Youth Connect

How to ace your job interview
No matter how many degrees and other academic accolades you possess, if you don’t impress during your interview, it will not matter much. ABHISHEK KARMALI A job interview is the most crucial part of a company’s recruitment process in selecting the right candidate for a position. For any aspiring job seeker, the job interview can be the ultimate make-or-break moment in their journey in landing the perfect job. Here are a few pointers to help you out: Research the company Ensure you have knowledge about the company’s history, the founder, the top management, the product portfolio of the company, the markets in which the company has a presence, its competitors, market share, and any other information which has kept the company in the news in recent times. Research the job profile you are applying Be very clear about what the job you are applying for will entail. Find out what are the primary responsibilities of the person who will work with that job profile. This knowledge will help you modify your resume to include and focus on certain qualities or experience you possess which would make you more suitable for the job. Also, you will be a lot […]

Teacher-student bonds that shape lives
With Teachers’ Day around the corner, a few youngsters tell NT KURIOCITY which teacher or teachers have had a significant impact on their personal growth and why RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY As another Teachers Day (September 5) draws close, it is a perfect time to reflect on cherished memories and impactful instances that underscore the profound influence teachers have on their students. From life lessons in the classroom and heart-warming interactions beyond textbooks, NT KURIOCITY highlights the enduring teacher-student relationships that leave an indelible mark. “During my college days at Don Bosco College, Panaji, I gained more exposure to extra-curricular activities because the teachers were so supportive and always pushed us to do something new! One such professor was Ma’am Avril Antao. Not only did she teach us from books and syllabus but she taught us life lessons which I will remember for the rest of my life. She believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. One such incident was a college event that led me to take responsibility, be accountable, and learn from my mistakes.” – Lilly Dias, sales and marketing, Panaji “The turning point in my life was when I participated in a patriotic […]

Poor IQ or wrong learning style?
Schools and teachers need to recognise the most suitable learning style for each student ABHISHEK KARMALI Our education system has always emphasised on Intelligence Quotient (IQ), more so, on the ability of students to memorise concepts and reproduce the same in their examinations. The pedagogy and teaching style have long focused on lecture methodology. Students with higher IQ are more likely to have a higher grasping power and higher level of adaptability which automatically puts them at a huge advantage over a student with a lower IQ. This is where understanding the most effective learning styles of different students comes into play. The one-glove-fits -all type of approach in schools needs to go. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) IQ is mostly measured through standardised tests. It is a numerical representation of an individual’s cognitive abilities which include, mental capabilities like reasoning, problem-solving, abstract thinking, language, attention, and memory. IQ tests were developed in the early part of the 20th century and were sold as the great invention which can assess an individual’s intelligence. In spite of the criticism faced by some quarters for using one standard method for accessing intelligence for everyone, IQ continues to be the most widely used and […]

Laying down the path to success
Montfort Academy, Corlim, which is dedicated to uplifting the youth and helping them achieve a sustainable livelihood through career-oriented programmes, will complete 25 years this December. We get more details RAMANDEEP KAUR| NT It’s essential to empower the youth and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to have a sustainable livelihood. And by offering career-oriented programmes, the Montfort Academy, Corlim, is helping to bridge the gap between education and employment, ensuring that the youth are well-prepared for the job market. Started in 1998 to help the local youth, especially, those who are not able to pursue their academics, and create facilities for them to learn some skills, the academy is a sister concern institute of St. Joseph’s High School & Boys’ Home in Calangute. It belongs to the Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel, a French congregation, and comes under the Province of Pune which covers seven states of India including Goa. And the institute, which will complete 25 years this December, has steadily evolved over the years. “We started in a small manner with non-formal training programmes like fabrication, carpentry, plumbing, and fitter,” says director and principal of the Montfort Academy, Corlim, Bro. Prem SG. The academy then […]

International MoU facilitates training opportunity for culinary students in the U.S.
An MoU was signed between TransUSA Exchange, a leading international student exchange organisation and Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts Goa-based culinary students will now have an opportunity to intern and train at well-known hotels and restaurants in the United States of America, as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TransUSA Exchange, a leading international student exchange organisation and Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Verna. As per the MoU between TransUSA Exchange and Kamaxi College, culinary students enrolled in the latter institute will be offered a comprehensive work-based training programme with a range of benefits, including competitive hourly wages, visa assistance, medical insurance, on-duty meals and accommodation support. The internship and training programme will enable students to work in empanelled hotels and fine-dine restaurants on a J1 visa for a duration of up to 12 months, which is extendable. Students will also have the opportunity to earn between $20-30 per hour, depending on their qualifications and the type of work they undertake. While students of KCCA will get priority access to the opportunities available, Kamaxi is committed to assisting any hospitality student seeking to benefit from this partnership. “The objective of the MoU is to provide students with the […]

Young minds build a drivetrain robot
US-based student Daffny Cardoso along with her high school’s robotics team, the Steel Hawks, designed a two-week curriculum, under Project India 2.0, aimed at teaching mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and programming to the students of the Regina Martyrum High School, Assolna RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT Daffny Cardoso has always been interested in building robots be it for school projects or when constructing Lego kits. Recently, she worked on Project India 2.0 at the Regina Martyrum High School in Assolna, wherein she taught mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science to 12 students from Class 6 to 8, ultimately guiding them to build a drivetrain robot. “I was truly amazed by the skills showcased by the students and proud of their end result of building a working drivetrain robot. The robot performed the functions of moving forward, backwards, and turning,” she says. Born and raised in New York, USA, Cardoso’s parents hail from Goa; her dad is from Assolna and her mom is from Velim. A student of Townsend Harris High School, New York, her robotics team, the Steel Hawks, builds robots that compete for First Robotics Competitions, a competition where the robots are put up against each other to complete […]

Empowering early childhood
‘Kaleidoscope of Life’, a daycare and activity centre initiated in 2016 in Panaji has been filling a gap in the childcare system. RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT In today’s world of gadgets, ‘Kaleidoscope of Life’ tries to build a no-gadget zone for kids and help them to achieve three forms of intelligence like the Intelligence Quotient – IQ, the Emotional Quotient – EQ and the Social Quotient – SQ. The initiative was started in 2016 by Nayantara Ray, a Bengali who made Goa her home in 2009 after her husband had to move for work. Having lived in Delhi for a long time, she says that daycare or childcare facilities were easily found and were also commonly chosen by young working couples. However, when she moved to Goa in 2016 and wanted to start working, she noticed a lack of such facilities. “This highlighted a gap in childcare options for working women in Goa. Despite being independent and working, Goan women often relied on traditional methods of childcare, such as leaving their kids with grandparents or relatives. To address this gap and provide a formal daycare facility, I decided to open ‘Kaleidoscope of Life’, she adds. The name reflects their goal […]

Empowering dreams: Industrial visits to be held for special students
The Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera have initiated a collaborative effort to organise industrial field visits for students of various special schools in Goa. This initiative aims to provide over 3,500 students with opportunities to explore real-life industrial settings and is being done under the guidance of Rotary Club president Danzil Xavier, and project coordinator Tanvi Doshi Sawant. The state commissioner for persons with disabilities Guruprasad Pawaskar says, “This collaboration is a novel idea to help channelise life ahead for students from special schools. It will give them a great opportunity to understand their potential and build on it as creating an inclusive society is the larger aim. Through such interfaces, a lot of positive change and a planned pathway can be worked on.” Pawaskar further says that industrial visits have long been recognised as an effective way to broaden horizons and enrich learning experiences for students. “For children with special needs, including those with autism spectrum disorder, such visits offer unique benefits. The exposure to diverse industries, processes, and technologies can significantly enhance their understanding of the world around them,” he says, adding that one of the key […]

The power of resilience
Siya Sarode, a powerlifter from Sanguem, won four medals, including two golds, at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games held in Berlin. The hardships in life keep coming, but she doesn’t give up easily RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY No matter who you are and where you come from, anything is possible if you have the will and desire to do it. Powerlifter Siya Sarode is one such example. Sarode recently won a record four medals – two gold medals (deadlift and squat), bronze in bench press and silver in combine lift – at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. The Sanguem-based athlete’s journey to the huge win is a testament to her unwavering determination and the immense support she received from her family, coaches, community and the government. From a young age, Sarode, a slow learner, faced a number of challenges due to her disabilities, but she never allowed them to define her. At first, she was enrolled at a regular school. But it was soon noticed that she needed special attention. Currently, a student of Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Curchorem, she lives with her uncle and his family. Despite the lack of proper transportation and […]

How to choose the right college
A wrong choice of college can not only put a major financial strain on the parents but can also hamper the career progression of the student ABHISHEK S. KARMALI Having worked at the higher education level for over two decades, I have observed that a vast majority of students have little idea on how to choose the right college to pursue a degree of their interest. Educational institutes today charge lakhs of rupees as fees and a wrong choice of college can not only put major financial strain on the parents but can also hamper the career progression of the student. If you leave out the top-notch premier institutions like the IITs, IIMs, NITs, AIIMS, etc. where a select few smart students get admissions, the vast majority of students complete their education in relatively lesser-known institutions. Hence, there is a need to do thorough research on the institutions before committing your money and future to it. Here is a ready-to-use checklist for choosing the right college/university for admission: 1. Understand yourself and define your career goals: Based on the career you seek to pursue, chart out the educational roadmap which will help you get there. It’s also important to understand […]

Going global
A group of students from Goa are all set to represent India at the First Global Challenge 2023, an international robotics competition that will be held in October in Singapore By: KALYANI JHA A young robotics team from Goa, Team LegoGoa is all set to represent India at the First Global Challenge (FGC) to be held from October 7 to 10 in Singapore. The five-member team which includes Sai Pranav Gandhi, Apurva Katkar, Atharv Sakhalkar, Venkatesh Dempo, and Viraj Marathe are mentored and groomed by LegoGoa, a six-year-old community club pursuing robotics and inspiring tech-savvy kids to aim higher. First Global Challenge is an international robotics competition held in Olympic style, featuring participation from the world over. The contest, which sees participation from over 180 countries every year, intends to bring sports and science and technology together to inspire youth to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields and develop relevant skills required in solving current pressing problems of the planet with an edge of science and technology. STEM Education Trust, the official partner of First Global for selecting Team India floated the application for teams interested in participation at the global event some months ago and received around […]

Empowering marginalised youth
Don Bosco’s Open School in Parra provides a second chance for academic success and holistic development AARON FURTADO Established in 1999, the Don Bosco’s Open School, Parra, which was headed by a Salesian Brother, Anthony Rocha, has become a ray of hope for academically-challenged youngsters, offering them a second chance to complete their Class 10 and 12 education while equipping them with essential life skills. “At the heart of Don Bosco’s educational philosophy lies the holistic development of the young, as envisioned by our founder, Don Bosco. Guided by the Preventive System of Education, which emphasises reason, religion, and loving kindness, we strive to empower our students to live with dignity in society and become agents of transformation for a better tomorrow,” says director of Don Bosco’s Open School Fr. Wilfred Fernandes. Open schooling, a form of open and distance learning, provides flexible education opportunities up to pre-degree level. Unlike traditional educational institutions, this form of schooling allows students to study and work from the comfort of their homes. They can attend Personal Contact Programme (PCP) classes to enhance their subject knowledge and seek guidance from dedicated teachers at the school. To enroll in the open school, students must meet […]

The winning moves
Inika Hadfadkar, who recently won the gold medal in the freestyle dance category at the 3rd Mount Everest International Music & Dance Sports Championship 2023 at Tribhuvan University Kathmandu, Nepal, speaks to NT KURIOCITY RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY Dancing has always been Inika Hadfadkar’s passion. “I have loved dancing ever since I was a child but it was in Class 9 that things changed. There was a dance competition in my school and I decided to give it a try. The response I got from the audience was impressive and that’s when I realised that I have the potential and decided to grow as an artiste,” shares Hadfadkar, who then taught herself belly dancing before attending dance workshops and training in Latin dancing. And the 20-year-old recently represented India at the 3rd Mount Everest International Music and Dance Sports Championship held at Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu in Nepal where she won gold medal in the freestyle dance category. “Winning this medal was amazing as this was the first time I represented India. In fact, I did not expect it at all as I did not have enough time for rehearsals. I thought at most I’d probably make it to the […]

