Question 1: My daughter is studying B. Tech in Biotech at Hyderabad. I do not know the future of this subject and job possibilities. Do you think she should continue with this subject or it is better to switch over to some other one? Please guide me.
Answer: It depends on the long term planning and goal of career and the financial status of a family. In general longer duration of study (Ph.D or Post Doctoral Fellowship) is required to get established in a biotechnological area. If you have such plans and you are ready to provide her that time then biotech is fine. The rest of the thing required is her devotion towards her study. If such is not the scenario then she can shift to MBA or other such courses. The present opportunity scenario is not much good for these courses at undergraduate level, but still there will be a requirement in near future again. Do not expect short term gains in the areas of Biotech. If you reach the height of the academics in Biotech like Ph.D. or Post doc in premier institutes many national labs and academic institutions like IITs are looking forward to absorb them.
Question 2: I am studying B.Sc. (BiPC). I want to study M.Sc. Chemistry. Is it better to go for General Chemistry or Organic Chemistry? What is the difference between these tow subjects?
Answer: To keep your options open, its better to choose general chemistry but demand for organic chemistry is there in pharmaceutical sector. So if you are targeting a career in such sector then you can opt for Organic Chemistry. It is difficult to get a job with M.Sc. and you need not wait if you complete Ph.D. in Synthetic Chemistry or related to Organic Chemistry.
Question 3: I have completed my 12th standard. How to become a scientist in Biology? I want to know about the courses and the best colleges in India to study that course?
Answer: Achieving a scientific career requires patience, diligence and perseverance. So to become a scientist you have to finish your undergraduation, graduation followed by a Ph.D and later on Post Docs. Your chances will be better if you complete all these courses from reputed colleges. The scenario of Biology two decades back is different from the present. Many opportunities are there for qualified biologist. For your information many Physics, Chemistry and other related areas scientists are switching towards Biology since grand challenging problems in Biology are there with more and much funding from government and corporate research agencies. Many scientific positions are available in many national labs in India and looking for good candidates with excellent scientific background.