Top 10 popular courses in India

Choosing the right course for the career is the most crucial decision to make and can be troublesome if not guided properly. In the current scenario with so many available options for courses and tough competition, it is very hard and confusing to decide for both students and parents. With so many influential people around, we often get swayed or simply do what is told by our parents.

But it is very important to know and analysis your interests as well as options available in that field. Let us have a look at the top 10 popular courses in India to understand your career option in a better way:

1.Management MBA/BBA

In an organization or business, a person who strategizes and coordinates the efforts of employees is known as management. If you are a kind of person who loves to or think that (s) he can easily plan, organize, select staff, lead or direct, and control an organization to accomplish various goals, then management courses can give you direction to accomplish various objectives by using human and financial resources efficiently and effectively.

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Bangalore are one of the Top Management Colleges In India.

Career option:

As an academic discipline, there are some important degrees in management like MBA (Master of Business Administration) and MPA (Master of Public Administration). Where you can start your career as Supervisors or front-line managers, Senior Managers and then gradually can lift to Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or President of an organization.

Eligibility criteria:

• At least 3-year Bachelor degree or equivalent in any stream with the minimum of 50% or equivalent marks for general category.

• In case of SC/ST or PWD (person with the disability), you need to acquire at least 45% or equivalent marks.

• Final year under-graduate student/equivalent qualification is also eligible.

• Have to clear management entrance exams i.e. CAT/XAT/CMAT/NMAT/MAT/ATMA to get admission in Management Colleges.

The famous business magnet for inspiration:

• Ratan Tata - Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons

• Aditya Vikram Kumar Mangalam Birla - Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group

• Anand Mahindra - Chairman and managing director of Mahindra Group

2. Engineering B.Tech and B.Arch, M.Tech, ME, BE Application of mathematics, empirical evidence and scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge in order to invent, innovate, design, build, maintain, research, and improve structures, machines, tools, systems, components, materials, processes and organizations is known as engineering. It is one of the favourite program opted by many science students after completing 12th as it has the highest paying career in the world.

Career option:

In India, you need to earn few degrees in the engineering field that are regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) like B.E (Bachelor of Engineering) and B.Tech (Bachelor of Technology). After these bachelor degrees, you can further pursue M.E (Master of Engineering), M.Tech (Master of Technology) or M.S (Master of Science).

Eligibility criteria:

• Candidate should pass the 12th examination with minimum aggregate of 60% marks for PCM (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) and PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biology).

• Need to clear any engineering entrance exams i.e. Jee Main, Jee Advanced, BITSAT, VITEEE, COMEDK-UGET, KCET, KEAM, IPUCET, NATA, WBJEE, MHTCET, AP EAMCET, UPSEE, etc.

• Should not exceed 23 years on the date of examination.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Late Kalpana Chawla an Astronaut

• Bill Nye is known as the Science Guy

• Neil Armstrong - Astronaut

3.Computer Application-BCA/MCA

These days the computer is an integral part of education and is also the lifeline of the young (student) generation. With the increasing popularity of computer, IT industry is also evolving and growing. Computer Application is defined as the computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions and tasks for the benefit of the user. The student of computer application basically study those software programs to learn to operate the system.

Career option:

To have in depth knowledge of Computer and Information Technology, BCA (Bachelor in Computer Application) is one of the popular course in IT field. In 3 years of course duration, you will study about a database, networking, data structure, core programming languages like C++ and Java to become Software Developer/Engineer/Programmer. You can also go for Master degree in Computer Applications after BCA that is equivalent to Engineering Course B.Tech.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Minimum 50% marks including English in 12th.

• Minimum age limit is 17 years whereas maximum age limit is between 22-25 years.

• Some universities take admission on the basis of entrance examination and personal interview.

• But some universities take admission on merit basis as well.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Mark Zuckerberg - Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Inc.

• Sergey Brin - President of Alphabet Inc.

• Larry Ellison - Co-founder of Oracle Corporation

4.Designing - Fashion/Interior/Web

Creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object, system or measurable human interactionis known as design and the person who professionally work in one the various design areas like - fashion, concept or web-designing is tagged as a designer. And as a designer, you need to have a considerable amount of thought process, research, and modelling/designing. Designing is all about networking and marketing your products in a beautiful/presentable manner for sale. National Institute of Fashion Technology and Pearl Academy are one of the known colleges to pursue the course.

Career option:

There are different types and methods of designing depending on the objects and all of them differ from each other. Designing related to fashion, clothing and trend is known as Fashion Designing. As a Fashion-designer, you can work full-time for a fashion house or can work as in-house designers under which you will own the designs. Art and science of enhancing the interior or exterior of a space or building to achieve a healthier and pleasing environment for the user are known as Interior designing. Interior designer is a person who plans, researches, coordinates and manages such projects. The process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, space, image and color is known as Graphic designing. Graphic designers are a person who use various methods to create and combine words, symbols and images to create a visual representation of ideas and messages.

