Addmission Games

A way to safe admissions:

Come the month of May or the month of results, and the news papers are filled with stories of achievers, strugglers, toppers; stories of students who achieved a pinnacle of success and also of many who endured undying hardships and overcome many obstacles to earn academic laurels for themselves and making their families, institutions and even communities proud. In due days, many will get felicitated and most will get an opportunity to fulfill their dreams and enroll in top institution, to become anything from a bureaucrat, to a doctor, to an engineer or even an investment banker. 

Come the month of May or the month of admissions, and the newspapers are filled with numerous advertisements from a variety of universities and institutions giving details about their courses. Most of them highlight their excellent quality, superb infrastructure, excellent faculties and excellent placements. In many ways most of them promise the same. The difference lies in the quality of the advertisements, the size and even the glamour quotient of the advertisement. Difference may also lie in the attractive freebies offered, ranging from Free Laptops to Free Foreign Study Tours (In some cases just a holiday). 

There is another difference that is mostly not splashed across newspapers, every year for the world to see. It is the difference in the fulfillment of the commitments. It is also the difference in the actual facilities, actual infrastructure and actual faculty of the institutes.

North- Eastern India, as we all know has been a backward area for long.  Especially in the field of higher technical education, professional education the difference is even more glaring. Till a few years back except for a handful of government engineering colleges and medical colleges there were hardly any other institutes in the region. The private education sector was nonexistent. With an economic boom in the country, especially an IT boom there was a great demand for engineers and such professionals. This lead to a mass exodus of students from the state and the region, to anywhere from Bangalore to Pune to Salem to Delhi. It is estimated that in the mid 2000’s the number of students migrating from Assam alone had stood at 50,000 a year. This resulted in a massive brain drain from the region and also a huge drain of the financial resources of the region in terms of fees and living expenses for the students.

This also made the region a thriving and extremely profitable recruitment ground for all the institutes of the country, irrespective of their credentials. Some are credible and good institutes but along with them there are also many sub standard institute and some outright fraudulent who recruit naïve and unsuspecting students from the region to far away and even interior places. Many students go to the institute are see that there is no “world class” infrastructure as promised and nor are their quality faculties. Worse in many cases the institutes are not recognized and the students end up wasting valuable years as well as money.

Every student and parent must check all the details of the institute before they take their admission. In an ideal situation if possible the student must pay a visit to the institute. Even if that is not possible a few things can be done.

If the institute is offering any professional degrees then it has to have accreditation from bodies like All India Council for Technical Education (A.I.C.T.E.) for engineering, pharmacy, architecture and MBA. In case of nursing then Indian Nursing Council (I.N.C) as well as the permission of the state council where the institute is situated is also a must. In case of dental, permission from dental Council of India (D.C.I), for medical, Medical council of India (M.C.I) and for law Bar Council of India (B.C.I). All the councils have very updated websites, so the institutes name can always be cross checked. The student can also call the council for any further details. All colleges also have to have an affiliation from a local University. It is very important to verify the name and details of the University. The student should also check with the University with the rules regarding admissions and fees.

In case the University is not a local University then it is essential to check how the affiliation has been attained. In many cases the courses are being run on distance mode, but the institutes say that they have attained affiliation from such university. Distance mode and regular mode are completely different. No private University in India can give affiliation to other institutes. If they have the required permission then they can open study centers for distance mode. Many institutes take these permissions and call the study centers as colleges.  Distance mode is not wrong or illegal but it has its own limitations. The objective of distance mode is to enable students to study without going to a college, may be from home. Hence that facility is available to any student in any location in India. If the student is interested in distance mode then the point of going to a different city to do it, does not make sense. Students should check this very carefully. Many Universities and companies may not accept a distance mode certificate. If the student studied for the entire course, without knowing that it is a distance mode and did not understand the limitations then he may be cheated of his time and money.

