At forensic conf, students seek answer to unemployment

Where are the jobs for us? This was the question that several graduates as well as students of forensic science asked the panel experts during a discussion on the subject on the last day of the 24th All India Forensic Science Conference held in Gujarat University.

Many students complained that despite the mushrooming of forensic colleges, there were not enough jobs for them, with the majority often finding employment outside their field.

Anshumali Gaikwad, a forensic science graduate from Mumbai said even the recruitment rules were framed in such a way that forensic graduates would be at a disadvantage. "Even in Forensic Science Laboratories, when experts are recruited they ask for pure science graduates. Even the test papers for recruitment to these positions concentrate on pure science questions instead of forensic sciences,"said Gaikwad.

A faculty said the the interesting thing is that many times pure science graduates were hired for positions in forensic laboratories and the organisations then spent six months training them when in fact students trained in the field were sitting unemployed. "It is because the despite the mushrooming of colleges, not many people understand the field and its importance," said the faculty.

Gujarat university vice-chancellor Himanshu Pandya said the matter was taken up with home minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the conference and he has sought concrete suggestions to facilitate forensic sciences and practitioners.

Pandya also urged the students to incorporate pure sciences in their studies if they were to compete in the job market. He also admitted that there was a demand supply gap in the field with supply being more than demand.

Rukmini Krishnamoorthy from Maharashtra FSL reminded the students that there was scope for forensic students even in the private sector.

"It is mandatory for banks and insurance companies to have one forensic expert in their risk department. We have often approached private sector and found takers for our students,"s aid Krishnamoorthy.

She also called for a the need for a forensic expert in every police station as that would help the cops in better evidence collection.

"In the future the forensic experts help will be mandatory even for prosecutor sin seeking forensic report readings in the court," said Krishnamoorthy.

The students also complained that apart from having to compete with pure science students for a jobs in field in which they have specialised, they said the universities were also not being proactive in urging the government to change the recruitment norms.