Life science research in India Has no Life in it!!

Oops Research in India.

2009-12-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

Research in India, i could rewrite every time to make it best, but i realized it is hard to understand everything at once. So, lets begin one by one.

When will you become a scientist??

2009-12-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

That was a very difficult question for me to answer when i was a BSc student.. But now through all the experience i have gained and many people i have asked .. I think i know when a person will become scientist.. You need not build a lab in your house like Edison or run away from country like Khorana, Einstein. Wikipedia has a page on the topic called "Scientist".

When it comes to Indian government they say- Scientist grade B, C, D, ....G what do they mean by that?? The government job notices has always 1. Essential qualification 2. Desirable qualification.

This tabular column is the summary of few websites i visited and i will give them as references in comments.

If you go by company way- each company has there own method of classification and they promote based on your output rather than fallowing experience blindly..But they take attractive names, to keep them attached to the company. Many People will come to know about this after few years of their work and will start jumping from company to company.

If you see Great institution like HHMI- Howard Hughes Medical research Institute. They always call Investigator for a guy who starts from his career in research. I would like to fallow the same naming system everywhere, since scientist name often demands more attention. Then we wonder who exactly is scientist then.? These hard definition are set rules by government and private organizations for their own applications. But I will tell that "A Scientist is born with a question in mind"(these are words of a person whom met in a institute), Newton had a question why apple is falling from the tree?? He fallowed it all along his life to find the answer for it.. So, find such a question which drives you crazy and makes you a scientist..And these Phd's and other educational qualification are just a way to find the question, that is what i say.. I am telling you this because Einstein did not had 10 PDF degrees in his hand.. So, these qualifications doesn't matter. F.H.C crick was 22 years old and was doing his Phd when he went for proposing DNA double helical structure... Find a force that drives you in this field with non-stop energy and enthusiasm...

Not so many women in science???

2009-12-04T02:29:00.000-08:00

There is growing wrong belief that women cannot make science happen.. Is it true?? the question has many diverting answers. But there is some unexplored part remaining in this aspect.. It is said by someone that "Men think with Brain and women with heart".

During sexual differentiation of the embryo, due to hormonal effect Men develop into more aggressive forms and women into conservative, nurture form . I believe this hormone effect does a lot more than we know.. Instead of going into details i will tell a short story. Before there were civilizations.. men were Hunters and women never used to come for hunting, rather they stored the food and nurtured everyone including kids. Hunting was not a simple task it involved planning from each failures, strength, team work, ... even nurturing is not simple task they used collect water, woods, clothes... For centuries, evolution continues and which resulted difference in Male and female behaviors.
But, conditions now has changed. Each of them has equal chances of getting into any task. But, evolution left us some genes which cannot be changed that easily.. may be in next Homo futuralis this may change??..

Coming back to topic.. The world as seen by Man and women differs, so each of them stress differently, solve there problems differently. Let us look how both of them solve problems or beat stress. Men when in stress, stay alone( it is wise to not to talk with them at this time).. they try to solve the problem themselves by all means and will never try to take help unless they believe that someone is expert to solve it. Women when in stress, never stay alone rather they talk with many people which relieves them from stress. Imagine when you combine both of them, now you will know why there exist incompatibility between men and women..And Men always focus on one thing until they find the solution to the issue, while women keep on changing the focus on issues and never bother about finding the solution...
These major differences in behavior have affected women involved in research. Research is a field where you have to question yourself( better not share it!!) and fallow your hypothesis with a firm focus on the issue, take expert advice and finally long term goal finding an answer for the question. Lot of women PI i met were are not good at there hypothesis.. many of them fallowed there PI hypothesis and no new hypothesis.(They cannot imagine things which do not exist). I may hurt you people but it is true!! you people can't imagine and think logically. Rather women conserve chemicals nicely, keep lab clean, fallow given instruction of an experiment without an ample of mistake( Men don't fallow strictly), get the said result accurately, can handle several experiment at one hand. Then why are they not getting more into research.. After getting results they stop there and don't go further, they look more into complex experimental design and facts and do not conceptualize it. I will end the debate here let it continue in comments. I am not taking family and other problems into account!!!
Apart from debate what we should do is to accept the differences and plan research accordingly, give women the work they are meant for and men the work they are meant for. The structure of institutions and research methodology do not encourage this!! Both of them are treated equal... they are different there working approach is different which nobody cares for...