To have deep knowledge of the area you need to study Bachelor of Design. Bachelor of design is an art-centred degree that last lasts for three or four years. There are several variants of B.Des degree that you can choose to specialize in as per your interest – Bachelor of Design: Interior Design/Fashion Design/Graphic Design/Game Design/Multimedia Design/Textile Design/Textile Design.

Eligibility criteria:

• To pursue B.Design you need to qualify entrance examination with at least 50% marks in 10+2 in any stream.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel, Head designer and creative director

• Manish Malhotra, Celebrity designer

• Sabyasachi Mukherji, Fashion designer

5.Mass-communication/Journalism BJMC

The process of communicating your message or information through mass media to a large segment of the population at the same time via a different medium (print and digital) is known as mass-communication. And nowadays it plays an influential and important role in modern society. The study of mass-communication teaches you to how to persuade or affect the behaviour, attitude, opinion, or emotion of mass at the same point of time.

Career option:

With time method of mass communication has evolved a lot and now the internet is the most used method to transmit quick messages. With time study of mass-communication is evolving and currently, there are four fields that are considered major areas – Advertising, Broadcasting, Journalism and Public Relations. Career options for Mass-communication field are vast for the students with strong people and communication skills, creativity, energy and enthusiasm. You need to study BJMC (Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication) to seek career in various field (Print, TV, Digital) of mass communication such as Film Director, Public Relation Officer, TV Correspondent, Screenwriter, Editor, Event Manager, Critic, sound mixer and recorder, Radio/Video Jockey, Photo-journalist etc.

Eligibility criteria:

• Mass Communication is generally an undergraduate major done after 10+2 with good academics in any stream.

• To specialize in a particular field of Mass communication you need to have a bachelor degree in the same field with relevant work experience.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Barkha Dutt, Consulting editor of NDTV, New Delhi

• Rajdeep Sardesai, Consulting editor of India Today Group

• Arnab Goswami, TV journalist

6.Hospitality (Hotel)

Hotel Management, BHMCT (Bachelors in Hotel Management and Catering Technology) Ever wondered what goes behind the luxurious hotels, resorts and fancy suits, how they manage and coordinate so giant infrastructure without any flaw. The Management of the service sector in the hotel industry by focusing on serving the needs of its clients is known as Hotel Management. And General Manager of the hotel serves as the head executive who manages the operation of that hotel or related establishment. You will also get a chance to sail by being Cruise Ship manager.

Career option:

A hotel management professional can be employed in various field like hotels, resorts, fast-food chains, accommodation and catering, restaurants, etc. There is a huge chance of getting jobs after this course in large hotel chains like Taj Group, ITC, Oberoi hotels, Hilton Group, etc.

Eligibility criteria:

• For an undergraduate degree, you need to clear 12th examination with minimum 50% marks and English as the compulsory subject in any stream.

• To get admission in top Hotel Management College i.e. Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition you need to get selected in NCHMCT JEE entrance examination conducted every year in April month.

• For post-graduation, you need to acquire at least 45% in graduation.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Sanjeev Kapoor-Indian Chef

• Vikas Khanna - Award-winning Michelin starred Indian chef

• AnjumAnand -Chef and food writer

7.Medical-BDS (Bachelors in Dental Surgeon) and MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)

In our society doctor is respected the most due to the fact they are privileged to save a living being therefore sometimes given the place of god. A medical doctor is defined a person who practices medicines to treat illness and injuries. Doctor degree is considered the most prestigious degree as they have the power to heal and go to medical educational institution to learn medicine.M. B. B. S. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), B. D. S. (Bachelor of Dental Sciences), B. H. M. S. (Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine & Surgery) and B. A. M. S. (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) are the most famous field studied by medical students these days. All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Christian Medical College are the topmost medical colleges of India to study medicine.

Career option:

A student with M.B.B.S degree receives the title of doctor and further can specialize in the various field of medicine by pursuing post-graduation degree. Upon finishing medical school you can choose to work in hospitals, public health care or science institute.M.B.B.S is a bachelor degree in medicine and surgery with 5.5 years of duration.

Eligibility criteria:

• 10+2 pass out with English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology subject and at least 60% marks aggregate.

• Should be 17 years as on 31st December of the year of admission.

• Need to clear medical entrance examination, i.e. NEET.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Devi Shetty - Cardiac surgeon

• Late Jack Kevorkian – Pathologist

• Robert Rey - Plastic Surgeon

8.Finance -B.Com (Bachelors of Commerce)/CA (Chartered Accountant)

The field that deals with the study of investment and money management is known as Finance. It is generally divided into 3 subcategories – public, corporate and personal finance. Mostly we study finance to find effective ways to manage the money of an organization in order to create wealth and value of the organization. It also includes the study of planning, raising funds, cost controlling and making wise investments for an organization. To have in-depth knowledge about the finance field you can study B.Com (Bachelors of Commerce) and CA (Chartered Accountant)/CS (Company Secretary). Indian Institute of Management is the top college for MBA in Finance.

