D To Perfection

NO reference to this city is complete without its sobriquet of 'Oxford of the East'. For long, Pune has played the role of pied piper, attracting students from not only within India, but from around the globe as well. A rapidly growing cosmopolitan city, Pune caters to academic needs with a glut of courses in almost all fields. And, with a multitude of multinational and national businesses setting up base here, Pune offers some great work options after completion of academics. Prof SN Chitale, vice principal, Fergusson College, says, "Pune is inhabited by students from across India. Add to the list students from Iran, African countries like Kenya and Ethopia and lately SAARC nations like Nepal and Bangladesh."

The academic catalogue... Avenues and options:

Diverse options in higher education leading to graduation, post-graduation and beyond are available. These cover banking, commerce, defence, education, engineering, filmmaking, arts, information technology, insurance, languages, management, media, medicine, pharmacy, science, etc (the roll keeps growing!). Pune is popular for its engineering courses in various disciplines. Mayank Kungwani, from Uttar Pradesh says, " I could have taken admission in Mumbai but Pune has hugely professional tutors and industry experts. Also, the campus culture and evenly-paced lifestyle appeals to me." Apart from the regular degree courses, distinct 'Sandwich' pattern courses in mechanical, electrical, metallurgy, and production engineering, where students spend their fifth and eighth semesters in industries for training and work extensively on projects, are popular. Some out-of-the box subjects like marine, fire, petroleum and polymer engineering too have their own interest groups. Domains of medicine, law, arts, sciences and commerce too have their own assortment of courses ranging from regular degrees offered by most universities across India to some new and innovative courses. The courses have always made the difference. Says Rucha Kulkarni, "I am pursuing a Bachelors degree in fine arts. It offers wider scope for experimentation. With it, parallel career lines open out, like animation or film and commercial making."

For management, in contrast to Mumbai's Bachelor of Management (BMS) and Delhi's Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS), Pune offers Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) at the undergraduate level in business management. A Bachelor of Foreign Trade (BST) or Diploma in Business Studies (DBM) among others can be pursued. MBA programmes too lie on the shelves. Also, instead of the regular computer engineering, one can choose the Bachelors degrees in Computer Application (BCA) or Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) which can be followed by Masters Degrees. One could also choose form continuing education programmes, courses in environmental studies, photography, ethics, human rights, peace studies, and even in governance. Pune is also host to centers of learning for sciences like Ayurveda and Yoga, art forms like dance, music, languages and other fine arts. There are furthermore short term certificate and diploma courses that can be pursued independently or alongside a major discipline selected. Thus, options are aplenty. Choices are to be made.

Institutions and organisations:

Aniket Dalal from Nagpur says that Pune colleges provide superior educational infrastructure and opportunities. He adds, "Apart from a good college, a reputed university matters for both academic and professional growth," referring to the University of Pune. The university is a centre of excellence for higher education with almost all professional and non-professional colleges under its purview. Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) among others are research institutes connected to the university. These are open to students and teachers. Besides the university are reputed deemed universities focusing on specific areas of training and research. The Deccan College (Archeology), Gokhale Institute of Economics and Political Science, Bharti Vidyapeeth and Symbiosis etc. Prominent institutions include College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), Fergusson College of Arts and Science, Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), ILS Law College, Symbiosis Management School, National Defence Academy (NDA), Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Prof. Chitale says, "Pune colleges have a lineage, history and ambience unlike other cities. They create a sense of belonging and students carry a feeling of nostalgia with them for life."

Girls only:

Colleges catering exclusively to girl students like St Mira's College of Arts And Science, Maharashtra Institute of Technology's Women Engineering College (MIT-WEC), Cummin's College of Technology, SNDT, etc, too are common.

Living...

Prof. J Lobo, acting principal and head, Department of Philosophy, Fergusson College, recounts, "I did my MA in Pune. Over the years, the city has changed. Today, city life is on brink of becoming fast-track. But this is a part of development. With so much youth around, it is obvious that catering to them is the prime concern of all businesses from eateries, banks, coaching classes, accommodation providers, malls, multiplexes, cellular service providers, travel agents, etc." Thus, there is value for money and overall living costs are not high.

The big factors:

Pune's platter is full of cuisines to satisfy all palates. Reasonably priced messes, tiffinservices and a range of specialty and budget restaurants to roadside eateries are located all over. Residence too is easily available in the form of hostels, rooms, flats or paying guest arrangements. The city is known for its healthy climate which is conducive to academics. Moving about the city is easy and fast as most students ride their own two-wheelers (or those without vehicles can always catch a ride backseat!).

Culture and people:

Pune maintains its Maharashtrian flavour till date. Prof.Chitale mentions, "Maharashtrian people are accommodative, polite and helpful. The scenario is harmonious and a broadbased ethos is fast emerging due to which adapting is easy."

Extra Dose: Everything that a student needs in his normal course of study, be it coaching classes for his college subjects, management entrance exams, GRE,TOEFL or personality grooming, counselling centres or language institutes; Pune has them all. Public and private libraries, research centers are spread in abundance. Many colleges themselves make extra efforts to keep facilities like Internet cafes, reading rooms, research labs, etc. accessible even at odd after hours. Moreover, with strong industrial presence, college are in the position to provide project sponsorships, seminar and management addresses to students. Even books, stationery and other materials are available at subsidised costs, thus completing the academic fare.

Making a living...

Pune is growing commercially and the expansion demands influx of meritorious and talented people. Praveen Chansoria of KPIT says, "This is a land of opportunities. Already a recognised industrial belt, the city is on its way to become the IT and BPO capital." Most colleges also have strong linkages with industries wherein students are easily recruited. The living conditions and facilities remain as conducive for career growth as they are for academic growth.

The last word...

Finally, with admissions round the corner and Pune ready to welcome a new batch of aspirants, Prof. Lobo contends, "Pune is not a city that requires to be publicised. For quality education with overall harmonious growth, Pune has always attracted students and will keep doing so in times to come."

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(With inputs from Ashish Joshi)