Ranjan K Baruah
Many of us like cooking and it would be simply awesome if we can make our cooking style sustainable. One of the terms which are often used when it comes to food is gastronomy. It is sometimes called the art of food. It can also refer to a style of cooking from a particular region. In other words, gastronomy often refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability is the idea that something (e.g. agriculture, fishing or even preparation of food) is done in a way that is not wasteful of our natural resources and can be continued into the future without being detrimental to our environment or health.
Sustainable gastronomy, therefore, means cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown and how it gets to our markets and eventually to our plates. The UN General Assembly adopted on 21 December 2016 its resolution A/RES/71/246 and designated 18 June as an international observance, Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
One of the career options which aspirants may choose is in the field of hotel management where they specialize in cooking and become expert cooks . Once they become expert cooks they can work on the path of sustainability to give back positivity to nature. After senior secondary exams, students may appear in the NCHM JEE to get admissions in the leading hotel management institutes in the country.
There are many institutes which are private and they advertise in a big way. Students and guardians must be aware before taking admission into private institutes as all may not be credible. All those who choose to cook as their career options may work in different parts of the world.
NCHM JEE: It stands for National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination which is conducted by National Testing Agency in India. The National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology was set up in 1982 as an Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Tourism, for coordinated growth and development of hospitality management education in the country.
The Council regulates academics in the field of Hospitality Education & training that is imparted at the 21 (twenty one) Central Govt. sponsored Institutes of Hotel Management, 27 (twenty seven) State Govt. sponsored IHMs offering Degree level/Diploma/Craft Certificate level programs, 1 (one) PSU owned Institute, 29 (twenty nine) private Institutes that function in different parts of the country. The B.Sc. (Hospitality & Hotel Administration) Programme at its affiliated Institutes is offered jointly by the National Council for Hotel Management and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
IHM Guwahati: The Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Guwahati is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The Institute is pledged to train promising men and women in hotel management, and catering technology, and in specific fields such as cookery bakery, food & beverage service, front office, accountancy, house-keeping management and allied topics, depending on the branch of the industry which the trainee desires to take up. Practical presentation and emphasis on nutritional values is a significant aspect of the technical training given to the students.
IHM Shillong: IHM Shillong prepares well-rounded graduates for employment in the hospitality industry, hotel, tourism sector, management and event management position at a global level. The courses here focus on hotel operational skills, management position in the tourism and hospitality industry and the skills needed for continued learning in a changing global business environment. Well-equipped classes, hands-on learning experience, state of the art teaching facilities and skill- focused education are being imparted in the Institute.
(Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor and skill trainer and can be reached at 8473943734 or bkranjan@gmail.com for any career related queries)