Career option:

Chartered Accountancy is one of the popular course for students who are interested in finance. They work in the field of business, finance, audit, taxation and financial management. Chartered Accountancy is the core of any business to run successfully. Before starting to practice as CA you need to gain membership of ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) on completion of the training. Initially, you can start your career with auditing activities. There are various verticals and companies under which you can work after earning the degree like – private and public banks, auditing firms, legal firms, copyright registers and trademarks, attorneys, stock broking firms, mutual funds and investment companies.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum 10+2 pass out with Commerce and Mathematics subjects.

• Need to qualify CPT (Common Proficiency Test) for CA Program.

• Commerce graduate and post-graduate with minimum 55% can also apply.

• Other graduates/post-graduates with minimum 60% marks are also eligible for the CA.

Famous people for inspiration:

• T.V. Mohandas Pai - Chairman of Manipal Global Education

• Fred Goodwin Former Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group

• K. Rahman Khan - Chartered accountant turned politician from Karnataka and a member of the Indian National Congress.

9.Arts Psychology and Sociology

Psychology and Sociology are defined as the scientific study of people that go hand in hand. Study of both helps us to understand the emotions, relationship, and behaviour of another human being in a much better way. Being the same goal and objective to achieve, the study of Psychology and Sociology differ from each other in many ways. Psychology is defined as the study of behaviour and mind including conscious and unconscious aspects whereas Sociology is the study of social behaviour or society. If you are the person who is fascinated by the investigation of the reason of behind the human/society behaviour in a certain situation then this is the right course for you to give direction in that way.

Career option:

Psychologists and sociologists are one of the common options that come in our mind when we talk career opportunities for Psychology and Sociology students for which you need to study Bachelors of Arts in Psychology/Sociology. But let us talk about the real jobs that you can get or can aim for. Nowadays job opportunity for psychology and sociology graduate is increasing due to so much competition and stress in the society. Admission counsellor, behavioural therapist, career counsellor, child care worker, relation representative, marriage counsellor, psychiatric social worker, rehab counsellor, substance abuse counsellor are among the few job titles that are quite in demand these days. Career opportunities are vast for the students of Psychology and Sociology as from school to corporate world are in need of these experts. You might even get a chance to work with Red Cross and NGOs.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum qualification required is 10+2 pass in any stream. • Minimum 45% marks are required to qualify the examination (3 best elective subjects+1 language-based subjects).

Famous people for inspiration:

• AshisNandy - an Indian political psychologist, also received the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize • Andre Beteille Sociologist and writer • Nancy Fraser Philosopher 10.Law B.ALLB/LLB Law is defined as the system of rules that are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour that can be made by the collective or single legislator. With the help of law only, we can expect a specific kind of behaviour from a set of people or society, in absence of law everything will simply look chaos, therefore is considered a crucial part of the society. Every field has specifically defined laws to avoid any sort of escalation. Law degrees basically helps us to understand the process of law and how it works. It is one of the most respectful and most sought-after course to study. National Law School of India University is the Top Indian Law School as per the Outlook 2016 ranking system.

Career option:

There are basically two types of law in which you can specialize – Civil and Criminal laws. With the degree of law, you not only get a chance to work with top lawyers but also can practice as a lawyer in the court-room. With the B.A.L.L.B degree, you can seek your career in different sectors like corporate management, legal and administrative services. You can also practice as an advocate in a courtroom or can become a legal advisor for corporate firms. To become the judge you need to clear examination conducted by Public Service Commissions. You have two options to pursue the law degree - One is to do B.A LLB, 5 years integrated program right after 10+2 and another option is of LLB program of 3 years after completing graduation.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum 40% marks in graduation in any stream for LLB Admission. • For SC/ST candidates minimum marks required in graduation is 35%. • Some universities and institutes who give an extra 2% marks for post-graduate students. • Some universities conduct entrance tests like CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) and LAWCET (Law Common Entrance Test) for admission in their L.L.B and L.L.M programs. Famous people for inspiration: • Harish Salve, Lawyer • Late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Barrister • Ram Jethmalani, Indian Politician 11.Education Teaching-B.Ed/M.Ed Teaching is often defined as the profession of teaching some ideas, belief, etc. to the person and the educator who provides education is known as the teacher. Teachers play an important role in building and shaping the career of the students. It takes lots of passion, enthusiasm and dedication to mould the future generation of the country. Education is the basic necessity for growth, modernization and helps in nation building, therefore teaching is considered as the most respectful job and strength of every profession anywhere around the world. IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) and Amity Institute of Education are the known colleges to provide bachelor degrees in teaching.

