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Dr Karan

Dr Karan Gupta  | Answer  |Ask -

International Education Counsellor - Answered on Jul 11, 2025

Dr Karan Gupta is an internationally recognised education counsellor, TEDx speaker and the founder of Karan Gupta Consulting and the Karan Gupta Education Foundation.
An alumnus of Harvard Business School, he has advised thousands of students and professionals since 1999, helping them secure admission to top global universities.
He has been honoured by the governments of India and Spain for his contributions to education and women’s empowerment.
With a global perspective shaped by his education in the US, Europe and India, he is committed to empowering individuals through education, leadership and career development.
Dr Gupta holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in psychology from Mumbai University.
He has completed his general management programme at Harvard.
He earned his MBA from the IE Business School, Spain, and his PhD from Ecole Superieure Robert de Sorbon, France.
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APPARAO Question by APPARAO on Jul 06, 2025Hindi
Career

Hi Sir, my Son is preparing for NDA examination scheduled in September 2025. He secured 90027 Rank in TS EAPCET for the current year. We wish to seek admission in AURORA Deemed University, Peerzaguda for B.Tech. please guide me.

Ans: Balancing NDA prep with a B.Tech is possible but tough. Aurora University is not highly ranked, but if you're taking it only as a backup, it’s acceptable.
Encourage your son to keep NDA as the primary focus (physical fitness + written + SSB interview), and use B.Tech as a plan B in case NDA doesn’t work out.
Explore NDA coaching centers alongside his current academics.
Career

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Nayagam P

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Oct 26, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Oct 14, 2024Hindi
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I am Indrajit Acharya. My son Abhrajit Acharya is studying in Class X to appear ICSE Board exam in 2025. He wants to appear NDA exam on the other hand he is also interested in computer science. I also want to see him in Indian Army. Hence I have already admitted him in Class XI with PCM and Computer. Can you suggest anything about NDA - how to get NDA entrance exam, where to study and is it necessary to take private tuition for NDA exam. If he will not get chance in NDA then what will be his next career with computere.
Ans: Dear Indrajit Sir, Key requirements and preparatory strategies for the NDA Exam encompass: Comprehending the examination format and curriculum (refer to the last exam's Information Bulletin accessible in PDF format on Google for guidance). Your son should establish a robust foundation in Mathematics and General Aptitude. He should create a study plan to prepare for the NDA in addition to his school syllabus. The most crucial aspect of the selecting procedure is 'Physical Fitness.' Kindly verify the information bulletin to ascertain if your son fulfills the eligibility conditions. To adequately prepare for the interview, he should cultivate the habit of reading newspapers regularly to remain informed about current affairs. It is very recommended to pursue coaching for the NDA, either offline or online, due to the intense competition faced. It is advisable to prepare a Plan B for pursuing Computer Science in the event that NDA is unsuccessful. However, it is important to note that he cannot fully concentrate on both the NDA and Engineering Entrance Exams in conjunction with his school courses. He requires online instruction for Engineering Entrance Exams. I presume you have enrolled him in ISC for his 11th and 12th grades, whose syllabus is significantly more extensive than that of CBSE or the State Board. Please confer with your son regarding his ability to manage everything over the following two years. Participating in the CUET will provide an additional opportunity for his 3-Year Undergraduate Courses, such as BCA, among others. I recommend that you and your son determine before the end of this year which area to prioritize. National Defence Academy or Joint Entrance Examination? If NDA and JEE do not yield a satisfactory rank for admission into a reputable engineering college, will you consider pursuing a management quota seat for his CSE program? All the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future.

