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Course Code : MCS-015

Course Title : Communication Skills
Assignment Number : MCA(1)/015/Assign/
Assignment Marks : 100
Weightage : 25%
This assignment has eight questions. Answer all questions. Please go through the guidelines
regarding assignments given in the Programme Guide for the format of presentation of
assignment. Question 1: Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Training to become a respiratory therapist, a fire-safety technician, a floral designer, a locksmith, a
forensic science assistant, or a wedding planner, in most western countries happens in a vocational
institute or community college. In Germany and several other central European countries, they have a
formal dual education system where training at a vocational school (Berufsschule in Germany) is
combined with apprenticeship at a company or guild. In the US, a network of career institutes and
community colleges, both traditional and online, provide a wide variety of career and technical education
options. The Association for Career and Technical Education is the largest national association in the US
dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. Successful
vocational training systems abroad have three common elements – they are adaptive to changing needs of
the economy, they are collaborative and they offer credible (and portable) certification. This portability is
geographical and also between certificates, diplomas and degrees.
In India, government Industrial Training Institutes and state technical institutes dominate the vocational
training system. There are over 1,800 ITIs in India. There are also eleven technical training institutes
for women. The World Bank has allocated $359 million for upgrading several institutes to centres of
excellence. The plan was to take place under a public-private-partnership model. It has seen
implementation delays and has largely been a failure because critical decision-making elements, such
as staffing and course fees, have been retained by the government. Periodic reviews of this programme
available in public domain are voluminous documents with lots of tables and numbers that suggest only
modest improvement.
The goal of a vocational system is clear. It is jobs. On that score and on others, the entire chain of post-
secondary vocational and career training to apprenticeship and employment is broken in India. Existing
institutes do not embody either adaptability or collaboration – imperative for success in a fast evolving
economy. Even if they are successfully upgraded they do not offer the capacity required for the size of
the economy. The full current capacity for public and private vocational training 14
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centres is less than a million seats. This is less than a fifth of India‟s desired annual capacity.
Modern India needs to change its failed post-independence model to achieve that objective. Tinkering
will not do the trick. A brand new architecture for our vocational training system is required.
Governments – both state and Union – should focus on skill standards and certification portability. For
the rest, vocational training should be fully privatized.
This private ecosystem needs to be organized under a governance umbrella (made up of
educators, government and business) that becomes the instrument for standards, evolution,
collaboration, certification and portability.
The National Skill Development Corporation, which has made a good start on retraining the workforce,
should be retained. It adds a dimension to this framework. Apprenticeship regulation (Apprenticeship
Act, 1961) should be relaxed and rigid conditions eliminated so long as minimum wages are paid. To
provide for wider access, online and distance career education should be encouraged when standards are
met through credible testing.
“Start by doing what‟s necessary, then do what‟s possible, and suddenly you are doing
the impossible,” said Saint Francis of Assisi.
Narayan Ramachandran, Mint 22, April, 2013

a) How is the European system of vocational education different from the American? (3 marks )
answer:
In Germany and several other central European countries, they have a formal dual education system
where training at a vocational school (Berufsschule in Germany) is combined with apprenticeship at a
company or guild. In the US, a network of career institutes and community colleges, both traditional
and online, provide a wide variety of career and technical education options. The Association for Career
and Technical Education is the largest national association in the US dedicated to the advancement of
education that prepares youth and adults for careers.

b) What are the three elements of successful vocational (3

marks) training in the West? Discuss in your own words.

Successful vocational training systems abroad have three common elements

– (1)they are adaptive to changing needs of the economy,

(2)they are collaborative and

(3)they offer credible (and portable) certification.

c) Why is the Indian vocational education system failing according (4 marks)

to the writer? Discuss.because It has seen implementation delays and has largely been a failure because
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critical decision-making elements, such as staffing and course fees, have been retained by the
government. the entire chain of post- secondary vocational and career training to apprenticeship and
employment is broken in India. Existing
institutes do not embody either adaptability or collaboration – imperative for success in a fast
evolving economy. Even if they are successfully upgraded they do not offer the capacity required for
the size of the economy. The full current capacity for public and private vocational training 14

centres is less than a million seats. This is less than a fifth of India‟s desired annual capacity.

d) According to the writer what are some of the steps the (4 marks)
government can take to improve the vocational training system in India?