Entrance exam for Noble prize

2009-11-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

The Life science research in India is going like as if there is an entrance exam for Noble prize!! Thank god Noble prize is not given by Indian government.. Easily 1 million scientists would have written it!! There will be 2 rounds of written test, 2 rounds of preliminary interview and 2 rounds of finally interview and finally ONE will appear as winner and Indian news papers and news channels would cover this news for one week. President and Prime Minister will arrange a greeting session, proud to be an Indian. Wow!! what an amazing Indian Edition of Noble prize.. I have met many people whose aim is to get Noble prize in life by doing research.. For many of them Noble prize is motivation to get into research.(I just say WOW!!). If you are such a person please understand the meaning of Noble prize.. The people who get the Noble prize are great not the Prize please mind these words!!! I know the reason behind this trend, it roots up mainly in 1. World ranking of universities(who gladly take no. of Noble prize into account!!). 2. Noble selection committee gives prize to few really good scientist so by looking at them everyone get motivated. 3. We think that there is no other prize as great as Noble prize(Not even President's prize is comparable to that.. ).. 4. Current trend is that all scientist think that Highest point of research is Noble research(which leads to the prize!). 5. And after getting Noble prize the scientist are given very high post, high respect.. All in all these contribute behind the hype created by the Noble prize..

Science should be measured by knowledge it creates and enlightens people to remove the darkness of ignorance...For me Noble prize is not as great as everyone are thinking, its just a recognition of your Lifetime work and a motivation for others to lead research for Peace of the world!!! I mean if someone discovered a bomb that could save world from aliens he will not get a Noble prize for sure!!! This trend is continuing and slowly the political influences are growing up ( I don't have any proof for this!). Recent Noble prizes have many controversies if this continues one day Noble prize will loose its importance or other prizes will take its position.. I mean guys common look at the origin of Noble prize and where it is going!!

Latest and Hottest method of doing Ph.d outside India

2009-11-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

One of friend whom i met in Hyderabad has given me a wonderful idea. He says "Join as Project assistant under a guy who is a Big shot having Good publications or Under a good institute for short time(1-2yrs)-- get a good Recommendation from him/her and then jump to good universities abroad"

Here is where i found a proof of it.. please go through it

http://www.cdfd.org.in/labpages/pastmembers.html

at the end of the page there are ample no. of people who actually did this..

Good luck people

Phd in institutions with out an fellowship

2009-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

First of all, early come and early get!!.. Be it a BSc or MSc project work under such a great person so that the experience lasts forever in life.. Choose industries if you intend to find a job fast. Or else follow the list below:

1. You should have good recommendation letter and guy who recommends you should have a good amount of publications. If not stick to people or faculty you know and try to get a very good recommendation listing your expertise.

Usually Govt, funded Projects come with JRF allotment i mean there is funding to take a JRF (These seats are only to the favorable people :) unless you are something special).

2. Smart people search very well for others go to ICMR/DBT/DST/CSIR web page you will get a list of Projects sanctioned look for the amount and institution and person, then approach). If you have a friend then it more easier to ask him directly.

3. I will give a website address or blog which keeps on updating what offers are there

http://helpbiotech.blogspot.com/

(on the right most corner you can register for free email updates and get info directly your email inbox..)

4. There are University wise entrance exams Please do keep a look on your favorite ones

I will tell you the top secret why most people take only CSIR/DBT/ICMR JRF candidates only because they can use the annual contingency Rs 20,000 for buying chemicals (or i may be wrong also) be aware of that.. This amount can really be used to attend conferences... Alternatively it is said that they can get indirect benefits(Like probability of getting the project sanctioned by funding agencies, their salary gets hiked is what people say i don't know about how and all). Or else make only that sacrifice if necessary (if u get a good guide do it). And also everyone believes that the people who qualify these entrance exams are "Righteous for the post or Intelligent" (which is not always true..)

My first testing

2009-11-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

This is to test how the blog works ..