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Nayagam P

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Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 14, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025Hindi
Career
Hello, I am currently in Class 12 and preparing for JEE. I have not yet completed even 50% of the syllabus properly, but I aim to score around '110' marks. Could you suggest an effective strategy to achieve this? I know the target is relatively low, but I have category reservation, so it should be sufficient.
Ans: With category reservation (SC/ST/OBC), a score of 110 marks is absolutely achievable and realistic. Based on 2025 data, SC candidates qualified with approximately 60-65 percentile, and ST candidates with 45-55 percentile. Your target requires scoring just 37-40% marks, which is significantly lower than general category standards. This gives you a genuine advantage. Immediate Action Plan (December 2025 - January 2026): 4-5 Weeks. Week 1-2: High-Weightage Chapter Focus. Stop trying to complete the entire syllabus. Instead, focus exclusively on high-scoring chapters that carry maximum weightage: Physics (Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Work-Power-Energy, Rotation, Magnetism), Chemistry (Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds, Electrochemistry), and Maths (Integration, Differentiation, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability). These chapters alone can yield 80-100+ marks if practiced properly. Ignore topics you haven't studied yet. Week 2-3: Previous Year Questions (PYQs). Solve JEE Main PYQs from the last 10 years (2015-2025) for chapters you're studying. PYQs reveal question patterns and difficulty levels. Focus on understanding why answers are correct, not memorizing solutions. Week 3-4: Mock Tests & Error Analysis. Take 2-3 full-length mock tests weekly under timed conditions. This is crucial because mock tests build exam confidence, reveal time management weaknesses, and error analysis prevents repeated mistakes. Maintain an error notebook documenting every mistake—this becomes your revision guide. Week 4-5: Revision & Formula Consolidation. Create concise formula sheets for each subject. Spend 30 minutes daily reviewing formulas and key concepts. Avoid learning new topics entirely at this stage. Study Schedule (Daily): 7-8 Hours. Morning (5:00-7:30 AM): Physics concepts + 30 PYQs. Break (7:30-8:30 AM): Breakfast & rest. Mid-morning (8:30-11:00): Chemistry concepts + 20 PYQs. Lunch (11:00-1:00 PM): Full break. Afternoon (1:00-3:30 PM): Maths concepts + 30 PYQs. Evening (3:30-5:00 PM): Mock test or error review. Night (7:00-9:00 PM): Formula revision & weak area focus. Strategic Approach for 110 Marks: Attempt only confident questions and avoid negative marking by skipping difficult questions. Do easy questions first—in the exam, attempt all basic-level questions before attempting medium or hard ones. Focus on quality over quantity as 30 well-practiced questions beat 100 random questions. Master NCERT concepts as most JEE questions test NCERT concepts applied smartly. April 2026 Session Advantage. If January doesn't deliver desired results, April gives you a second chance with 3+ months to prepare. Use January as a practice attempt to identify weak areas, then focus intensively on those in February-March. Realistic Timeline: January 2026 target is 95-110 marks (achievable with focused 50% syllabus), while April 2026 target is 120-130 marks (with complete syllabus + experience). Your reservation benefit means you need only approximately 90-105 marks to qualify and secure admission to quality engineering colleges. Stop comparing yourself to general category cutoffs. Most Importantly: Consistency beats perfection. Study 6 focused hours daily rather than 12 distracted hours. Your 110-mark target is realistic—execute this plan with discipline. All the BEST for Your JEE 2026!

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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1840 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025
Career
Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently a 1st year UG student studying engineering in Sairam Engineering College, But there the lack of exposure and strict academics feels so rigid and I don't like it that. It's like they don't gaf about skills but just wants us to memorize things and score a good CGPA, the only skill they want is you to memorize things and pass, there's even special class for students who don't perform well in academics and it is compulsory for them to attend or else the student and his/her parents needs to face authorities who lashes out. My question is when did engineering became something that requires good academics instead of actual learning and skill set. In sairam they provides us a coding platform in which we need to gain the required points for each semester which is ridiculous cuz most of the students here just look at the solution to code instead of actual debugging. I am passionate about engineering so I want to learn and experiment things instead of just memorizing, so I actually consider dropping out and I want to give jee a try and maybe viteee , srmjeee But i heard some people say SRM may provide exposure but not that good in placements. I may not be excellent at studies but my marks are decent. So gimme some insights about SRM and recommend me other colleges/universities which are good at exposure
Ans: First — your frustration is valid

What you are experiencing at Sairam is not engineering, it is rote-based credential production.

“When did engineering become memorizing instead of learning?”

Sadly, this shift happened decades ago in most Tier-3 private colleges in India.

About “coding platforms & points” – your observation is sharp

You are absolutely right:

Mandatory coding points → students copy solutions

Copying ≠ learning

Debugging & thinking are missing

This is pseudo-skill education — it looks modern but produces shallow engineers.

The fact that you noticed this in 1st year already puts you ahead of 80% students.

Should you DROP OUT and prepare for JEE / VITEEE / SRMJEEE?

Although VIT/SRM is better than Sairam Engineering College, but you may face the same problem. You will not face this type of problem only in some top IITs, but getting seat in those IITs will be difficult.
Instead of dropping immediately, consider:

???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

This way:

College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

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