Career option:

Teaching is the most difficult job as it comes with the great responsibility of building the nation but the same factor can also make it the most rewarding job as well. To take teaching as your professional career you need to take B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) following M.Ed. (Master in Education). It is the mandatory degree in India for teaching in secondary and higher secondary. Demand for teachers in the coming year will never decrease as with time we all are understanding the importance of education. Under the teaching domain, you can aim for technical or special education teaching, technical assistant, pre-school-director, etc.

Eligibility criteria:

• For B.Ed. the degree you at least need to have bachelors in Arts/Science/Commerce with minimum 50% marks. • Students need to give entrance test conducted by universities and various educational bodies conducted generally in the month of June-July. Famous people for inspiration: • Rabindranath Tagore • Savitribai Phule • Sarojini Naidu 12.Pharmacy B.Pharma/M.Pharma Technique and science of preparing and dispensing drugs are known as the pharmacy and healthcare professionals with specialized education and training to perform various roles to ensure optimal health outcomes for patients through the quality use of medicines are called pharmacists. And public pharmacists are given the responsibility of proper drug receipt as per the ailment. The pharmacist is more than just a drug dispenser, s (he) plays a crucial role in the medical management and overall health care programming. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali and Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi are the top public Pharma Institutes in India.

Career option:

The most common field after graduating in Pharmacy are community, hospital and industrial pharmacy. But there are other exciting fields as well in which you can go after achieving a master degree in Pharmacy. You can train and help other budding future pharmacists by becoming lecturers in universities or college where you can get a chance to work in different research activities of students. Due to having detailed knowledge of the health sector you can also become a health specialist or can write a column for the health section. Regulatory Affairs are also in need of Pharmacists, especially when dealing with medicines or medical products. With so many tough competition and fraud medical products in the market, a pharmacist can be a boon for industrialists who are dealing with drugs. You can also work as a health and drug inspector.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum 50% marks in 12th with PCM/B subjects. • After which you need to qualify the entrance examination. • For M.Pharm you need to clear GPAT entrance examination with a B.Pharm degree. Famous people for inspiration: • Alexander Fleming Biologist discovered penicillin • Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent - The Founder of Boots Pharmacy • Friedrich Serturner Discovered morphine 13.Tourism management - B.Sc. (Tourism & Travel Management) Travel and Tourism is the largest service sector in India as well as abroad as millions of people travel each year for business or leisure. Tourism is defined as the business of attracting and entertaining tourists and operating domestic or international tours. Tourism plays a vital role in the growth of the economy of the country as it is the major source of income for many countries. According to the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, India ranked 52nd out 141 countries overall with 8.02 million foreign tourists in 2015. To promote and boost the tourism sector, Indian Ministry also maintains different campaigns like Incredible India which shows development and growth in the same sector in the coming year. Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management is the no.1 Indian government institution to provide qualified professionals for the field.

Career option:

To become the part of the travel and tourism industry you at least a Bachelor degree in Tourism Studies and for post-graduate programs you need to take entrance examination with group discussion round and personal interviews. Under the tourism department, you can get jobs as counter and reservation staff, sales and marketing, tour planners and guides, tour operators, travel and transport agents.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum qualification required is 10+2 in any stream. 14.Fine Arts B.F.A Fine art is defined as the art developed primarily for aesthetics or beauty, distinguishing it from applied art that also has to serve some practical function. Fine art is generally creative and visual representation that is appreciated for its imaginative, aesthetic or intellectual aspect. Painting, sculpture, architecture, music, poetry, photography, film, video production, theatre and dance are considered as the form of fine art. If any of these forms helps you express your feelings in a much better way or inspire/ fascinate you, then this field is meant for you. Delhi College of Art gives you a wide variety of art subjects to choose from.

Career option:

A fine art graduate can seek a career in `theatre productions, films, product design, advertising companies, publishing houses, manufacturing department, magazine, television, graphic arts, etc. While studying Fine Arts it is suggested to start working on your portfolio of work and try to make network form the start. B.F.A (Bachelor of Fine Art) degree career scope is very vast and is hard to enlist the whole list of the job. Museum/Gallery Exhibition Officer, Commercial Art Gallery Manager, Museum/Gallery Curator are few high-end positions that you can acquire with Fine Arts degree.

Eligibility criteria:

• Minimum of 50% marks in 10+2 in the aggregate of five subjects. • Candidates with compartment are not eligible. • Concession of 5% for Drawing, Painting, Sculpture or Applied Art students, SC/ST/OBC, Widows/Armed personnel children/Para-Military forces, physically challenged candidates, Kashmiri migrants wards.

Famous people for inspiration:

• AtulKasbekar – Fashion photographer • DabbooRatnani – Photographer • M. F. Husain – Painter

15.Nursing B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Nursing

Nursing is more than a job that is defined as the profession of taking care of patients, families, communities so that they can recover from the ailment. Nurses are the key element of the Health sector, as they keep the whole domain running. The scope of nursing is very high as people need healthcare everywhere. As a nurse, you will get a chance to help people in many ways from taking care of new moms to giving guidelines to suicide patients. RAK College of Nursing, Delhi and CMC Vellore College of Nursing are one of the top nursing colleges in India. Recently India has emerged as the largest provider of highly skilled nurses abroad.

