All India Cadre of Safe Food Business Professionals

The purpose is to create a pool of best experts in food safety to lead food businesses anywhere in the world.

• Through mentoring, further training and certification as a talented safe food business professional, you have excellent opportunities for personal growth;
• As a certified competent individual, you are ready to be absorbed by government departments, private companies and other national and international organizations;
• Better opportunities and rapid career growth;
• Enhance your leadership skills in safe food business

As far as we know, there is no such programme being implemented by any other institution in India or abroad.

Nestle Food Safety Institute is a premier institute in India, with global headquarters in Switzerland; and NIFTEM is the only institution in India that is recognised as the Institute of National Importance in the area of Food Science and Technology. Both the leading institutions have collaborated to implement such a unique programme.

The competition is open only to science stream (Food Tech./ Food Engg. / Nutrition / Microbiology / Chemistry / Zoology / Botany / Biochem. / Biotech.) Graduates / Post-Graduates. Students in the last semester of the under-graduate programme are eligible to compete.

Yes, in 2022, any Indian citizen residing in India or abroad can compete; From 2023, we plan to open the competition to citizens of all South-Asian countries.

There is no limit as long as the applicant is within the prescribed age limit for that year.

Interested candidates may apply online via the link on the websites of NIFTEM and NFSI given below:

• NIFTEM -- www.niftem.ac.in
• NFSI -- www.nfsi-india.in

https://sfc2022registration.icalibrator.com

Please refer to the schedule in the brochure on the websites. 

Fee can be paid using the registration process. Candidates need to keep proof of the fee paid. 

Please email to: safefoodcadre2022@gmail.com
While sending an email, you must mention the registered email ID and the mobile number. 

Fee once paid for the registration is not refundable.

No. All communications including Certificates will be sent to your registered email ID and all SMS messages will be sent to your registered mobile number. This email ID and mobile number cannot be used by another applicant for her / his registration. 

Except the email ID and mobile number, all other corrections in the particulars of Registration Form can be made before the date of your Objective Exam. Payment of registration fee should be made within a period of 7 calendar days from the date of first registration but before close of the final registration date (31 May 2022). 

You will get disqualified at any stage of the Competition. 

Yes, both objective and subjective type exams. will be conducted on-line.

https://sfc2022exam.icalibrator.com

English

You can give the exams. (both objective and subjective type) from home or any place of your choice. Just make sure that you have internet access of the 2 Mbps (upload and download) bandwidth.

You can give the exams. (both objective and subjective type) by selecting a date and time slot during the registration process according to your convenience and availability.

Yes, change of date and time is allowed only once during the registration process. In case no slot is available, you will lose the opportunity to appear in the competition in this year.

It is your choice not to appear in the exam. However, the registration fee shall not be refunded.

Yes, video proctoring of every candidate will be done during objective as well as subjective type exams. In case any unethical behaviour is observed by the Examination Committee in respect of any candidate, such candidate(s) will be disqualified from the Cadre Competition of that year.

You will be required to give your exam on a computer or a mobile device with a camera. The exam. portal will not work if there is no camera. If you need to do some calculations on a rough sheet, you must place your device at a distance of 1.5 feet so that the camera can capture your desk space. In case the candidate fails to do this, she/he would stand disqualified.

A Committee will take a decision

(a) Objective: There is no limit to the number of questions you can answer. You should continue until the end of the allotted time for each of the two areas, namely, (i) Non-Technical areas (one hour); and (ii) Technical areas (two hours). There will be a 10 minutes break between the two areas of the exams.

(b) Subjective: (i) Two questions in Non-Technical areas; and (ii) Four questions in the Technical areas.
 - This will be a three hours exam.
 - There will also be a choice to select.
 - All questions will be case-study type, but one question in each area will be compulsory.
 - The compulsory questions will be on: (i) Business Management in the Non-Technical areas; and (ii) National / Global Food Regulatory matters in the Technical areas.

Questions in both areas (Non-Technical and Technical) will randomly pop-up on your screen in the Objective exam. In the Subjective exam, all six questions will be displayed together. However, the questions will not be the same across the candidates.

