Obviously then, getting admission in NIFT is no cakewalk. Every year about 8,000 students from all parts of the country sit for the entrance and only 1800 make it to the interview and group discussion. They are further short listed, so that finally only 300 finally make it to the institute.

So what does it take to become a winner? Says Anita Sahni, Director (Administration and Academics), NIFT,``One must be able to work pretty hard. A candidate should have a creative bent of mind.'' Currently, NIFT has a total of seven courses to offer, offering a variety of choices for the student. Accessory Designing and Fashion Designing -- the two highly sought after courses -- are of three years duration and the eligibility is a 12 plus 2 from the Science, Arts or Commerce streams.

The remaining five courses, Garment Manufacturing Programme, Apparel Merchandising, Textile Design and Development, Garment Designing Technology and Knitwear Designing Technology all take two years to complete, with the educational qualifications needed for application being a graduation degree in any discipline. Getting a job, of course, is not a problem. ``Placement is 100 per cent'', assures Sahni. Every year, during the months of March, April and May, the campus sees scores of buying, export and manufacturing houses scouting for the right candidate.

Companies like Arvind Mills, Bombay Dying, Vimal, to name a few, absorb NIFT students on a regular basis. The entry level pay for a fresh student is between Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000. So how does one go about preparing for the tough-as-nut entrance exam for NIFT? For a start, aspiring students can go through the previous years' question papers which are on sale at the institute. ``The questions asked include language tests, mathematical ability, reasoning and logic. Questions related to general awareness also carry high marks'', says Sahni.

Fees for each of the courses is Rs 1200 per month, while the total admission charges are about Rs 650. And if you are looking for hostel facilities, you're at the right place: NIFT accommodates students in and around the campus, with separate living arrangements for girls. The monthly rent comes to around Rs 1500 plus food and other expenses.

Advertisements for NIIT entrance examination appear in all the national dailies from October onward. The last date for receiving completed application is usually in the first week of January, following which shortlisted candidates are called for the written test which takes place in the first week of February.

As this year's session has already began, NIFT aspirants will do well to prepare for the next batch, now! For those who want to know: unlike for IIT and UPSC exams, there are no special coaching institutes that dole out quick-fix, sure fire ways of sailing through the NIFT entrance. But here's some good advice from Avineet Bharadwaj, first year student of Fashion Designing, ``Hang around the campus, make friends with the students and try to get as much info as you can about the curriculum from them. That's the way I made it, you know!'' he grins.