The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Confine degree course to basic sciences: C.N.R. Rao

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Confine degree course to basic sciences: C.N.R. Rao

Staff Reporter

‘All other subjects should be kept for specialisation’

Bangalore: Nano science and biotechnology are better pursued as research specialisations than as degree courses and it made little sense for universities to dedicate separate departments to these subjects, said C.N.R. Rao, chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Linus Pauling Research Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).

Speaking at the second Bangalore Nano conference and exhibition here on Thursday, Prof Rao said: “Every college and university now wants to offer degree courses in nano and biotechnology.

Students take up these courses in the hope of getting jobs, and I hope they do get jobs. But they probably never do.”

Although the Centre made major investments in nano science and technology and had on the anvil two institutes for nano science (including one in Bangalore), universities and colleges need to be “careful about education.” Basic degrees should be in basic sciences, not in nano and biotechnology, added Prof. Rao. The latter should be pursued as specialisation, he said.

However nano, a young science full of promise, and India, the youngest country in the world with 65 per cent of people aged below 25 were “particularly suited to each other” said Prof. Rao.

“What we need are bright young scientists to take up science and engineering. But this is where there is a shortfall,” he said.

Bangalore Nano was a platform to showcase advances in nanotechnology and was organised by the Karnataka State Department of IT, BT and Science and Technology and JNCASR among others. Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari would give away the Bangalore Nano National Award on Saturday, the concluding day of the three day event.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka