Shoot the moon with a little help form the SFI

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, May 7, 2007
With the results of Class X and XII board exams and competitive exams such as WBJEE and IITJEE expected soon, the Students Federation of India (SFI) has decided to conduct career counselling for these students across the state.
“The SFI will conduct career counselling programmes in all 19 districts in May and June. This is a crucial period for students, as they have to decide about their higher studies, its costs and take the plunge. The SFI will help them in this matter of decision making,” said Apurbo Chatterjee, state secretary of SFI.
This year SFI has decided to give more importance to its units in schools and will also initiate interaction with guardians of students and the career counselling programme is a step forward in that direction.
All SFI local committees will visit homes where a student has appeared in a board or a competitive exam and will ask them to fill up a form. It will record the marks obtained by the students in his or her academic career and also about his ambitions. It will also make a note of the both the students’ proficiencies and drawbacks. The survey would also ascertain whether the student can afford higher studies.
Then students and their guardians would be invited to a day-long convention, where teachers and educationists of the area, will offer counselling on probable careers that might suit the student. SFI members who also work as career counsellors might also offer guidance to students. If there is a demand for a particular career option, then experts in that field will an insider’s view of the profession.
A career guide published by SFI will also be on sale. It will inform students about various educational and professional institutes in the state, admission procedure, fee structure and the cut-off marks for admission in various institutions the previous year.
The SFI would also give economic assistance to those with a cash crunch. “We will collect funds from our members throughout the year to help finance higher education of needy students. We will also approach others to help out,” said Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI.
Those who are weak in studies need not lose heart. “If a student is not good in studies, there is no need for them to worry. We will encourage such students to take up various vocational courses launched by the state,” said Sengupta.
The SFI has also joined hands with Democratic Youth Federation of India, to help those who want to discontinue their studies and start something of their own. Various self-help and entrepreneurship development schemes offered by the state and the methods of availing them will be discussed. They will also get tips about procuring loans for their ventures.
Though students’ groups of the opposition see this as damage control by the SFI post Nandigram and Singur, the SFI has refuted the allegation. “We have organised such events before but on a smaller scale. This time we want to reach out to as many students as possible,” said Sengupta. However, the SFI will organise signature campaigns against the violence in Nandigram in June.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com