Applications have been invited for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST 2012) to be held on May 27 across the country for admission to the five-year integrated M.Sc. programmes at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, and the University of Mumbai- Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE-CBS), Mumbai.

Both these institutions, with residential campuses, offer the MSc. programmes in biological, chemical, mathematical, and physical sciences. There are 60 seats in NISER and 35 in UM-DAE-CBS.

The course curriculum seeks to inculcate in the students a spirit of exploration, innovation, and aptitude for research so as to develop a pool of talented and motivated future scientists and science teachers. The students will be offered an INSPIRE fellowship of Rs.5,000 a month and an annual grant of Rs.20,000. Details can be had from www.niser.ac.in or www.cbs.ac.in.

Those who have passed Plus Two or equivalent examinations with at least 60 per cent marks in aggregate in the science stream (55 per cent for those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the physically challenged) in 2010 or 2011 and those appearing for the qualifying examination in 2012 may apply. Applicants must have born on or after October 1, 1987. The age limit is relaxed by five years for the three reserved categories.

The application fee for the male candidates is Rs.600. For women and the three reserved sections, it is Rs.300.

Applications can be submitted online on www.nestexam.in till March 12. Follow the instructions given on the website to fill up the form. A printout of the application, along with a demand draft for the application fee payable at Mumbai and documents, should reach the Chief Co-ordinator, NEST 2012, Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Health Centre, University of Mumbai, Vidyanagari Campus, Mumbai – 400 098 on or before March 12.

Section 1 of the test, compulsory for all candidates, will have general questions. Sections 2 to 5 will contain questions from biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, respectively. Candidates are required to attempt any three of these four sections. The questions of the three-hour test will be objective type, designed to test subject comprehension and analytical ability. The result of the examination will be declared on June 18 and the list of shortlisted candidates will be available that day on www.nestexam.in.

The Integrated Science Education and Research Centre, Visva-Bharati, Santhiniketan will select students for its integrated five-year M.Sc. programme from this list. Details can be had from www.visva-bharati.ac.in.


AFMC ENTRANCE TEST

The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) has invited applications for an entrance test to be held on May 6 across the country for admission to its MBBS course commencing in August. The college comes under the Defence Ministry and is affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Science, Nasik, and recognised by the Medical Council of India. As many as 130 students (105 boys and 25 girls) will be admitted.

The students should compulsory reside in the hostel. Accommodation is free. They are entitled to rations and subsidised mess. Other benefits includes AC three-tier railway warrant for journey during vacation from college to home and back; a subsidy of Rs.12,000 for buying books and equipment; a uniform allowance of Rs.6,000 in the first year; and Rs.1,250 a year as maintenance allowance in the subsequent years. Educational expenses will be met by the Union government.

On successful completion of the MBBS course, the students are liable to serve as commissioned officers in the Armed Forces Medical Services. The applicants must be in the 17-22 age group as on December 31, 2012. The upper age limit is 24 for final-year B.Sc. students. Those who have passed Plus Two or equivalent examinations in the first attempt as a regular student with English, physics, chemistry, and biology with not less than 60 per cent marks in aggregate for the three science subjects and 50 per cent separately in them and not less than 50 per cent in English may apply. The candidates must be in good physical and mental health and free from disabilities. Only unmarried candidates are eligible to apply.

Apply online on www.afmc.nic.in from February 6. The prospectus and application forms will be available on the website. The candidates should read the instructions carefully before sending the application. They should have a valid e-mail id. A temporary password is mandatory for online registration. After registration, a new password has to be created and the candidate can use the e-mail ID and the new changed password for logging into the account to generate a unique registration ID. Applicant should note this number for future correspondence.

Download the bank challan form with the unique registration number and pay the application fee of Rs.280 (including bank charge) at any branch of the State Bank of India. The applicants have to upload their digital passport-size photograph with scanned signature in the ‘jpeg' format. Those submitting the online application are not required to send a printout of the application or documents. Those unable to upload the photo can download forms from February 28 to be filled and sent to the AFMC by March 12. For details, visit www.afmc.nic.in

The examination centres include Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Coimbatore, Bangalore, and Chennai. Allotment of centres will be on a first come, first served basis. The students are required to execute a bond equivalent to an amount of Rs.15 lakh. For details, visit www.afmc.nic.in