1. A brand new architecture for our vocational training system is required. Governments – both
state and Union – should focus on skill standards and certification portability.
2. For the rest, vocational training should be fully privatized.
3. This private ecosystem needs to be organized under a governance umbrella (made up of
educators, government and business) that becomes the instrument for standards, evolution,
collaboration, certification and portability.
4. The National Skill Development Corporation, which has made a good start on retraining
the workforce, should be retained. It adds a dimension to this framework.
5. Apprenticeship regulation (Apprenticeship Act, 1961) should be relaxed and rigid
conditions eliminated so long as minimum wages are paid.
6. To provide for wider access, online and distance career education should be encouraged
when standards are met through credible testing .

e) What title would you give the passage? Give reason.

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vocational education- today‟s need for developing country

or

vocational education‟s position - india and world

because in this passage writer give the benefits of vocational education which show that it is one of base of
developed country like America where it is very powerful condition so, for developing countries like india,
It is required to develope their vocational education structure.

f) Give the meaning of the words „adaptability‟ and „collaboration‟. (2 marks)

adaptability :
The ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances

collaboration :
Act of working jointly

Question 2: (12 marks)

Alok Gupta works for the Nadars. Complete the description of his work. Use the Present Simple
or Present Continuous form of the verbs in brackets.
Alok Gupta (i)…………………has been working(work) in the Public Relations department. Every
day he (ii)………………spends (spend) a lot of time with foreign journalists. They often
(iii)……………phone (phone) him and (iv)……………….ask (ask) for an appointment. He
(v)…………..spoke (speak) to three reporters from Britain at the moment. He (vi)………………
gave(give) them information about Nadars for their magazines. He (vii)…………….has been enjoing.
(enjoy) his job very much because he (viii)…meets…………. (meet) a lot of interesting people and every day
is different. Today, for example, Alok (ix)………has organised…………. (organize) a visit for a group of
French people. They (x)…had made……..… (make) a film for their TV channel. They (xi)…had
filmed…………….. (film) the Nadars‟ at the Gallery of Modern Indian Art, at the moment. The
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newspaper and TV people often (xii)…wants………… (want) news stories on Nadars and it is
Alok‟s job to help them.

Question 3: (10 marks)

Complete the conversation. A part of the conversation is
given. Roohi: Good news about your new job, Tony.
Tony: Yes. , i am enjoing it very much……………………………………………………… .
Roohi: What about the money?
Tony: in the advertisement, they offered 25000 per month . So I sent in a letter of application
along with my curriculum vitae. Three weeks later they said I was on their short list of six candidates
for the job. They asked me to go for an interview
Roohi: What about?
Tony: Well, first they checked my bio-data like – age, family, education, and that sort of thing. Then
they asked about my …education and hobbies. .
Roohi: Did they offer you the job immediately?
Tony: …No, they sent me a job allotement letter after few days.
Roohi: So, what exactly is your new position
in company? Tony: Assistant Sales Manager.
Roohi: wow ....it is interesting . Do you get any nice fringe benefits with the job?
Tony: yes, they ave given me a car and a flat.i have been getting travelling allowances and
other expences also
Roohi: That‟s wonderful.
Tony: yes . it is interesting job for me.
thanks……………………………………………………………… .

Question 5: (10+10 marks)

Locate an ad or a job description for a post you would like to have. Write a cover letter as well as
your curriculum vitae. Please copy the ad in your answer.
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Advertisement:

Covering letter:

From:
your name
address
H R Manager,
Westfords Ltdeet
Street no 8,
Lahre cantt

Respected sir,
I would like to apply for the job of Financial Officer which was advertised in today’s Journal.

