The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : EAMCET counselling: biotech has few takers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

EAMCET counselling: biotech has few takers

Poor job opportunities after completion of the course

HYDERABAD: The much hyped Biotechnology course has found little favour with students in the ongoing Engineering counselling with only 67 students out of the 15,000 called opting for it so far.

The total seats available in this stream under the Convenor quota in the first phase of counselling are 1,680.

The poor response is being attributed to the attitude of students towards the subject as it doesn’t offer many employment opportunities immediately after completion of the course unlike other engineering streams.

One needs to have research orientation to study a course like this. Good opportunities come only after post graduation and research. “Which student is willing to spend that kind of time now?” asks a senior professor.

Not many students with Mathematical background prefer the course as the content is dominated by science subjects and more suited for Biology students.

But unfortunately the AICTE doesn’t allow them to study Biotechnology citing the technical reason that a B.Tech degree cannot be given to a Biology student. Unlike the CBSE system, Intermediate Board doesn’t offer the M.Bi.P.C. course that allows students to study both Mathematics and Biology at the Plus Two level.

No facilities

The poor quality of Biotech education and lack of good laboratory facilities in many colleges drive away serious students. According to a senior professor of Biotechnology those who have completed the course have not acquired the skills due to lack of faculty and facilities. “Quality of Biotech students attending interviews is very poor and it is not their fault,” he says. Moreover, the course is offered at the B.Sc level offering more flexibility and students prefer it.

Teachers believe that many State students with genuine interest in Biotechnology prefer deemed universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu that have created good infrastructure. “Biotech is not like engineering and it needs good faculty and infrastructure that costs huge sums,” a teacher says.

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