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.