For the past four years I have worked in Finance with Brown’s. As the company is
moving to another part of the country, I will be made redundant in two weeks’ time.

My present job involves various Finance duties in person and by phone. I also:

• deal with Bank queries

• handle incoming calls from Financer.
• handle incoming and outgoing post
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• Reporting for the Loan.

Before this job I was a trainee with TATA consultancy service, Hydrabad and completed
MBA in Finance and have various Finance dealing experience.

I have always enjoyed working with people and think my previous experience will allow me
to work as part of the team and to be an effective representative of your company.

I am available for interview at any time and could start work immediately. You can
ask for references from my present and previous employers.

Please find enclosed a copy of my CV for more information.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Your signature
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 Curriculum Vitae

Personal Details
Name : Mr. Manohar Rammohanrai Shastri
Address : shivanagar,rammanohar
lohiyahospital
hydrabad
Mobile Number : 85698 86585
Email : ramjiki krupa@ haridwar.com
Date of Birth :05/12/1988

Personal Profile
Relevant skills and attributes.:
• deal with Bank queries
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• handle incoming calls from Financer.
• handle incoming and outgoing post
• Reporting for the Loan.
• What experience you have acquired which will contribute to a new opportunity. As
per condition

Education

Nuneaton University
2003 – 2006
Accounting and Finance BBA (Hons)
Nuneaton College 2001 – 2003
A levels: Math (A) English (C) Physics (B) Geography (D).

Career History
FINANCE MANAGER May 2007 - Present
Accounting Company
Working a busy and high volume environment driving consistency and best practice across all the businesses.
Responsible for improving the companies cash flow and reducing its arrears by keeping accurate records and
ensuring payments are received on time.

Key Achievements
A highly motivated and results driven finance manager who has over three years of
invaluable experience in leading and developing a successful finance team. Skilled in
numerous financial and accounting fields, including: preparing annual budgets, monitoring
key accounts and credit control. Having the ability to handle complex assignments
effectively & possessing the confidence to work as part of a team or independently. Martin
is presently looking for a suitable opportunity position with a forward thinking company
where he can excel, deliver & achieve his potential
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 Skills

Financial
Cash Flow control Management accounts Budget preparation Financial forecasting Economic awareness
Interpreting inancial data Auditing Strategic thinkin

Management
Predicting future trends Supervisory skills Financial regulations Decision making Managing budgets
Effective elegation Conflict resolution Effective delegation

Personal
Attention to detail Communication skills Good IT knowledge Presentation skills Problem solving Analytical mind
High levels of integrity Negotiating

Hobbies & Interests

• If the job you are applying for is a team-based role then highlight team activities you take part in.

References
Reference Name
Reference Title

Question 6: (10 marks)

The sentences below are in the passive voice. Write them in the active
voice. i I was allowed by the court to file an appeal
The court allowed me to file an appeal

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ii He was awarded by the company president.

The company precident awarded him

iii Two hundred people are employed by the

factory. The factory employs two hundred people

iv He was given a very high salary by the new company.

The new company gave him a very high salary

v The photographs were taken by a leading photographer in London.

A leading photographer took the photograph in London

vi He has been seen by the police in a restaurant.

The police has seen him in a rastuarant

vii My car was hit on the back.

The truct hit my car on the back

viii We were shown the beautiful paintings.

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As it is

ix He was taught by one of the leading physicists.

One of leading physicists taught him

x I was handed in the letter yesterday.

The postman handed me a letter yesterday

Question 7: (4x5=20 marks)

Write short notes on the following:

i Barriers to communication.
There are Three Common Barriers

Physical disabilities
Psychological attitudes and prejudice
Cultural diversity
Physical Disabilities may include:
Deafness or hearing loss
Blindness or impaired vision
Aphasia or speech disabilities
Psychological barriers are often caused by:
Prejudice
Attitudes
Personality
Stereotypes such as “dumb blondes” or “fat slob” cause us to make snap judgements about others
that affect the communication process.
Health care workers must learn to put prejudice aside and show respect for all individuals. Is
that possible?
Do all patients have the right to quality health care?
Cultural Barriers
Each cultural group has beliefs and practices regarding health and illness.
Some cultures believe the body needs balance-if the body is cold, they eat hot foods.

Some cultures believe illness is due to demons and evil.

Some cultures believe health is a reward from God, and illness is punishment from God.
Eye contact- in some cultures, it‟s not acceptable , and looking down is a sign of respect.
Terminal illness- in some cultures, the patient is NOT told his/her prognosis, and family members
are responsible for making care decisions.
Touch- in some cultures, it is wrong to touch someone on the head.
Personal care-in some cultures, only family members provide personal care.
Respect and acceptance of cultural diversity is essential for any health care worker.
Page 13
ii Language and style of Minutes of Meeting.
Minut es of m eet ings

Lots of organisations, groups, and businesses have meetings where a record needs to
be kept of the proceedings and decisions made. Somebody in each case needs to write
the minutes of meetings.

• an informal meeting of hobby club members

• the annual general meeting of a charity
• a formal meeting of school governors
• director’s meetings of small or large companies
The written record of these events are called the ‘minutes of meetings’.

The purpose of taking minutes of the meeting is more or less the same in each case – to keep
an accurate record of events for future possible reference.

• when it took place,

• who was in attendance
• who was absent
• what was discussed
• what decisions were made
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The minutes of meetings are a record of discussions and decisions, and over time they might
form an important historical record (in the case of a government’s war cabinet for instance).

There might also be a legal requirement for sets of minutes to be produced in an organisation
– as in the case of a bank or a limited company.

How m uch det ail?

The amount of detail recorded will depend upon the type of meeting and maybe its
historical culture. Some organisations like to have a record that captures the spirit of the
discussions that took place; others put their emphasis on the decisions that are made.

One thing is certain: the person taking the minutes is not expected to give a dramatic or
poetic description of what takes place. The minutes of a meeting are a summary,
recording its most important features.

You can get an idea of the culture and style of the group by looking at the minutes of
previous meetings. These will give you a guide to the amount of detail normally required
and the way in which decisions are recorded.

Different types of meetings record these details in various styles. A group of parents running
a children’s football team does not require the same degree of formality as a managing board
of company directors. Roughly speaking, there are three types of minute taking

Informal
This might be no more than a bulleted list of points, a table with boxes to record deadlines,
or a checklist of topics.

Minimalist
These will give a brief information on time-date-place, who was present, and details of decisions
or resolutions passed. These can often be compressed onto a single side of A4 paper.

Detailed
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A document of several pages, with headings and sub-headings, and maybe numbered
points. These might provide a record of the discussion in summarized form, along with
named individuals given specific responsibilities, plus any deadlines for action.

The Role of a Minut es Secr et ar y

The minutes of a meeting are normally taken by the secretary, whilst the chair
conducts the meeting.

It is the role of the chair to set the agenda, introduce items, and decide who speaks
to the issues.

In a very big organisation the secretary might delegate the actual recording of events
to an assistant or clerk.

It’s important that the minutes secretary follows the progress of the meeting carefully,
recording major items of debate and decisions that are taken. The published agenda is a
useful template by which to take notes during the meeting. This keeps the order of topics
and the structure of the meeting intact.

For this reason the secretary and the chair need to work closely in collaboration with
each other.

If a decision taken by the meeting is not clear, the secretary should ask the chair
to clarify matters – which often helps other people as well.

Some types of meeting even require a record of who spoke to the issues on the agenda,
and what points of argument they made. In such cases, a summary rather than a verbatim
record is appropriate.
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Wr it ing t he m inut es of m eet ings

It is most likely that you will make rough notes during the meeting, then convert these
to your finished report of the meeting after it has finished.

