Wish to spend a year in South Korea & get a degree in public policy, here it is

IF YOU are an Indian bureaucrat wishing to brush up your knowledge on public policy and get a decent foreign degree all at office expenses, you have just one month left for completing the entire procedure. The last date of application for a one year master’s degree programme in public policy in South Korea, scheduled to commence from January 2010 at KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Seoul, is November 5, 2009, according to a circular by department of personnel and training (DoPT). The programme is being jointly sponsored by the Colombo Plan secretariat and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Korea. As government’s austerity measures are still continuing, and arranging one’s own fund for studying abroad is a strict “no” under the recent circular by DoPT, this scholarship under the Colombo Plan is an ideal window for civil servants to compete and go for a study leave. The details of the programme and the application form may be downloaded from ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions website (persmin.nic.in). Thanks to the Colombo plan, 1581 government officials from various member countries have participated in public policy training programmes since 1995. Course & Curriculum • Trade and Industrial Policy • Public Finance and Local Administration • Human Resources and Social Policy • Transition and Development Studies • International relations and Political Economy Eligibility Criteria The candidate should have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the public sector and completed a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. The candidates should have proficiency in English by submitting TOEFL (min. 570) or IELTS (min. 6.0) scores with the application form. However, those who have pursued their first degree at an English medium university are exempted from this requirement. Award Amount The scholarship award covers a return economy air fare from the closest international airport to Seoul, Korea; admission costs; accommodation; full tuition; living stipend of KRW640,000 and book allowance of USD 300 per student per month. Last Date November 5, 2009 Straight From Files Don’t raise fund yourself to finance your study abroad (September 18, 2009) Combined Defence Services Examination (I), on February 14, 2010 The Union Public Service Commission will hold the Combined Defence Services Examination (I), 2010 on February 14, 2010 for admission to Indian Military Academy, Naval Academy and Air Force Academy for the Courses commencing in January 2011 and Officers Training Academy, Chennai for the Courses (Men and Women) commencing in April 2011. For details, aspirants must consult the detailed notice of the examination published in the Employment News/Rozgar Samachar dated September 26, 2009. Details are also available on UPSC website http://www.upsc.gov.in/

Action & Appointments

U N Panjiyar, a 1973 batch Bihar cadre IAS, and secretary ministry of water resources will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary in the ministry of parliamentary affairs for a period of three months with effect from October 1, 2009 or until further orders.