Career option:

Demand for trained nurses in India is increasing as nowadays more and more private hospitals and nursing homes are opening. To pursue a career in nursing you need to have sound knowledge of medicines as well as quick decision making mind in the critical situation. In 1664, Military nursing was the earliest type of nursing seen at Fort St. George, Madras started by the East India Company. To pursue the career in nursing you need to study B.Sc. in nursing and for higher studies or specialization in particular areas (like Medical Surgical Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and Community Medicine) you need to take M.Sc. in nursing degree. After which you can work in various domains as a Staff Nurse, Assistant Nursing Superintendent/Department Supervisor, Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Nursing Supervisor or Ward Sister, Teacher of Nursing, Community Health Nurse (CHN), Military Nurse, Industrial Nurse Etc.

Eligibility criteria:

• For B.Sc. in nursing, you need to score minimum 45% marks aggregate in 10+2 with Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) with English Core/Elective.

• Only medically fit applicants are eligible.

• Minimum age should be 17 years on 31st December of the year of admission.

• For M.Sc. you need to have a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in Bachelors with at least one year of work experience.

• S (he) should be a registered nurse and registered midwife.

Famous people for inspiration:

• Florence Nightingale Founder of modern nursing

• Mother Teresa

• Mary Seacole

Artificial Intelligence is one of the top fields of study that is rising fast in popularity and requirement.

Well, everyone knows a tad bit about Artificial Intelligence. As science fiction starts to become reality, AI products are slowly infiltrating our homes and workplaces. Introduced by John Mccarthy in 1952, the idea behind AI is to mimic a human brain and to create a machine that has the power to think, analyse and make decisions of its own. While we might think that AI is at least a few years away from causing any substantial effects on our lives, the fact remains that it is already having an enormous impact on us. If you are using a smartphone now, you are interacting with AI whether you know or not. From the obvious AI features such as the built-in smart assistants to the portrait mode in the camera, AI is impacting our lives every day.

One of the biggest users of artificial intelligence is the online ad industry which uses AI not only to track user statistics but also serve us ads based on those statistics. Artificial intelligence is affecting our decisions and our lifestyles every day.

2. DevOps

It is a software development strategy which bridges the gap between the Dev and Ops side of an organization, for seamless delivery of software. It was introduced because there were limitations in the traditional model. There is a need to release small features more frequently and without DevOps it is not possible. To understand various DevOps tools, one needs to study the scripting language, infrastructure code etc.

3. Cybersecurity

With the rising cases of cyber threats, cybersecurity is a much-needed career field now. Keeping in mind recent data breaches that have been committed in the tech industry, the Global Data Protection Regulations were revamped.

This has, in turn, resulted in an increase in demand for cybersecurity personnel who can cope with the changes and keep a company free of any sort of compliance issue.

Regardless of recent events, cybersecurity is an evergreen field and working personnel are always kept on their toes so that they can constantly keep updating themselves about the latest creative attacks that are being formulated every day, so that any sort of compromise in security can be mitigated.

4. Augmented Analytics

While some may call it augmented analytics, others may call it Smart Data Discover, but at its core, it involves the integration of BI and AI to automate the processes of finding data, preparing for analysis and generating insight.

It identifies trends and explains what these practically mean for business through clear visualizations and neatly packaged trends.

The purpose here isn’t to replace the decision-making system, but to support it. One feature of augmented analytics that sets it apart from other technologies is its ability to carry out natural language generation which unpacks complex jargon and provides simple insights.

Users can also go beyond opinion to get insights and act on data quickly and accurately.

5. 5G Network

With much anticipation to roll out across the world in the coming years, 5G network is the latest iteration of cellular technology.

This will be the next generation of mobile internet connectivity which is a combination of cutting-edge network technology and research.

They offer faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices.

These networks will give a good start to the Internet of Things and will have an average download speed of 20GBps per second.

6. Autonomous Things

Today, intelligent behaviour can be replicated and even the non-living can be empowered with self-capable features.

Autonomous Things take the advancement of Machine Learning a step further based on AI and IOT, to enable complex decision making autonomously in devices and objects.

It can enhance any object in our surrounding to think and respond by themselves. This technology will be commercially relevant technology in 2019 and envisions to make self-driven vehicles, drones and robots a common reality by 2020.

7. Digital Twins

While the concept of a Digital Twin has been there since 2002, it is only thanks to the Internet of Things that it has become cost-effective to implement.

A digital twin is an integrated multiphysics, multiscale, probabilistic simulation of an as-built vehicle or system that uses the best available physical models, sensor updates, fleet history etc. to mirror the life of its corresponding flying twin.

