The objectives of the study were:  (1) To evaluate the present level of career maturity of students studying in XI standard science stream of the Kendriya Vidyalayas. (2) To find out whether regular classroom experiences help in the development of career maturity of the control group. (3) To find out the effect of career counselling and guidance program on the career maturity of the students of experimental group. (4) To compare the career maturity in the above two groups and to find out whether the change in career maturity is significant. (5) To find out whether there is a significant difference between counselling the students in groups and individually. (6) To design a framework of career counseling and guidance program for class XI standard science stream students.

The hypothesis of the study was that an exposure to career counseling and guidance program will not bring about any significant change in the career maturity of the students.

Groups were equated on the basis of marks obtained at the X standard board (CBSE) examination and OMI pretest scores.

The tools used to measuring the variables were: Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) by M.N. Palsane, Standard Progressive Matrices by J.C. Raven, High School Personality Questionnaire by Rayman B. Cattell, Differential Aptitude Test by George, K. Bennet, Student Information Blank by NCERT, Problem Check list by NCERT, and Cumulative Record Card by NCERT.

The method of research was survey and experimental.Pretest posttest equivalent group design was selected for the experiment.Sample comprised of 180 students of class XI science stream of Kendriya Vidyalayas of Pune city. Control group followed the regular curriculum prescribed by CBSE for standard XI science stream students. The two experimental groups consisting of 45 students each were followed in addition to different forms of counselling and guidance program. One group was exposed to an individual counselling and guidance program and the other experimental group was exposed to counseling and guidance program. The treatment was given for the entire academic session 1996-97.

The data were analyzed using statistical techniques F-ratio, t-test, mean and SD.

The findings of the study were: (1) In general, the level of career maturity of the students studying in XI standard science faculty of the Kendriya Vidyalayas was low. (2) The regular classroom experiences did not help in the development of career maturity of the controlled group significantly. (3) There was a significant difference in the career maturity of the experimental group after exposing them to a career counseling and guidance program for one whole academic year. (4) The career maturity in experimental group exposed to ‘individual counseling’ (group 2) was more as compared to the experimental group exposed to group counseling. (5) It was concluded that the career counseling and guidance program was effective in developing the career maturity of the XI standard science students of Kendriya Vidyalayas of Pune.