Remember that you are summarizing the most important issues, so you need to use a
number of skills at the same time

• good listening skills

• the ability to summarize
• good note-taking skills
Your job is to distinguish the less from the more important points of discussion. For this
you can use your own system of abbreviations.

At t he m eet ing

• listen attentively, jotting down key words

• use the agenda document as a template
• leave enough space between items for your jottings
• summarize what’s said, using a system of shorthand
• ask for clarification if necessary
If the discussion was about The Allied and Providential Assurance Company for instance,
you would not write out that name in full ever time. APAC would be a perfectly useful
abbreviation in your notes.

Many people find it difficult to listen carefully and make notes at the same time. This becomes
even more difficult if they are an active member of the meeting. For that reason a minutes
secretary is not normally expected to participate as fully in a meeting as the other members.

If the meeting is not too big, you can probably record people’s contributions using their initials
(KP, HT, MA) rather than their full names. You can also do this in any minutes so long as
the names appear in full in the list of attendees.

The first time the name of an organisation is mentioned, it should be spelled out in full – as in
Product Management Corporation, or the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Trust. Thereafter, you
can use acronyms formed by the initial letters of its name (PMC and QEJT). In very big
meetings, these names and acronyms are often listed in an appendix.

Prepare in advance as much as possible. Make sure you have a copy of the minutes of the last
meeting, and that they have been circulated to other committee members. Making a record of a
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meeting is always easier if you know the agenda in advance, and even if you know who might
be in attendance.

Make sure you have a copy of the meeting agenda. Get to the meeting early so that you
can record the names of other people as they arrive – if you know them.

If you don’t know the attendees, wait until the meeting has started, then circulate a blank sheet on
which people are asked to PRINT their names. Don’t circulate this attendance sheet before the
meeting starts, because if some people arrive late, the chances are that they will be missed.

It might happen that an item on the agenda is not discussed or is deferred for some
reason until the next meeting. You should nevertheless record this fact, so that a future
meeting is able to check on the status of the item and decide if it is still relevant.

Some meetings can generate discussions which become arguments, with differences of
opinion expressed quite forcefully. A great deal of tact and diplomacy is required in
recording such discussions.

The best way to deal with such occasions is to record the fact that there was disagreement, but
without going into any details. You can use a form of words such as ”There was disagreement
concerning the choice of contractor for the project, but following discussion it was agreed that
…’

Do not intrude any of your own opinions into the record of events. Your task is to appear
neutral and impartial – even if you have strong feelings about hte topics being discussed.

Try to get agreement on the date of the next meeting before the meeting ends and people
leave. That strictly is the chairperson’s job, but you will be doing yourself a favour in
getting agreement on this issue.
Page 18
 If some points of the discussion are still not clear to you, it’s a good idea to ask speakers
to clarify matters to you before they leave, otherwise you will have extra work in tracking
this information when you come to write the formal minutes.

iii How to be successful in a Group Discussion.

The purpose of a group discussion is to bring out the candidate's inter-personal skills. It will show how a
candidate interacts with and support each other, their team spirit and leadership abilities. The process
of the discussion is to find out if a candidate has the ability to stand out in a group and also his
communication and presentation style. It also shows how a candidate interacts with another, supports
others, team spirit and leadership abilities.
However, there is a difference between public speaking and group discussion. In a group discussion, one faces a
dynamic situation, where the participants give their diverse views on the topic abeing discussed. In a group
discussion, one may have to change views and concepts as per group dynamics and interactions. This requires
quick comprehension of thought and logical presentation as per the situation prevailing in the group. Such a skill
can be acquired by execising one's mind through analysis and comprehension of passages taken from books.

A group discussion may be used either as a screening test or a test for competency. The success factors for
a group discussion are quality of content and presentation and comprehension of ideas. This calls for
continuous attention to listening to the views of others and then making immediate changes to one's own
views. However, group discussions are not debates. It is focused on evaluating one's effective
communication skills, clarity of thought, power of logical reasoning and inter-personal skills.