In case of Universities, A.I.C.T.E. permission is not mandatory. Some opt for it and some don’t. Legally, speaking there is nothing wrong in that. In case A.I.C.T.E permission has not been taken it is even more important to cross check the facilities available. Besides the university or institutes website (Remember the website is maintained by the institute itself), cross references are very important. Check with some neutral education websites, check with someone from the city or try and talk to an ex student or even an existing student on the institute. In case of private Universities, the University grants Commission (UGC), website needs to be checked. It has a list of private universities state wise. There are a lot of websites nowadays that discusses about courses and colleges. Most students are familiar with the internet hence; a few hours also can give a lot of insights about the institutes.

In the past few years the educational scenario of the region has changed. The government has been putting a lot of emphasis on higher education and a lot of central institutes are coming up.  With the private University act being introduced in Assam, private Universities are also coming up now. Similarly even in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram private Universities are starting. Along with private Universities, Assam has seen a lot of new private professional institutes come up in the state, especially in engineering, pharmacy, management, nursing and paramedical. Most of them are credible institute with facilities at par with other institutes in India.

Now the question arises, whether to choose these local institutes or keep following the trend of going out?

Well firstly, the quality of the institute cannot be gauged just by its location. If the local institutes come up well, in few years time they may attract numerous students from outside the region even. The trend of going to Pune, Bangalore has been there for many years now but may be it can change. Even these cities have all kinds of institutes. Just by being a metro institute, does not guarantee quality. Hence, the quality of institute to study at, is more important than the city it is located in.  The local institutes may not be at par with some of the established “A” grade institutes yet, but they are definitely at par with many other institutes. So, in that case it definitely makes sense to stay back nearer to home. Staying closer to home makes it possible for the children and the parents to meet more often and the parents can keep a watch on their children more easily. Plus it also saves crores of revenue that is leaving the region every year.

Even if a local institute is selected, the same measures of cautiousness as well as verification should be carried out. Being closer to home and to relative and family friends there, it is definitely possible to physically see the institute and meet the people. There are also more chances of knowing someone who has studies and hence can work as a cross reference.

Many students and even parents say that, even if the quality of education may be more reasonable and equally good here the local institutes cannot give placement. Or even if they can give placement they will never pay as much as outside. The so called outside institutes, through their flashy ads and aggressive marketing display the names of the numerous companies that recruit from them. The fact may be true but there are some points to consider. What is the quality of jobs and how much do they pay? An engineer would like to get a job suiting his education and so will an MBA. But, many end up taking jobs in say a call center, which actually does not require their educational qualification or skill set. In most cases the job is also open for any and every graduate and in some cases even for someone who is just an H.S. passed. So, the “outside” degree of many years and costing many lakhs has done nothing to add to the student’s employability!! To the metro salary if you add the metro cost of living, most will agree that the little lower salary back home is actually more beneficial.

If an institute can prove its quality the recruiters are willing to travel to recruit. Guwahati IIT or a Shillong IIM does get recruiters, so does Assam engineering college or even a Tezpur University. So the geographical disadvantage may not hold. In addition to that, there is a huge wave of development in the region itself and there is acute shortage of engineers, nurses, hospitality graduates and so on. The industries would definitely prefer hiring local talent as they know that outsiders are generally not very inclined to work in the region.

Education and industry go hand in hand. The IT hubs are today based in places which are also educational hubs, may it be Bangalore, Pune or the National Capital region. With a cluster of institutes coming up in the region there is now more likelihood of related industries coming up in the region.

There are thousands of students who pass out every year. Only a handful of them are clear with the institute they want to go to and also have the requisite marks as well as financial resources for that. The majority, end up falling short of clarity, marks and or may be even money. They look for ideas and opportunities, through which the can choose their career paths. They are susceptible to fall victim to false promises and deceit. No news paper or system can keep track of all of them. It is very important for every parent and student to take their time and see what is really important and then make their choice. Image

A glimpse – Education in North East India

bigstock_Online_Education_11092172

More than a decade ago when my friends first walked into their class as engineering students at a premier engineering institute in Bangalore, the professor asked them what currency do they use in the North East. This is just one such instances that many of North East India still faces in places such as Delhi or Bangalore.