AI is the way to go
There is a huge demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts in the industry owing to growing desire by people for automation in every sphere of life Abhishek S. Karmali What comes to our mind when we think about Artificial Intelligence? The most obvious examples are of Siri, the virtual voice assistant on Apple devices, and Alexa which is the virtual voice assistant that drives Amazon devices. In more recent times, Chat-GPT is the most recognisable AI system that has revolutionised the way we use AI in our day-to-day lives. Chat-GPT is an open-source language model which generates human-like text responses to any questions posed to it. The growth of AI, the recreation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn like humans, has been significant in the last decade. There is a growing demand for AI technologies across different sectors. The two major factors driving this growth are the advancements in AI-related technology and willingness of the industry to adopt AI because of the ever-increasing demand by consumers for automation in every sphere of their lives. This growth of AI has also led to a huge demand for AI experts in the industry. Roles and responsibilities for AI […]

GU team’s research wins the Best Student Paper Award
The paper on ‘Empirical Analysis of Oral and Nasal Vowels of Konkani’ won at the 10th Language and Technology Conference (LTC 2023) in Poland. NT KURIOCITY gets you the details RAMANDEEP KAUR Konkani is a highly nasalised language which makes it unique among Indo-Aryan languages. The research paper, ‘Empirical Analysis of Oral and Nasal Vowels of Konkani’ investigates the acoustic-phonetic properties of Konkani oral and nasal vowels. The research by Swapnil Fadte (assistant professor, Computer Science and Technology Discipline, Goa Business School- Goa University), Edna Vaz (Government College of Arts Science and Commerce Quepem, and Department of Linguistics, University of Mumbai), Atul Kumar Ojha (adjunct lecturer and postdoctoral fellow at the College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Ireland), Ramdas Karmali (assistant professor at Goa University) and Jyoti D. Pawar (professor and dean of Goa Business School) was recently presented by Fadte at the 10th Language and Technology Conference (LTC 2023): Human Language Technologies as a Challenge for Computer Science and Linguistics held in Poznan, Poland. For this study, speech samples from six speakers (three male and three female) were collected. A total of 74 unique sentences were used as part of the recording script, 37 each for oral […]

New kid on the block
Goa-based start-up Smol Block makes toys that are not only sustainable but also safe for children and promote open learning via play RAMANDEEP KAUR| NT KURIOCITY At Smol Block, a niche toy company in Goa, play, learning, and sustainability go hand-in-hand. The company which manufactures eco-friendly wooden toys styled in minimalist Scandinavian designs is part of Nordic Intent, a Porvorim-based umbrella firm. A mechanical design engineer by profession, co-founder of Smol Block Aaron D’Costa, had the opportunity to work in Germany, where he specialised in designing medical diagnostic equipment. Post his stint, he returned to Goa to get involved in the wooden toy segment and eventually founded Smol Block in 2022. The other co-founders of Smol Block are Caleb Fernandez, Judah Fernandez, and Aaron Fernandez. “The idea for Smol Block originated in the loft of my apartment in South Goa, where I collaborated with my friends. We were a small team, using a few machines to build prototypes. Currently, we are a team of educators, makers, artists, and parents working together with a shared goal of developing toys that promote learning and inspire creativity in children,” says D’Costa. The start-up’s mission is to offer products that not only delight but […]

BBV students perform street act on G20 Summit
Under the Jan Bhagidari programme, a five-minute street play on G20 Summit, creating awareness about climate change was performed by seven students of Bal Bharati Vidyamandir, Ribandar at Panaji KTC Bus Stand. They were guided by headmistress Apolonia Fernandes along with teachers Mamata Parsekar, Shridhar Garde and Rohit Naik.

GIM organises ‘Sustainable Expedition’
The students and faculty of the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Sanquelim, recently organised a ‘Sustainable Expedition’, an educational walk through campus, in order to spread awareness about the various sustainable initiatives undertaken on the campus related to energy, water, waste, and biodiversity. GIM has always been conscious of the impact of its decisions on the ecosystem around it and has continuously strived to reduce its carbon footprint. Along with measures like rainwater harvesting, solar-powered street lamps, treatment of water for reuse, tree plantation drives, and more, the institute has expressed its commitment to this philosophy through its mission statement which talks about sustainable business and inclusive society for India and the world. The GIM campus has also gained global recognition for the several path-breaking sustainability measures taken by the institute, in collaboration with the students, to meet the UN sustainable development goals. Chair of Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Development (CESD), associate professor at GIM, Arpita Amarnani says, “Initially, we focused on documenting the existing biodiversity on the campus with the help of the Goa State Biodiversity Board and other local experts in the field. This year, we plan to focus on developing awareness and creating a plan to […]

