The Tribune Education Expo kicked off in Shimla on Wednesday, generating a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among students. The two-day event brought leading universities and colleges under one roof to help the students choose appropriate courses from a wide range of options and make informed career choices. Education Minister Rohit Thakur inaugurated the event. He gave away certificates to meritorious students of local schools who had scored above 85 per cent marks in the Class X and Class XII examinations this year.
The minister also interacted with the representatives of the participating institutions and asked them about the courses they were offering to the students. According to the representatives of the institutions, the students asked a variety of questions, ranging from courses being offered to employability. They informed the students about various courses being offered in all three streams, with special focus on new-age courses and employability. “There are several courses that the students and their parents have not even heard about but they are quite good when it comes to placements and salary packages. At such events, the students and their parents learn about the wide range of choices they have,” said Maninder Singh Heer from Chitkara University, Chandigarh.
Heer said that the major thrust of Chitkara University was on providing practical training to the students and making them market-ready by the time they completed their courses. “All said and done, the students pursue courses for jobs. So, we have made our courses in all streams placement-oriented,” he added.
The representatives of the institutions also informed the students about their tie-ups with foreign universities and dual-degree programmes. Shoolini University, for instance, offers a dual-degree programme in biotechnology with the University of Melbourne, Australia. “It’s a four-year course, in which a student spends two years at Shoolini university and the last two in Australia. The student receives a degree from both institutions, which enhances his employability globally,” said Chander Mohan Sharma from Shoolini University.
Meanwhile, the students found the event quite informative and beneficial. “We got to know about so many universities and the courses they are offering. It would have been extremely difficult for us to visit each of these colleges and universities individually. I am going back from the event with a lot of clarity about the choices I have,” said a student of Government (Girls) Senior Secondary School, Portmore, Shimla.
Ojal, a student of Class XII in DAV Senior Secondary Public School, Lakkar Bazaar, Shimla, said that the expo proved helpful for them in exploring various courses and career options. “The expo provided a great insight into various courses, admission process and scholarships, which were very helpful,” she added.
Banks inform students about education loans
Three banks — IDBI, Bank of Baroda and HP State Cooperative Bank — are informing students at the event about education loans they can avail of. Yogesh Sharma, AGM, IDBI, said that the bank was offering a Rs 7.5 lakh collateral free loan to students to pursue courses in the country and outside. He added, “A loan up to Rs 7.5 lakh requires no security – only the signature of a government employee is required to avail of the loan. However, for a loan over Rs 7.5 lakh, collateral is required. No EMI is charged till education is completed.”
Sharma lauded The Tribune for organising the Edu Expo, saying it served as a great platform for establishing communication between the students and the bank regarding education loans.
The participants
Chitkara University, Amity University, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Graphic Era, Shoolini University, ICFAI, Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh University, Bahra University, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Dev Bhoomi University, Hitbullseye, Sri Sukhmani Group of Institutions, DDM Sai Law College, Eduland, IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda, HP State Cooperative Bank, NHPC.
