At the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM) in Pune, regarded as one of the premier telecom schools in the country, they also teach you how to serve tea and the etiquette that goes with it. And apart from learning about airwaves and how they operate, you?ll be required to discuss social and political issues as well. Moreover, you?ll be egged on to dig into romantic fiction that you thought you had left behind in high school.

Says the institute?s director, Virendra Kapoor, ?Since today?s generation has stopped reading, we try and encourage them to read all kinds of books, apart from their course curriculum that includes marketing and other specialisations.?

Apart from the core areas of wireless and computer technologies, the two-year diploma course also delves into business management, accounting and operations.

Right expressions

In an effort to do away with what Kapoor calls ?poor expressions?, students are encouraged to do book reviews (four in a year), collect articles of interest and make a note of important headlines in newspapers.

The 10-year-old institute?s library, which resembles the coffee shop of any swanky bookstore, is well-stocked and has a diverse collection of books. Kapoor?s efforts towards getting students to read and write are also aimed at improving their writing skills, which will eventually reflect in their managerial expertise.

The stress on reading also comes from the fact that most students have engineering backgrounds and need to brush up on their writing skills.

Given the preponderance of men in this field, the institute has a relatively small percentage of women students ? about 18 to 20 per cent. Each batch comprises 100 students.

Student power

Students at SITM are treated as active partners in running the courses. So they play a major part in the daily administration, placements, public relations, media, events and editorial activities. Besides, they also liaise with the 800 alumni of the institute, conduct management seminars, and help to rope in guest speakers.

Students take part in corporate interaction programmes and exhibitions. These programmes, says Tejas Mokashi, a second-year student, help to connect the academic course to the practical field.

All these, in addition to attending classes, working on research projects and doing a two-month summer training programme!

Jobs galore

In terms of generating employment, students of SITM have an expanding job market in the major Indian cities and beyond.

?Given the changes in the telecom sector, we have a 100 per cent placement rate,? says Kapoor. For instance, China, a major player in the telecom industry, has been opening itself to Symbiosis telecom students. So far three Chinese companies have picked up students from the campus, says Kapoor.

In addition to the telecom sector, students can also look forward to getting jobs in other areas which use IT-enabled services like the software industry, banking and finance and Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs), which, says Kapoor, do not pay well. Otherwise, the average salary of a fresher armed with a degree in telecom management is about Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.

Reena Martins

OLD MEMORIES

Vishal Jain, Senior Consultant, Ernst and Young, Mumbai, on his SITM days

What I liked about SITM was the freedom and liberty to express ideas. If we, as students, suggested modifications in the course structure, they were implemented. And if things did not go as per our plan, we were not blamed, either.

We were encouraged to take the initiative and given recognition for our work. The hand-written assignments brought out my creativity. It was so much better to write with pen and paper rather than to simply cut and paste.

The faculty was a small but dedicated one. As for the course curriculum, there was a fine blend of technology and management. We also had the opportunity to manage a telecom page for a website.

It helped me to be on the academics committee, with the responsibility of inviting guest lecturers.

As told to Reena Martins