Students pursuing science subjects in colleges and varsities may soon have more options.
NEW DELHI: Students pursuing science subjects in colleges and varsities may soon have more options. The government is weighing on a proposal by the three top science academies of the country on the restructuring of post-school science teaching programmes.
In a position paper prepared by experts from the Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc, Bangalore), Indian National Science Academy (INSA, New Delhi) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS, Allahabad), options for pursuing science courses have been suggested along with a whole new concept of dual degree and a new four-year course in basic science (BS) which will give the students flexibility to do PhD in any
science subject.
At present, science post graduates pursue research in the subject in which they have done BSc honours or post graduation. The new BS programme, similar to BTech in engineering colleges, followed by PhD in basic sciences, will have a provision for early exit with MSc degree or dual degrees for students after Class XII.
Currently, 10 or more years are required after school to get a PhD degree.
However, the new proposal, will save students a year, have more subject choices besides being spared from taking repeated entrance exams. Students of final year of BS can also be eligible for National Eligibility Test to become lecturers.
The proposal has been sent to varisites and technical institutes for comments.
Pointing out the major drawbacks of the post-school science education, professors D Balasubramanium (IASc), A Misra (NAS) and M Vijayan (INSA) in the report said time and energy wasted in sequential admissions to BSc, MSc and PhD programmes; repetition of topics at BSc and MSc levels; poor laboratory facilities and consequent poor training of students in experimental methods; little exposure to research methodologies and limited options for movement between science and technology streams were the main reasons why they needed reforms.
Experts suggested the existing three-year BSc, two-year MSc and the integrated MSc or PhD programmes may also continue for now. But science students should have options.
Those qualifying the BS or ongoing BTech should have the flexibility to move from BS to technology and vice versa.
The switchover from science to technology/engineering and vice versa is not possible now due to the unequal durations of BSc (three years) and BTech (four years) programmes.
Other options suggested include a 4-year BTech followed by PhD in basic sciences; four-year BS followed by MTech/ PhD in professional (Technology) field; three-year BSc followed by two-year MSc and then PhD or three-year BSc followed by integrated MSc-PhD; three-year BSc followed by two-year BTech; five-year integrated MSc followed by PhD and vocational courses
“The BSc or BS curricula must provide broad-based learning rather than segregating biology and math groups very early,” the report said.
p_vineeta@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}