For example, how do you operate, maintain, or repair systems when you aren’t in physical proximity with them? That was a challenge NASA’s research department had to face when developing systems that would travel beyond the ability to see or monitor physically.

This pairing of the physical and virtual worlds allows analysis of data and monitoring of systems to head off problems even before they occur and plan using simulations.

8. Edge Computing

Today billions of devices are producing data at an explosive pace, stressing the limits of modern data centres and networks.

To tackle this challenge, organizations are taking pressure off their centralized data centre’s through edge computing solutions.

Edge computing is basically pushing the frontier of computing applications, data and services away from centralized nodes to the edge of a network.

By moving data centres to the edge of the network closer to consumers, it speeds storage, processing, and analytics of data nearby, before sending it back to the centralized data centre. This ultimately drives better performance, faster response time and greater innovation.

9. Quantum Computing

These are machines in new avatars that promise an exponential growth spurt in processing power, capable of tackling problems which our computer can’t solve today.

Over 50 years of advancement in mathematics, material science, and computer science have transformed quantum computing from theory to reality.

Tech giants like IBM and Google and start-ups like Righetti Computing are in a scientific race to build the first universal quantum computer.

Quantum computers can analyse large quantities of data and spot patterns quickly, they could tackle optimization problems for transportation and industry, advance climate modelling and boost artificial intelligence research one day.

Quantum computers are still in the experimental stage, but their raw potential is sure to cause a paradigm shift in computing physics and potentially our understanding of the world today.

10. Immersive Experience

Immersive experience basically integrates augmented reality and virtual reality. For example, what if we can create digital environments for human to experience the impossible? Through a mix of data science, artificial intelligence, and creativity, virtual and augmented reality offers opportunity to train and plan in a safe environment, without consequences.

From battlefield simulations to hospital management scenarios, this technology better prepares a team for mission success.

To make a truly transportive experience, audiences crave the sensory richness we would find in the real world around us-not only visually-but in the care and attention to sound, scale and the imagined world off-stage.

Equip yourself with Edureka’s live, online technology courses that offer you the flexibility to learn at your own pace, so that you can work as well as upskill at the same time. Make 2019 your year take a career leap or qualify for the dream job you always wanted.

Every individual wants to receive the best of education to achieve his or her dreams. However, the more the institution is good, the higher the fees they charge. Students usually leave their education incomplete and do blue collar jobs to meet their basic ends. Moreover, these students collect money to complete their masters later in career. Apart from those who can afford expensive higher education, some handful of students gets scholarships.

In the age of internet and MOOCs, do we really need to spend huge amount on getting degrees? One can equally quench his third for knowledge by joining online classes. Online classes are not only cheap but also conveniently arranged for those who are working. What else a student would want if he gets free classes that too online. There are websites that provide free online courses or have resourceful material for students. These websites are bejeweled with informative podcasts, videos and notes, they also take time-to-time assessment tests. Indeed, there should be free flow of knowledge and it is beneficial for the students and teachers both.

It's a myth to say that online education will go in vain, as the job market is more based on our skills, rather than our degrees. What you know matters more than from where you have learnt. Nowadays, agencies hire students on the basis of their knowledge and ability to solve problems, keeping aside their grades or degrees. Here's a look at top ten websites providing free education to students:

1. EdX: edx.org

This website can be most preferred by the students as it was founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012. EdX is an online learning destination and MOOC provider, offering high-quality courses from the world's best universities and institutions to learners everywhere. Out of the 90 universities, it includes top global rankers.

2. Academic Earth: academicearth.org

The website gives huge array of academic options to student from traditional to contemporary studies. They provide online degree courses from accounting and economics to engineering and also carries material on niche subjects like behavioural psychology. Moreover, it has have a collaboration with a bunch of reputed colleges such as University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and many other. Keeping in mind the interest level of the students, the portal has videos and podcasts in all the subjects.

3. Internet Archive: archive.org

From anything to everything, internet archive is an authentic website storing the originals from various big websites. For example, American libraries include the collection of free book directly attached with the college libraries' websites. This is one of the best websites imparting free and accessible knowledge. However, it does not give admission or certificates for learning.

4. Big Think: bigthink.com

Big Think has over 2,000 fellows who have received great fame in their forte. These experts write articles and record tutorials for the students, later the content is further refined by the editorial team of the website, giving authentic material to the students. Students can make great use of this website by creating their own distinct ideology, as it provide various opinions on one subject. Moreover, students can get views from experts as well.

5. Coursera: courser.org

The moment a student opens this website, he is bound to get sucked into the number of courses available in his topic of interest. It is a user-friendly website. Students can find big universities and a sharable electronic Course Certificate. "Courses include recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums. When you complete a course, you'll receive a sharable electronic Course Certificate," assures the website.