North East of India in my opinion has been ignored in many fronts and one of which is education. We have witnessed some improvement in the past few years; however, left a lot to be desired. Schools are not the cause but the lack of platform hereafter is the real issue – be it is higher education or career opportunities. The region is home to many international standard boarding and public sector schools and they provide high quality education up to 12th standard. Most of these schools follow ICSE, ISC and CBSE, which are of a decent standard. Students here are competent and pass out with a strong and impressive background which makes them competitive in all exams nationwide. It is the higher education that needs immediate scrutiny. We are far behind other universities and colleges in the country. It results in about 60% of the students migrating to another part of the country for better opportunities. A brain drain situation within the country!

I am not a crusader against students looking to study in places such as Delhi or Pune, what my concern is that it should not be a case of options. I strongly believe that many students will prefer to stay if they have the required infrastructure.

A survey of ten representatives, higher and technical education institutions of North Eastern States was conducted that reflected following facts:

• The syllabus has not been updated for more than 10 years in most of these institutions

• No or very few new courses have been added by these institutes to their initial programs, despite the fact that some new areas are emerging   where demand for trained Human Resources is high.

• Institute-Industry Interaction is almost non-existent

• Quality and quantity of qualified faculties are declining at an alarming rate

• Few efforts are made to ensure high ‘quality check’ through recognized agencies like NAAC or NBA accreditation, and where ever it is done,   it is not really followed in letter and spirit

• Compromises at the time of faculty selections are also made frequently due to the reluctance of qualified faculty to join institutions located in    remote places

• The majority of the Institutions was found low on Infrastructure

• Placement for students is a weak link for the majority of the institutionsAll is not gloom, few private universities have opened up around the region that promises quality higher education but they lack experience. These new institutions are working on a trial and error basis which might have proved fruitful in few cases. As the government thrives to bring globalization (world-class infrastructure and job opportunities) to the region, we can probably hope it augurs a change in the higher education system.

Grow Your Business Online – Tourism Industry

Service offered by ZMS:

Online Advertising Promotion

Online advertising can benefit by attracting visitors.

It helps in converting visitors to customers, thereby retaining and growing customers.

Besides, the costing for online ads is extremely affordable yet effective

SEO

The Results are Low Cost.Definite Increase in Traffic.

Higher Brand Credibility, People Trust Google.

Better ROI

Web Content Development

Our Content Management System will help create new content while modifying the existing one.

ZMS would manage, develop and deliver content while keeping it SEO friendly.

Travel Blogs

Our travel blogs will comprise of travel stories, advices as well as travel plans.

Not only will it talk at length about the places to see, but also about places to stay and route map guide.

ZMS would manage, develop and deliver blogs while keeping it SEO friendly.

Audio Video Script

AV scripts help in creating more attention and attracting more viewers.

It will have a video of the place while ZMS would provide the script which talks creatively about every shot.

ZMS can develop the script in an informative as well as creative manner.

E- Marketing & Newsetters

E marketing opens the possibility to a market through personalisation.

ZMS would write personalised newsletters to customers and visitors to increase their exposure area.

This is also extremely low risk and reduced marketing costs drastically.

Social bookmarking

social-media-marketing-strategy.5.2.manual-social-bookmarking-service

Social bookmarking is one of the best ways used by SEO‘s to build backlinks. It is a powerful SEO technique. It improves the ranking of your website. There are many social bookmarking sites which allow its users to share their website page. These social bookmarking sites provide high PR backlinks. Put good quality content on these high page ranked websites and surely they will bring a boost in website traffic and backlinks to your webpage.

Although, there are other methods of increasing backlinks for your website such blogging and article writing and submissions but social bookmarking is quite easier. Blogging and article writing usually takes time and effort. Use of appropriate keywords and optimizing is a big headache. It is easy to share your content by using social bookmarking.It easily drives traffic to your website. Another benefit is that you reach the targeted audience only through social bookmarking. The users can easily identify you and reach you. Your customers can reach you easily and the likelihood of buying your product will be enhanced. On one hand you will improve your search engine rankings and also do good to your business.

