Notification for INSPIRE fellowships for 2012 will be announced by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. INSPIRE is meant for Innovation in Scientific Pursuit for Inspired Research. This is a prestigious fellowship program initiated by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. These fellowships will be awarded for top / first rank holders in Post Graduation and those who are very much interested in pursuing Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) with fellowship in Science and Technology. The basic purpose of the fellowship scheme is to encourage young students to go for research in science education. Fellowship amount under INSPIRE scheme is equivalent to NET qualified candidates.

INSPIRE fellowships are offered in the disciplines of 1. Life Sciences 2. Chemical Sciences 3. Physical Sciences 4. Engineering Sciences 5. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 6. Mathematics and Statistics 7. Medical Sciences 8. Pharmaceutical Sciences 9. Veterinary Sciences and 10. Agricultural Sciences

Eligibility: Applicants should have secured first rank in the Post Graduate Degree in any of the Basic and Natural Sciences. Candidates with degree in Engineering Sciences / Pharmaceutical Sciences / Agricultural Sciences / Medical Sciences / Veterinary Sciences are also eligible. Selection will be based on merit in the qualifying examination. Selected candidates will be awarded research grants for five years to pursue research leading to Ph.D. Degree in any reputed institute. Applicants must have completed their qualifying examination after 2008. There are several other Government Scholarships available for those interested in science research.

Application Procedure for INSPIRE: Interested candidates can obtain application format on DST website www.inspire-dst.gov.in. Address to send filled in applications: Head, INSPIRE Program, Department of Science & Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi – 110 016. Candidates need higher cut offs in class 12 for UG scholarships.

Apart from these, INSPIRE Awards and Internships also offered to the students from Tenth class to Graduates and Post Graduates. Internship camps will be conducted for tenth passed candidates across the country and will be paid Rs. 5000 as an award. About 10000 students of Bachelors Degree and PG courses also will receive Scholarships of Rs. 80000 per year. They must be between 17-22 years of age. Another innovative scheme of of the DST is INSPIRE Faculty Awards Scheme.

Last date for receipt of completed applications along with required documents for all types of INSPIRE awards, fellowships and scholarships: March 2012 (Tentative). Details of application procedure, previous papers if any and selection procedure can be obtained from www.inspire-dst.gov.in .

Software testing is nothing but examining digital products ranging from cameras to mobile phones for bugs and design errors. The profession of software testing has become demanding all over the world with increasing need of testers in all kinds of software companies. Software testers play crucial role in thoroughly scrutinizing any application or design developed by other professionals. Software Testers check for any flaws in design and code of the application.

Most importantly, software testing career is not just for software engineers. Candidates from other streams also can aspire to become a software tester. But generally the companies look for technical qualification. Usually they ask for BE / BTech, BSc (Computer Science) or MCA qualifications. These candidates also have to undergo rigorous training for 3 to 6 months depending on their subject domain.

Non- Engineers also need to get an additional qualification in Computer Applications. There are so many certifications that come handy to the non – engineers. They need strong foundation in databases, software development technology frameworks, computer languages, operating systems and automation techniques. It is estimated that there are more than a lakh software testing professionals are available in India. But demand for more professionals still growing!

At the entry level, you can join as Trainee Software Tester. You can reach to the levels of Associate / Junior software Tester /Junior Trainer; senior software tester / Senior Trainer; Test Manager / Test Architect / Consultant; Senior Test Manager and head of testing based on the experience and performance.

Useful Certifications for Software Testing Career:

1. Certified Software Tester (CSTE)
2. Certified Software Test Manager (CSTM)
3. International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB)
4. Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST)

Training Institutes for Software Testing:

There are number of training institutes for software testing career aspirants. Institutes are spread across all major cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Nagpur, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, Vizag, Noida, Mumbai, Gurgoan etc. Here are some institutes:

1. Stag Software: Bangalore and Chennai (www.stagsoftware.com)
2. I-PAD Technologies, SR Nagar, Hyderabad.
3. Edista Testing Institute. Centers are located in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune (www.edistatesting.com)
4. Mind Q Systems, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
5. Pure Trainings: Bangalore and Noida (www.puretrainings.com)
6. JVS infotech , Panjagutta, Hyderabad.
7. Seed Infotech: Pune (www.seedinfotech.com)