6. Brightstorm: brightstorm.com

High school scholars can use this site for reference, rather an interactive reference website, which will mitigate their learning problems. Of course, it is not easy for a student to comprehend the intricate technical terminologies, so the website is making the textbooks easier for students. They provide help in all subjects from mathematics to science, history and other subjects. Entrance exams are generally quite gruelling for students, and this website can solve the problem. They have arranged the topics symmetrically, clearing the air and structure of the competitive exams.

7. CosmoLearning: cosmolearning.com

Unlike other websites, this portal provides academic as well as skill-based learning to the students. Students can either refer to the material being provided or enrol themselves in any of the 58 courses. The website is synthesised with three main options, including educational material, courses and documentaries. The subjects have been divided into two sections, namely extra-curricular and academic subjects.

8. Futures Channel: thefutureschannel.com

This is not just an online portal, but an educational channel for the learners. Unlike other websites, it only represent the significant data catering the problems faced by students. For example, students generally face problem in algebra, so they have created special section for the same.

9. Howcast: howcast.com

It's a one-stop website for all the subjects, none of the above portals have these many arenas. Keeping the essence of inquisitiveness alive, the portal functions on the common key words including the word 'how'.

10. Khan Academy: khanacademy.org

Khan Academy is an online coaching website. Students who cannot afford a coaching can refer to this website. It gives a win-win situation to the students by giving them the liberty to learn on their pace, as it has a personalised dashboard to gauge the progress report. It has all the traditional school subjects including math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Moreover, it has lessons from kindergarten to calculus, all at one stop. To enhance the content for the students, it has partnered with NASA, the Museum of Modern Art, the California Academy of Sciences, and MIT. Also, the content is available in 36 languages.

How to choose best online courses correctly, check it here Students nowadays are facing a lot of issues in getting a proper education in traditional colleges and universities which includes higher tuition, budget cuts, and course shortages. These problems have caused many of them to search for alternatives. In such a scenario, online education has clearly become one of the most popular higher education alternatives. These days, online learning is being considered just as effective as face-to-face education.

What are the online courses?

Online courses are revolutionizing a formal kind of education which have opened a new genre of outreach on cultural and scientific topics. These courses deliver a series of lessons to a web browser or mobile device which are conveniently accessible by the internet users at any time, anyplace. From working professionals to recent high school graduates, find many of them have found the reasons to take all or some of their courses online. However, in the web of courses on a digital platform, students get confused as to which course is better for their proper education.

Here we are listing 5 tips on how you can choose online courses in the correct manner: 1Identify missing skills that can help your career grow

You are a working professional. But it’s a competitive world. The more skills you have, higher are your chances of scoring a good opportunity. What are the missing skills that are keeping you from the career of your dreams? Identify them. Look for the areas you think you need to build on, where you do not have sufficient or updated knowledge in.

Once you have identified these key areas, you will know exactly what new skills you need to learn to improve yourself and add value to your professional capabilities. 2Look for courses that are best for building these skills

Now that you have identified the gaps in your current skill set, spend some time searching online for courses that will best meet your capability enhancement requirements. Read about each course in detail and shortlist the key courses that will best augment your career.

Quick tip: Look for a course from a reputed institute, with a pedagogy that augments your career requirement. Many courses are offered for a self-learning pace. Find something that has an engaging pedagogy, with insights from industry experts. Live & interactive classes are a more effective mode of learning as opposed to passive, isolated recorded sessions.

In the present scenario, we are witnessing industries undergoing a disruption with a rapid convergence of technologies; which is faster than ever before! These constant changes are making competencies in workforce go obsolete leaving Lifelong Learning as the only feasible option. On the other side, Gen Z has a set of unique behavioural attributes which are shaping the needs of the education industry and pushing them to develop ways to deal with them.

Here are some of the industry trends of delivering learning by Venguswamy Ramaswamy, Global Head of TCS iON, a Tata Consultancy Services unit focused on education, assessment boards and SMBs:

1. Nano-learning

The attention span of learners is persistently shrinking. With the existence of lengthy, text-intensive, un-interactive learning content, students are unwilling to sit in sessions spread over hours. To address this, nano-learning or bite-sized learning is fast becoming a significant trend to support the learner behaviour and ensure attention.

2. Lifelong Learning

As per a report, by 2022, 9 per cent of India's workforce is expected to be employed in job roles that don't exist today while 37 per cent is believed to be in new job roles. In order to prepare for this change, it is important to know that learning is not discreet, rather a continuous and connected process in which the needs of the learners vary with time and the stage of their life. Every moment provides a learning opportunity.

Hence, it is necessary to keep a track of the learning culture of an individual across different stages and not just specific learning in a particular stage. This will help understand the capabilities of a learner in its true sense.

3. Mass personalization

The pattern of customer-based personalization is gradually progressing wherein adaptive means of learning is taking over the concept of 'one-size fits all'. Being an effective mode of learning, this approach takes into consideration the individual learner abilities, and the appropriate time to consume content, thereby enhancing the quality of learning and the overall experience of learners.