Introduce yourself to the group and listen carefully to the topic being proposed for discussion. Make notes and
conceptualize your approach and ideas. Be brief and analytical in whatever you say and address your group
members and not the chair. It's best to speak for a short while at first and then take the opportunity later to add
some critical points after a few others have spoken. Allow others to speak without any interruption and try to
exhibit your leadership quality by taking the lead in settling a point under discussion. Exhibit your team spirit
by co-operating with others and be enthusiastic all through the discussion.
Page 19
However, sit straight and don't lean on the table or talk or whisper amongst yourselves when someone is talking. Don't cut
short or interrupt anyone to enter into the discussion or start an argumentative statement. Don't get angry or agitated
because of difference of views with others or try to dominate the discussion by intervening in everybody's
discussion. This is a team game, so refrain from making any personal attack or remark. Act in harmony with the
group and not be aggressive because it goes against the spirit of teamwork. Teamwork is working together for a
common purpose

iv Body language when making a presentation.

Ey e cont act , facial ex pr essions, post ur e, m ov em ent s, gest ur es.

Why is it useful?

I t is nat ur al and a par t of com m unicat ion.

t o clar ify m eaning;
it is v er y v isual
t o v ent ner v ou
sness t o m aint ain int
er est t o em phasize

Th e g old e n r u le is " Be nat ur al and r elax ed! "

e b od y la n g u a g e

e y e con t a ct b od y m ov e m e n t
Page 20
t o k eep audiences' at t ent ion ( Asian to indicat e a change of focus
audience m ight feel aggr essed.) k eep audience's at t ent ion
facial ex pr essions should be nat ur al and m ov e for w ar d to em phasize
fr iendly : m ov e t o side t o indicat e a t r ansit ion gest ur e
r aise ey ebr ow s t o show sur pr ise up and dow n head m ot ions ar e m ov em ent s t o
- open ey es w ide - indicat e im por t ance or ack n ow ledgem ent
squint y our ey es - pen or point er t o indicat e par t , place ( on a
cur l y our ey ebr ow s t r anspar ency )
shr ug shoulder t o indicat e I don't k n ow or car e
thehands
Lot s of possibilit ies t o em phasise, t o p ost u r e
enum er at e. st and st r aight but r elax ed
t o ex pr ess sincer it y or r eflex ion ( do not slouch or lean sidew ay s)
Be conscious of w hat y ou do w it h y our hands Lean for w ar d t o em phasize how ev er I
f y ou ar e unhappy , h old not es or car ds t o No hands in pock et s
occupy t hem
ar m - m ov em ent s back and for t h t o
suggest flow .
Open ar m s t o include or w elcom e ideas

N e g a t iv e b od y la n g u a g e

Failing t o m ak e ey e cont act

Do not look at y ou r not es all t he t im e
Look ing at t he scr een/ boar d m eans y our back is t ur ned t o t he audience cut t ing cont
act Don't st ar e, or look blank ly int o people's ey es
Av oid sw ay ing back and for t h lik e a
pendulum Av oid leaning against w alls
Be aw ar e of y our ner v ous t ics
Do not fold y ou r ar m s lik e a bar r ier
While one hand in a pock et giv es a v er y r elax ed pose, bot h hands in pock et s look s t oo casual
and should be av oided
Page 21
Question 8: (10 marks)
You are the editor of your college magazine. You would like to request the District Collector for an
interview. Telephone the District Collector‟s office and speak to her secretary, Ms. Sushma Reddy.
You must do the following:
• Introduce yourself
• Explain why you have called
• Ask when you can get an appointment with the Collector

Secretary : good morning, collector’s office

Editor: Good morning I am David husgburge. Editor of Times of India.

Secretory : ok, How may i help you, tell me sir.

Editor : Our collector are newly appointed by UPSC and He is a Youngest IAS. So, Our News paper will
want to publish Interview of his appointment So, I call you for An appointment in this regard.

Secretary : Ok, I will call you back after fixing date and time for appointment.

Editor :thanks

Secretary: My pleasure

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