If you want to make the world a better place for the entire human race, this is the course for you. Institute of Career Studies lends a helping hand :-
Dept of social work, Jamia Millia Islamia

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Pictures of International NGO workshops held in Wellington

Established in 1967, the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, was the first institute to offer a bachelor of social work (BSW) course in India. It started offering the master of social work course in 1976.

The department’s course design enables students to get sufficient hours of fieldwork experience. Postgraduate students work with NGOs, government social welfare agencies and business organisations for fifty days in a year. The institute’s community outreach programme was instrumental in the setting up of the Zakir Husain Memorial Welfare Society and the Child Guidance Centre.

The University Grants Commission accorded the department DSA status in 1991 and provided infrastructure support under UGC-ASHISS programme in 2005.

The institute has an active placement cell and most students are placed by the time they complete the course. Apart from BSW and MSW, the institute also offers a doctoral course in social work, a masters programme in HR as well as two part-time postgraduate diploma courses in NGO management and child rights.

The prospectus and application form is available from the third week of April. Write to the Manager, M/S Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025 for the form. A demand draft worth Rs 200 — drawn in favour of the Registrar, Jamia Millia Islamia and payable at Delhi / New Delhi — should be enclosed with the request. For further details, log on to the university website (www.jmi.nic.in).

Eligibility:

Applicants must have a three-year bachelors degree in social work, sociology, psychology, economics, political science or history. Those with a BA (pass) must have any two of the following subjects: sociology, psychology, economics, political science and history with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in aggregate. Candidates who have a BSc (hons) in home science with a 50 per cent aggregate can also apply. Graduates in any discipline other than those mentioned above need to have a minimum of 55 per cent aggregate from a recognised university.

Entrance exam

The entrance examination is usually held in the second week of June in Delhi.

Pattern of exam

The one-and-a-half hour test has mostly objective-type questions on social awareness (50 per cent weightage), English (25 per cent) and logical reasoning (25 per cent weightage). There is also one subjective question (with internal choice) and candidates have to write approximately 300 words on the (social) issue. There is no negative marking. The test is followed by group discussion and an interview.

How to prepare:

Prepare for your social awareness paper by keeping yourself updated on social issues. You must read newspapers and magazines related to social awareness regularly. You could also refer to the book on economics and social issues by Upkar publishers. The Yojana magazine also has relevant and thoughtful articles on current social issues.

To crack the English questions, practise your grammar and usage from A.S. Hornby’s book as well as from Wren and Martin’s grammar book.

Brush up your reasoning skills to tackle the logical reasoning section from books like Logical Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal and Test of Reasoning by Edgar Thorpe.

Sample test paper:

Name the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights who visited Myanmar to form an objective picture of the crisis in that country.
a) Paolo Sergio Pinherio
b) Asha Rose Migiro
c) Dr Margaret Chan
d) Jacques Diouf

Find out which pair of words can be filled up in the blanks to make the sentence meaningfully complete. The ___ experience of the past months will leave deep emotional ___ on the mind of the child.
a) traumatic; love
b) horrifying; attachment
c) searing; scars
d) fearful; appeal

B is C’s husband. A is the sister of B. D is the sister of C. How is D related to A?
a) brother-in-law
b) brother
c) son
d) cousin
e) none of these

Suggest three effective measures for implementation of proper, timely and corruption-free centrally sponsored rural development schemes in the country.

OR

Indian society must discharge its responsibilities towards persons with disabilities, where it has failed so far. Give arguments for and against this view.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)