Sunday 28 June 2009

fate of life sciences

I rejoined my college to the dismal news that very few students are interested in taking admission in a BSc life science course. Till two years ago, the Chemistry department that teaches Chemistry to all life science course students had more than 400 students in the three years of BSc now our first year may not have more than 50 students.
Our college is self- financed...no student, no money. This dismal state of affairs is due to two factors. One is that in this state, professional degree is the only degree of value..only losers do pure science. Secondly, the state government prefers quantity to quality. They have encouraged a huge number of colleges to start a BPharm course. Everyone will get a BPharm admission if he/she does not get into an MBBS/BDS course.
For most parents, being a dentist is preferable to being a scientist.
I could understand the craze for a BE/Btech since you were getting a good job(fancy salary) after 4 years of study. But this craze for BPharm and BDS, I cannot understand. How many BPharms can the industry employ? And looking at the infrastructure in some of these Pharma colleges, will their alumni be employable?
A (informal) survey shows that nowadays very few students take biology in their Intermediate(XI class equivalent).
Soon this state will not produce any graduate in a life science subject. This state aims to be a biotech hub.... with what?

Ceiling fan

 I read somewhere that as a solution for student suicides, IISc has decided to remove fans from hostel rooms. No fan, no suicide. This shoul...