Regional Commissioner Nitesh Patil on Saturday called upon students to make their career choices wisely, saying the path they choose after II PU would shape their future.

Speaking after inaugurating The Hindu EducationPlus Career Counselling Fair-2026 held at Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) in Mysuru, Mr. Patil said choosing a course after II PU could be difficult not only for students, but also for parents. He advised students to select streams based on their interests and natural strengths in today’s competitive world.

Expressing gratitude to The Hindu EducationPlus for conducting the event to help students understand various career opportunities, he said students often face a choice between opting for the “best” or the “first” available opportunity, and urged them to take informed decisions.

Mr. Patil, himself an engineering graduate, also encouraged students to think beyond becoming employees and instead aspire to become employers and entrepreneurs capable of generating jobs for others.

Stressing the importance of the right environment in shaping one’s future, he said he had decided to prepare for the UPSC examinations while pursuing engineering at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad).

“The phase you are in is a critical period in life. There is no single correct answer when it comes to choosing a career. But you must choose a path that genuinely interests you. If you make the right choice wisely, the future will be yours,” he said.

Advising students that there were no shortcuts to success or alternatives to hard work, he urged them to plan short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. He also asked students to clear their doubts with experts provided by the organisers and work consistently towards achieving their dreams.

Referring to the debate surrounding Artificial Intelligence replacing jobs, Mr. Patil said human skills would always remain irreplaceable. “Machines cannot replace humans who possess skills,” he observed.

VVCE Principal Dr. B Sadashive Gowda, KEA-CET Helpline Nodal Officer N. Udayashankar, CIGMA Founder-CEO Ameen e-Mudassar, Chartered Accountant-ICAI Bhargava S. and REVA University Director (Admissions) Gaurav Yadav were present.

On the occasion, Mr. Patil released a career guidance handbook - A Guide to Your Future. The handbook, featuring articles by education experts and academicians, was later distributed among students.

More than 500 students and their parents attended the session.