For using these social bookmarking websites, you need to build your profile first. You can give a short description there and also add link to your content. You can also interlink your social profile as this will bring authenticity and credibility to your website link.Allow people to share your content as this will also bring popularity. Use social sharing buttons on every page of your website.

Always use appropriate keywords while sharing content. Always use keywords everywhere: in title, in description as well as the link. Always add bookmarks slowly. Remember Rome was not built in one day. Give some time for search engines to identify you. Slowly add links day by day. Build more and more links in social networking sites. Join different communities and interact with other users.Build fans and forum postingsfollowers as you will get your website audience and customers from here. These fans and followers will be the traffic for your website. Do not overdo sharing of your links. Try to interact with others and share their content also. You will gain a boost in your website traffic and find a social bookmarks.

Use unique and quality content for sharing. Quality content will represent your brand. Do not use low quality content as there are chances for you to get flagged as spam. Only share valuable content. Use high PR website and include appropriate keywords for SEO.

How to Have an Internet Presence

There are a variety of ways to set up your business online:

•Content:Every business has to have text somewhere. Maybe your website has detailed descriptions of the products you sell or the services you offer. Maybe you have a blog where you keep your audience updated on the latest news in the fashion world. Whatever your content is, it has to be good. Hire a writer to devise great, high quality content that utilizes SEO keywords. This is an excellent way to get organic rankings on search engines.

•Directory Submissions: Some people say that directory submissions are useless today, but that’s just not true. Submitting your website or links to your content to directories helps search engines to rank those pages. Search engines troll through directories first, which means that if your pages are listed with directories, search engines are more likely to find them.

•E-mail:E-mail marketing is still popular and highly effective. Devise an e-mail marketing campaign that sets you up on a schedule to send a newsletter out every week or month, whichever is best for your type of business. Just be careful of two things: e-mails that look like spam and contacting people who don’t want to be on your list. Some mailing list websites, like MailChimp, will ban your account if you contact too many people who unsubscribe from your list.

•Social Media: We’ve already talked about social media a bit, but it’s a necessary component of your online presence. How do you choose which social media accounts to set up, though? The biggest names in social media are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and now, Google Plus. The type of business you have will determine how you reach customers. For example, Pinterest and Instagram are excellent if you have a visual business, like a wedding photography company or a clothing store. Twitter is great if you don’t have to target nearby consumers. For example, writers can reach people everywhere since they don’t have to find clients in their immediate area.

•Website:If someone’s interested in your company, they’re going to search for your website, which means you need one there to be found. There’s more to having a website than simply setting it up and letting it be, though. You have to keep it updated and you have to make sure important information is front and center. Far too many websites have outdated information or are lacking the important details, like contact information and address.

 The most important thing to remember about setting up your business with an online presence is continuity. You have to be regularly updating your social media accounts, website and newsletter. Consumers are fickle and if you don’t stay in their minds with a regular flow of information, they’ll forget about your business. Not only do you have to provide information on a constant basis  but you should do so on a schedule. For example, it’s best to post to Pinterest on the weekends. Don’t waste your time on that platform during the week, when Facebook and LinkedIn profiles are far more active

 

 

 

 

Online Media Services

Zakti Media Services

Our Mission & Vision 

At Zakti Media Services, we strive to put our utmost efforts to empower the decision making of our clients. Our aim is to provision our clients with long range foresight and advice with the objective of generating sustainable competitive advantage.

 

Zakti Media Services is one of India’s only ‘Total Media Solutions’ companies. We understand the significance of media and its vital contribution in shaping the growth of an organisation. Our experiences in working for UK and US based clients have strongly influenced in our belief of using media as a platform to reach larger audience and consumer.

 

Services offered:-

Branding and marketing:


Revamping the website content

 Portfolio management 

   (feeding enough information in the internet and regular updates)

 Search Engine Optimization

 Newsletter writing

 AV shoot (Video of the institute)

 AV script

 Online ad content

 Banner content