BBA or BCom?
As a career counsellor one of the most common questions, I am faced with, especially by students who complete their Class 1 in commerce is whether they should opt for the BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) degree or the BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) degree at graduation level. Unfortunately, instead of making informed decisions, the common reasons for choosing one programme over the other is because of parents’ influence, depending on where one’s friends take admission, or still worse, just because one degree appears to be more glamorous than the other. In the Indian context, both BBA and BCom are popular undergraduate degree programmes in the field of commerce and business. While there are certain similarities, there are also some major differences between the two. Curriculum The BBA programme focuses primarily on management and business-related subjects like marketing, finance, human resources, operations, entrepreneurship, organisational behaviour and other general management courses. The programme focuses more on practical learning through internships in organisations, and on personality building of the student. A lot of emphasis is on making the student a good communicator with the ability to handle real organisational situations rather than just rote learning. The BCom programme on the other hand provides […]

Anticipating the new in June
For students, the new year actually begins in June. An academic year calls for new dreams, goals, and a lot more. By: Aaron Furtado As the calendar flips to the month of June, it brings a unique sense of anticipation and excitement. While it marks the beginning of monsoons here in Goa (delayed this time around), for students it often signifies a transition period and with it comes a wave of emotions, aspirations, and reflections. June is the time when students get accustomed to new classrooms and textbooks, and eagerly embrace the promises of the future. It is a juncture where their perspectives, hopes, and dreams take centre stage. For parents of kindergarteners, June brings mixed emotions. Navilla Fernandes, a parent of a kindergartener studying at Perpetual Convent High School says, “As June approaches, there are a lot of things going on in the mind of a kindergarten parent. I feel anxious as my little one will be leaving his cosy home to learn and socialise with other children of the same age. There are no specific activities as such that I make my child follow to get ready for kindergarten but I always keep some time to teach a […]

Mind your language
‘Taatung Tatung and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Diverse Languages’, a new book by Vaishali Shroff, is a call for action to preserve our linguistic diversity RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT Having published over 250 stories, both fiction and non-fiction, in books, textbooks, magazines, newspapers, and digital media, across Indian and international publishing houses, Vaishali Shroff’s recent release, ‘Taatung Tatung and Other Amazing Stories of India’s Diverse Languages’, is an eye-opening and fascinating account of our dying languages and scripts. It also seeks to mobilise people to preserve our linguistic diversity. Published by Penguin, India, the seeds for this book, says Shroff, were sown in the rock shelters of Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. “I realised that, as humans, we have always had the power and ability to create our own languages. At the same time, we also use the same power and intellect to destroy languages. This in turn, leads to the death of identities, cultures, traditions, and precious indigenous knowledge that one loses forever,” says the award-winning author, scriptwriter, and columnist. Thus, it became a personal quest for Shroff to understand our linguistic diversity, the evolution of languages, their connection with our identities, and how we as a community, can […]

Rosary H.S. Cujira, holds annual school fete
Rosary High School at Cujira-Bambolim recently staged its annual school fete at the Taleigao Community Centre. The event saw students put up various entertainment programmes. In addition, there were game stalls, and food and mocktails counters organised by teachers along with the PTA members. There was a photo booth with attractive masks and signs that people could take photos with while the lucky dip counter was a favourite. The fete also had a counter where students’ artworks were exhibited and sold. A jumble sale counter also sold items at very reasonable prices. RJ Ayesha Barretto, an ex-student, compered the event and appealed to all the ex-students to join the Ex-Students Association.

