Should I force my daughter to do PG in BAMS?

Ans: Hello dear.
If you are Pune-based, prefer CSE @ MIT WPU. But if you are ready to shift any location, then prefer Manipal Jaipur. The final choice will be yours.

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: Pursuing complementary courses and skill development alongside a four-year BBA (Hons with Research) equips graduates for competitive campus placements by strengthening analytical, technical, managerial, digital and interpersonal competencies. Enrolling in a Digital Marketing Certification sharpens SEO, social media and content strategy abilities, aligning with 90% of companies hiring marketing associates. Mastering Advanced Excel & Power BI through certified programs builds data-visualization and dashboarding expertise valued by 49% of recruiters, while Data Analytics courses using Python and Tableau instill analytical problem-solving and predictive modeling skills essential for 53% of hiring managers. Completing a Project Management Professional or short-term Six Sigma Green Belt course enhances planning, risk management and leadership acumen prized by recruiters. Simultaneously, structured Business Communication and Public Speaking workshops develop the teamwork, communication and critical-thinking proficiencies that 57–55% of recruiters prioritize in new hires. Together, these certifications strengthen academic foundations, demonstrate proactive learning, and signal job-readiness for diverse roles in finance, consulting, marketing and operations.

Recommendation: Embrace certifications in Digital Marketing, Advanced Excel & Power BI, Data Analytics and Project Management to augment technical and managerial capabilities, supported by targeted Business Communication training to ensure holistic employability. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Hello dear.
She has a chance to get tech branches in reputed colleges. Prefer AIML @ DJ if she is offered.

Good luck.
Follow me if you receive this reply.
Radheshyam

Ans: Rank in which exam? JEE or any other State Engineering Entrance Exam or Private College Engineering Entrance Exam?

Ans: Nidamarthi, you haven’t mentioned which program you’ve been allotted at IIIT-Allahabad—hopefully it's ECE. Both IIIT-A and RVCE are strong choices. If you are a female candidate from Karnataka, RVCE-CSE may be a more comfortable and convenient option. For male candidates, IIIT-A ECE could offer broader national exposure and opportunities. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Having separate CBSE and NIOS 12th-board certificates will not hinder campus recruitments at REVA University, as placements rely on your B.Tech degree eligibility rather than your secondary board credentials. REVA’s AI/ML-CSE branch has achieved around 90% placement over the past three years through its Career Development Centre and industry tie-ups. VIT Bhopal’s Health Informatics programme, though open to PCB entrants under Category-2, benefits from VIT’s centralized placement system—boasting a 90%+ placement rate and major recruiters like Microsoft, Amazon and TCS. However, Health Informatics is more niche than core AI/ML-CSE. Both institutions provide strong labs, accredited curricula, faculty expertise, research opportunities and active industry collaborations.

Recommendation: Choose REVA University CSE (AI/ML) for its direct alignment with AI/ML careers and consistently high placement percentages; consider VIT Bhopal Health Informatics as a backup for its robust infrastructure and centralized VIT placement network & if you are interested in this branch. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Prakash, DA-IICT’s M.Tech (ICT) with a Machine Learning specialization provides a focused curriculum combining core and elective ML courses, two-tier project work including a thesis option, mentorship by experienced ML faculty and access to HPC and GPU-based labs for research-led teaching, with near-total industry engagement reflected in 60% placement mid-stream and strong internship tie-ups. IIIT Lucknow’s CCMT-allotted M.Tech in Computer Science offers a rigorous two-year program with advanced coursework, project flexibility, well-equipped computing, language and security labs, modern classrooms and 100% M.Tech placement over the last three years, driven by top recruiters and a transparent placement cell. Both institutes hold NAAC A++-equivalent accreditation and foster industry collaboration and research, yet differ in placement momentum and lab specialization.

