year’s papers before three days of the examination; to get an idea of my timing, about the questions and about my ability. I believe one should always try and solve as many question papers and mock tests possible. Solving the tests can get you clarity about certain doubts one has in mind.

Which were your strong and weak sections?

Maths was my favourite and strong subject and inorganic chemistry was my weakest part. Even though Inorganic chemistry was my weakest part, I had tried my best to overcome it.

Do you have any suggestions and tips for aspirants?

I would like to share just one tip that never make your studies time bound rather make it work and worth bound. That means, never plan to study for 7-8 hours a day. But try to focus on how much or how many chapters will you complete in one particular day or time. This will improve your focus on all the topics that are to be covered. I always focused on the topics which I had to cover in one day, and then I never saw the time. In fact I did not even get up from my seat before covering the whole topic.

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When I was looking to get an education in this field, there was absolutely nothing in India. I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to spend two years in New Zealand. The course was not only modern and progressive but also offered a diverse learning experience to me. Auckland University of Technology gave me all the possible tools needed for a successful career in strength and conditioning. The course was tough, where 90 percent is self-driven. This made me really dig in all my resources, study day and night, to develop critical thinking.

How do you plan the next level of your career?

The next level for me would be a legitimate international accreditation from a reputed organization like the UK Strength Conditioning Association or Australian Strength Conditioning Association, as well as a master’s degree in sport and exercise at some point.

How do you train the athletes?

We first spend a lot of time on needs analysis of the sport the athlete plays. We look at the athlete’s strength levels, movement quality i.e. physical literacy and come up with a profile to see where they stand on a continuum of performance. Generally, it is unlikely to find highly physically literate athletes in India, since they are not exposed to strength and conditioning/ physical education as kids, especially now in the digital age.

As the athlete gets better at the basics we start adding resistance training, so a lot of dumbbells and barbells, kettlebells, medballs and so on. The ongoing focus is always building strength which is king, after which we can focus on power development, and later sport specificity, which comes last as the athlete matures. All fitness qualities overlap in training, but the focus changes slightly based on athletes’ age and physical literacy. This is basically following the Long-Term Athletic Development Model coined by S&C coaches decades ago, which is just emerging in India.

Students face a lot study pressure nowadays. How would you suggest them to remain involved in sports and physical activities?

You must be extremely organized to be able to manage studies and sport at the same time. What really helped was-

(a) Spending a very miniscule amount of my day on social media, probably just 10 minutes or less every day

(b) Planning and scheduling every possible thing

(c) My most important suggestion would be to create a “must-do” list. This list will have all tiny wins for the day that you must prioritize over anything else.

Lastly, make sure your lists have just about three to five tasks. Too less and it won’t be as potent an impact in the long term. Too much and you will lose motivation.

It is unlikely to find highly physically literate athletes in India, since they are not exposed to strength and conditioning/ physical education as kids

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