Flying high
Mayur Uday Deshpande conducts workshops for students in drone making. NT KURIOCITY learns more about him and drones KALYANI JHA | NT An electronics and communication engineer from the KLE College of Engineering and Technology, Belagavi, Mayur Uday Deshpande is an entrepreneur, who also has three years’ experience in drones and robotics. He is the co-founder of Mouserise, a start-up developing new-age smartphone charging accessories, which takes up most of his time. But on weekends and during his free time, he shares his expertise in robotics and drones by conducting workshops for students. “This started in 2017. I had good knowledge of robotics and Arduino programming and side-by-side engineering was going on. Along with my friends in engineering college, I used to organise workshops in robotics and drones. I started again in 2022 after a gap of two years, taking classes on weekends and during the summer,” says Deshpande. When he was a student, drones were not commonly used. They had just been introduced in the market and had a reputation as a luxury asset. “In foreign countries, there are RC (remote control) groups that make remote control aircraft models. A company called DJI had just started building professional-level videographer […]

Building bright futures
Rotary EduExpo ‘23, to be held on May 20 and May 21, showcases an educational bouquet to students in pursuit of a bright future RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT Rotary EduExpo ‘23 is a curated exhibition that endeavours to showcase institutions of higher learning, both nationally and internationally, to students in Goa and nearby areas. It is for those desirous of pursuing higher education in sciences, humanities, computer applications, law, visual arts, finance, aviation, sports and sports management, architecture, health care management, hotel management and other verticals in the ever-evolving sphere of education. Leading universities, consultancy firms, hospitality institutes and aviation institutes have confirmed their participation. The Expo is being held on May 20 and 21 at the Don Bosco Oratory in Panaji. It will be inaugurated on May 20 by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the presence of Panaji Mayor, Rohit Monserrate, deputy mayor Sanjeev S. Naik, district governor of Rotary Club of Panaji Venkatesh Deshpande and IPDG Rotary Club of Panaji, Gaurish Dhond. Followed by a panel discussion on ‘Education & Career Enrichment Opportunities’, featuring founder and managing director of Kineco Limited Shekhar Sardesai, director of Mines & Geology Suresh Shanbhogue, director of Goa Institute of Management Ajit Parulekar, senior […]

Parlez-vous français?
To be organised by the French Institute in India, the International Training for Teachers of French 2023 in Goa aims to create a better teaching methodology The French Institute in India (Institut Français en Inde – IFI), in collaboration with Goa University, has announced the organisation of the International Training for Teachers of French 2023, which will take place from May 22 to May 26. This training will host around 70 teachers of French from India and neighbouring countries. Since 2015, this is the 8th edition of the programme organised by the French Institute in India. All participants will attend a training of 30 hours (2×15-hour modules) during the week on specific aspects of teaching methodology. The training programme will be conducted by four expert trainers from France and India. The training programme will cover a variety of topics such as introducing the Francophone world in French language classes, using phonetics to improve pronunciation, developing a systematic and efficient lesson plan adapted to Indian language class, teaching grammar in an action-oriented approach, developing learners› oral skills, and using assessment to improve the learning process. The opening ceremony will be held on May 22 at 9 a.m. in the presence of […]

NRI students embrace culinary journey in India
Tourists from India and abroad who come to Goa on holiday get to savour global and Indian cuisine in the coastal state. Goa appears to be the choice for young Indian students and those who have returned to India to follow their culinary goals professionally. Someone like 19-year-old Gadha Seema Gireesh, who left for Saudi Arabia at a young age, is pursuing her second year in B.Sc. Culinary Arts at V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE), Raia. She dreams of learning culinary skills under a Michelin-star chef and maybe open a restaurant of her own but for now, she chose Goa to learn culinary craft. She says, “Cooking has always been my passion and I realised I could turn it into my profession. I aim to work in a restaurant and learn under a Michelin-star chef, ultimately opening a restaurant of my own.” Gireesh is not alone in choosing Goa for exploring culinary dreams. And there’s a reason for it. Goa is already on the international tourism map and its profile as a tourism and culinary destination has been beefed up in recent times, thanks to the explosion of world-class cafés and restaurants that have mushroomed. Aleena […]