The objective of the programme is to select professionals with an over all understanding of the subjects in broad terms and to assess the extent and depth of knowledge.

You should study all the subject areas of the syllabus and focus on the subjects relevant to food safety, food technology and the regulatory areas.

The selected professionals are expected to be leaders in food businesses. So, you should have good awareness in all the subject areas of the syllabus. 

You should submit the answer sheets at the end of the allotted time. In case you do not submit your answer sheets, the Computer based system will automatically submit your answer sheet as soon as the allotted time is over.

(i) Objective: There will be questions at four levels of difficulty. Level-1 questions will carry one mark and Level-4 questions will carry four marks. The software will automatically raise the level of difficulty as soon as you correctly answer the questions in different areas.
(ii) Subjective: 100 marks covering both areas. The compulsory questions will be of 20 marks each and the others will be of 15 marks each. In case you do not answer the compulsory question and attempt another one in its place, the last one will not be evaluated. 

You have no possibility to go back to review / revise answer of a previous question. You can only go forward in the exam. by answering or by passing it.

Yes. This information will also be embedded in the software.

Yes, your total score in the Technical as well as Non-Technical areas will be displayed on the screen after the answer sheet is submitted and you can take note of it.

There is no negative marking.

Yes, a detailed set of instructions will be provided on the exam. portal on 01 June 2022 and can be downloaded. A video will also be available for ease of understanding.

Yes, the link for mock practice sessions for the objective type exams will be available from 01 June 2022 on the exam. portal. It is meant to familiarize you with the operation of the exam. and to see the kind of questions that you can expect. These mock practice sessions can be taken as many times as you wish.

A computer generated signed Certificate of Participation can be downloaded by each candidate after appearing in the first level of the exam (objective type exam.)

A list of the shortlisted candidates will be published on the websites of NIFTEM and NFSI after each exam. An email will also be sent to your registered email ID.

You will not lose any time in case of any technical problems with the exam. software. The support staff (contact number will be provided in the instructions) will be available to fix it. The time lost will be extended after validation of the problem by the support staff. Please review the set of instructions that will be provided on the exam. portal. However, if the problem is due to internet or your device, then you will lose time.

There will be a count-down timer on the top on your screen. Candidates are advised to observe the time available to you.

There will be a requirement. Please review the Instructions on the exam. portal on or after 01 June 2022. An email will also be sent to the registered candidates.

Mentoring will be conducted online for the short-listed candidates after the subjective-type exams. However, the GD and Interview will be conducted with physical presence of the candidates (subject to Covid situation).

Yes, it is mandatory to attend the mentoring programme, In fact, it is meant to prepare candidates for the GD and Interview, bring them to a level-playing field, and also
for developing the soft skills.

There will be 6-8 candidates in one group.

The subjects for GD could range from any of the technical subject areas or national / international politics, current affairs or trade.

BLEP will be an in-person residential programme at NIFTEM, Sonepat (subject to Covid situation).

Selected working professionals need to take leave from their employers in order to attend the BLEP programme. NIFTEM / NFSI will make necessary recommendations to the employers, if required.

Yes, Decision on the fee structure is still to be taken and will be communicated to the selected candidates well in time. The expenses will be funded either by the candidates themselves or sponsored by organizations.

Financial support / scholarships by NFSI / NIFTEM other organizations is under consideration.

This programme is aimed at the career growth and enhancement of business leadership with a focus on the food sector and food safety. It will also develop the candidates in regulatory affairs in the food sector and enhance negotiation skills at the international level.

The Certificate of Accession to the Cadre will be presented to the selected Food Business Professionals at a special function that will be organized in New Delhi in December 2022 (subject to Covid situation). CEOs of companies and Heads of national / international Organizations will be invited to interact with members of the Cadre. There is a possibility to get selected.

Yes. NFSI / NIFTEM will also approach the CEOs of companies and Heads of national / international Organizations.

The Certificate of Accession will be valid for ever.