4. Data-driven learning

Every individual leaves a large footprint of his/her learning behaviour while learning. Today, such interactions (learning better with video, preferring game format, etc.) are acting as data sources for understanding the learner's patterns and trends, and for devising strategies to make learning more effective than before.

5. Self-paced learning

Learners have some nuances, which are unique to them where some students slow in a certain subject but might have the ability to grasp other subjects better. Taking this into consideration, the pace of the content is now being adjusted according to the strengths and weaknesses of the individual student in specific subjects.

6. Addictive mechanisms in learning

There are specific constructs either in the content or in the learning platform that attract a learner's attention. These include 'like' or 'comment' buttons, challenges, the capability to score and compete, win badges and points, and so on. The focus of learning is slowly transforming to include these constructs in the content to make learning more addictive.

7. Engaged or Immersive Learning

The learner today desires a learning experience with engaging, interactive content that includes games, puzzles, and surprises embedded within. Hence, there is a growing trend of designing content using technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality to create immersive and engaging experiences.

8. Collaborative learning

Learning is no longer a one-to-one interaction between the content and the learner. Instead, it is transforming to be an interaction between a group of people in a community construct where students can learn by debating and deliberating on a common platform. This concept moves beyond the traditional custom of a student and a teacher. A teacher's role is to facilitate learning for learners together learn from each other.

9. Twenty-first-century skills

According to a survey, India is expected to form 25 per cent of the world's workforce by 2025. This creates the urgency to equip the country's youth with 21-century skills which have a much higher preference over specific domain skills. Today, learners are assessed on their ability to work in teams, be ethical in given scenarios, and to be creative and assertive. As a result, the focus has shifted towards developing these capabilities to help learners have a greater advantage in the job space. It is not just academics; it extends beyond to social skills.

10. Learning experience platform

Today, rendering mere content is not enough; instead one needs to render experiences to make learning enjoyable. The emphasis rests on enhancing the learner experience management system which uses engaging game cartridges to modulate experiences while delivering content. As we progress in 2019, we have our energies focused on these evolving trends which are about to dominate the next set of years and we are in the forefront of driving these trends in the market itself.

here are 5 unconventional course fields that are set to become very popular in 2019:

1. Robotics

Thanks to the rapid progress of AI (artificial intelligence), robots are no longer considered dumb-machines that are only capable of doing simple, repetitive tasks. With the arrival of humanoids like Sophia and SoftBank’s Pepper, robots have made huge leaps in recent years. Simultaneously, the career options for students who specialize in robotics has expanded. From doing research work to designing industrial robots, they can get the opportunity to work in a variety of industries. Therefore, the number of students opting for courses related to robotics is likely to go up in 2019.

2. Automation

With the 4th industry revolution upon us, automation has already started making profound impacts on the business world. Be it manufacturing, automotive or retail, nearly every sector is now investing heavily on automating tasks that are tedious, repetitive and dangerous. As traditional job roles are evolving, the demand for automation experts is growing by the day. This explains why a large number of international students are now inclining towards automation courses. Other than automation engineering, certification courses in industrial automation are also expected to take off next year.

3. Mechatronics

Mechatronics is a fairly new branch of engineering that has caught the attention of students lately. As described on Stanford University’s online portal, it is at the intersection of mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and software engineering. Broadly speaking, mechatronics engineering focuses on technologies involved in building intelligent electro-mechanical systems. After completion of their course, graduates can look for work opportunities in various areas including automation and robotics, AI and expert systems, sensing and control systems, computer integrated manufacturing systems, and transportation and vehicular systems. Since it’s a specialized field, only a few universities currently offer this course in undergraduate and post-graduate levels.

4. Disability programmes

According to a World Bank report, 1 billion people across the world live some form of disability. At a time, when people of disabilities make for the 15 per cent of the global population, the demand for disability support workers is on a rapid rise in many countries. In Australia, for example, the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector is speculated to grow by 16.1% by 2025, creating as many as 250,500 new jobs. Students with a degree in disability programmes can find a wide range of jobs. Be it a speech therapist or a full-time caregiver, the options are plenty. Students can also decide to work for government bodies after graduation. Most medical schools in popular study destinations offer specialized courses in disability care.

5. Infection Control

Another course that is tipped to gain popularity in 2019 is infection control. This specialized field of study prepares students to work in an array of settings such as hospitals, healthcare facilities, government departments, private labs among others. While only a handful of universities offer regular courses in infection control, students can go for certificate courses or part-time programmes. In most countries, however, they need to get a license before they start their professional life. Besides these courses, students are also getting lured by other interdisciplinary programmes like geophysics, marine engineering, game design and development, says the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. When it comes to Indians, the scenario is not much different. Although the majority of them still prefer to choose a safe career path, popularity for unconventional courses are slowly growing. And, with just a few hours left for the New Year, it’s expected that this shift in their demeanour will become more prominent in near future.