Sabreena Shah talks from the heart
In a bid to bring to the fore, ordinary individuals and their extraordinary stories and achievements, The Navhind Times organized a talk with body positive campaigner, Sabreena Shah who shared her amazing story of her trials and tribulations of living with Polycystic Ovarian Disorder (PCOD) and overcoming the same. Sabreena began with a brief introduction about herself and recounted the onset of the disorder at age 15. She narrated how the first panic attack made her realize something was amiss. From the initial misdiagnosis to learning about the condition, she spoke from her heart. “When the doctor finally diagnosed I had PCOD, I was clueless about the disorder. I was terrified and thought I was going to die since I had never heard of it. There wasn’t much information about it then,” she said and went on to explain about the disorder and syndrome through a PowerPoint presentation. From the symptoms to the treatment, she spoke knowledgeably from her personal experience and in-depth study. She then spoke about the humiliation and ridicule she faced as a bearded girl and said,” It was extremely traumatic. The stares, the whispers, the grins and laughs were often just too much. There were days, […]

Goan students build automatic fish sorting system
With the aim of helping locals and small scale industries to eliminate manpower, save time, and thereby make the segregation of fish more efficient, four students from Agnel Institute of Technology and Design, Assagao worked on developing a fish sorting system which uses image processing. The group comprised of Sahil Deosekar, Gauri Halankar, Amey Patil, and Devashree Samant. The team was mentored by professor, Gauri Gaunekar and professor, Mrunal Sawant. “On an average fish consumption in Goa is 70 to 90 tonnes a day. Being the staple food of Goans, the demand for fish in the local market has increased and so has the cost,” says Deosekar. However, according to Halankar, several tasks are involved between the catch of fish to selling it. “One of them is sorting the fish on the basis of different sizes. Since a standard type of net is used, fish of different sizes are caught at a time,” she says. Segregation of fish based on sizes is a must as the cost of the fish depends upon its size; larger the size more expensive is the fish as compared to smaller ones of the same species. Generally, fish is manually sorted by size using 10 […]

Your career matters
In its continuous endeavour to share knowledge, improve skills and introduce new ideas, The Navhind Times has been organising workshops, seminars and competitions since 2011. In its latest venture, Your Career Matters, various popular, as well as uncommon professions, will be highlighted. The maiden interaction will be with some of the top RJs of Goa who will speak about radio jockeying as a career. Maria Fernandes | NT Kuriocity If things like music programming, scripting, presenting radio shows, radio advertisements and lending voice to audio magazines and documentaries seem interesting to you, a career as a radio jockey (RJ) is something you can consider. Radio is not only the fastest growing but also a very popular segment in the media sector today. Thanks to the various innovative approaches of the new channels that have entered the scenario in recent times, the popularity of radio is at an all-time high. RJs who run the shows are celebrities in their own right. Take for example our very own Shakuntala Bharne and Alfie of FM Rainbow, Ayesha Barretto of Radio Indigo and Uday Chari of Big FM, whose voices have charmed us over the years and kept us informed and entertained. Radio jockeying […]

Students from St. Xavier’s learn how to face job interviews
The next step college students have to face in their lives is facing job interviews. It is very important for them to be prepared for this as it can enable them to get their dream job. These skills can be very beneficial later on in life. At St. Xavier’s College, Ms Runa Menezes conducted an ‘Interview Facing Skills’ workshop for some final year students from different courses. She is the founder of Speaking Studio which is a persona and skill development centre. It was an interactive session where students took part in activities like sharing their concerns about interviews. Ms Menezes used video clips to show the students how to answer certain interview questions. She spoke about the significance of body language and taught them about good/ bad posture, proper eye contact, how to give proper handshakes, and so on. The students also got other tips like researching the organization they want to join and what to wear on the day of the interview.

Overcoming mental health problems
The Counselling Cell of M.E.S College of Arts and Commerce, Zuarinagar, organised an interactive session for the students on the topic: ‘Enhancing Mental Health among Adolescents’. Dr Ravi Agrawal a consultant psychiatrist at Manipal Hospital- Panaji and Samir Walavalkar, a psychotherapist were the resource persons for this session. Dr Ravi Agarwal spoke of the vulnerability of young people to mental problems. He also emphasized that enhancing resilience through cultivating the right attitude, learning life skills and indulging in a hobby would help in overcoming mental health problems among the youth. On the other hand, Samir Walavalkar, asserted that being aware of individual problems is the key to enhance resilience in young people and stated that negative emotions are harmful when a person cannot control the intensity, frequency, and duration with which these emotions are expressed. He shared four tips with the students – being aware of one‘s feelings, accepting them, analysing them and applying them appropriately to maintain healthy relationships.