Recommendation:
IIIT Lucknow CS M.Tech excels with flawless placement outcomes, comprehensive infrastructure and industry-integrated pedagogy; DA-IICT ML is ideal for specialized machine learning research and hands-on GPU computing, offering a deep focus in ML domains and flexible thesis options. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Hi,

Your Financials look reasonably good even with some liabilities. Your liabilities stand at about 28% of your assets and 12.5 times your income, which is a healthy ratio by itself.

Your PF amount should not be considered for the purpose you have mentioned and let it remain for retirement. This amount may be earning about 8%, but its completely tax exempt and you should only think to withdraw post retirement.

You have mentioned 5 lakhs in other investments, you will need to evaluate these for liquidity and returns to support the below recommendations. If they are earning better returns than loan rates mentioned then do continue, else you can consider to liquidate and service the loan.

Car Loan -
Your car loan of 6 lakhs is at 9.2%, which I am sure is higher than the returns on your FDs. Returns from FDs are also taxable and clubbed into your income. Even at 7% interest you are effectively getting lower returns (under 5%) post tax. You will be in the highest tax backet based on income. So the car loan should be immediately closed with amounts from the FDs.

Home Loan -
You must be claiming some tax benefits for the home loan in your taxes. You can similarly decide if the benefits is better than the FD returns. Without EMI details, I can only assume and in a lot of cases they are better and hence claiming tax benefits continues. Also with your financial standing you can continue and build wealth now as the returns from Mutual fund investments will out weigh the pre-payment on the loan.
In numbers, lets consider you pay off the home loan amount of 29 lakhs in 5 years, your monthly contribution will be 57K and you would have paid approx. 34.25 lakhs to the bank. If you invest the same 57k monthly in Mutual funds, you would accumulate 47 lakhs in 5 years at 12% returns.

So yes continue with your SIPs and top them up with additional amounts you can and build a good corpus for the future.
Also the remaining FDs amount of 14 lakhs after paying the car loan can be better deployed. Keep about 3 months expenses in FDs and the rest can be moved to a Hybrid Mutual fund (e.g. HDFC balanced advantage fund) to earn better returns.
With 2 daughters, you will be looking to provide them education and better life until they are independent, so every rupee towards that big corpus is going be beneficial in the long run.

Do ensure you have sufficient term life cover and health cover for the family.
You can consult a CFP or a fee based advisor to get a comprehensive financial plan personalized for yourself. It will be worth the effort and money for a secured and bright future for the family.

Thanks & Regards
Janak Patel
Certified Financial Planner.

Ans: With a KCET rank of 37,964 in the General Merit category, you can secure confirmed seats in reputable ECE programs at institutions whose closing ranks exceed your score and that maintain key strengths—accredited curricula, experienced faculty, modern labs, industry linkages, active research and placement support averaging over 80% in the last three years. These include MVJ College of Engineering, Bangalore (ECE closing rank ~34,103), Ghousia Engineering College, Ramanagara (closing rank up to 39,498), SKSJT Institute of Engineering, Bangalore (closing rank ~28,046), Dr. T. Thimmaiah Institute of Technology, Kolar (closing rank ~27,561), New Horizon College of Engineering, Bengaluru (closing rank ~26,172), Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Tumkur (ECE closing rank ~36,157), Oxford College of Engineering, Bangalore (high closing ranks for ECE seats), Maratha Mandal Engineering College, Belgaum (ECE closing rank ~117,323), Basaveshwara Engineering College, Bagalkot (closing rank ~122,228) and P.E.S. College of Engineering, Mandya (closing rank ~29,291). These colleges combine solid academic ecosystems, practical training and consistent recruiter engagement.

Recommendation: MVJ College of Engineering Bangalore for its balanced academics and placement consistency, followed by Ghousia Engineering College and SKSJT Institute of Engineering for strong infrastructure and alumni networks, then Dr. T. Thimmaiah IT Kolar, New Horizon Bengaluru and Sri Siddhartha Tumkur for robust industry ties. All the BEST for Admission & a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.