Maths in Class XII a must for biotech courses
Doubts Over Degrees Awarded To Many Students
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:28.05.2019
The validity of B Tech degrees in biotechnology earned by several thousand graduates all these years is in doubt, as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) says admission of students who didn’t take mathematics in Class XII is invalid under the present rules.
The admission handbook published by the council – the statutory body that regulates technical education in the country – says admission to all BE and B Tech courses require physics and mathematics as compulsory subjects along with chemistry/ biotechnology/ biology/ technical vocational subjects. The rule was introduced as all engineering and technology courses have maths as a part of their curriculum. Yet, many colleges and deemed universities have been admitting students who didn’t take up maths in high school for B Tech in biotechnology for more than five years now. “As of now admitting pure science students is not permitted by the council,” said AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe. The council, however, will have a committee to review the eligibility criteria soon, he said.
“Academicians have been arguing that biology/ biotechnology in Class XII is as essential as mathematics for biotechnology. So, if maths is compulsory, then biology should be compulsory as well. But another group of academicians say that when students can learn basics of biology for the course, they should be able to learn maths too. Any way, unless they clear the subject in the exam they will not get the degree,” Sahasrabudhe said.
The council is yet to decide whether the degrees of students who have passed out will be valid because their admission itself would be invalid. While several courts have struck down courses and colleges that are invalid, senior members in the council said they will have to seek legal opinion on whether the eligibility rules can be changed with retrospective effect.
Professors from deemed universities offering courses for students without maths in Class XII said most students cope with maths in college and perform well in exams.
But senior educationalists such as Anna University former vice-chancellor M Anandakrishnan, who was also former chairman of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, said mathematics in engineering combines mathematical theory, practical engineering and scientific computing to address technological challenges. “I would not recommend any engineering course without basic high school mathematics. Although there is synergy in education with subjects such as chemistry, physics, maths and biology, students will be handicapped if they don’t know basic mathematics,” he said.
The academic debate has put students and parents in a dilemma. “My son is awaiting NEET results. We do not know if he will make it into a medical college because seats are limited. He is a pure science student and we were hoping biotechnology could be one of his options,” said S Nagarajan, who works for a private bank. “But I don’t even know if the course is a valid choice anymore,” he said.
Doubts Over Degrees Awarded To Many Students
Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:28.05.2019
The validity of B Tech degrees in biotechnology earned by several thousand graduates all these years is in doubt, as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) says admission of students who didn’t take mathematics in Class XII is invalid under the present rules.
The admission handbook published by the council – the statutory body that regulates technical education in the country – says admission to all BE and B Tech courses require physics and mathematics as compulsory subjects along with chemistry/ biotechnology/ biology/ technical vocational subjects. The rule was introduced as all engineering and technology courses have maths as a part of their curriculum. Yet, many colleges and deemed universities have been admitting students who didn’t take up maths in high school for B Tech in biotechnology for more than five years now. “As of now admitting pure science students is not permitted by the council,” said AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe. The council, however, will have a committee to review the eligibility criteria soon, he said.
“Academicians have been arguing that biology/ biotechnology in Class XII is as essential as mathematics for biotechnology. So, if maths is compulsory, then biology should be compulsory as well. But another group of academicians say that when students can learn basics of biology for the course, they should be able to learn maths too. Any way, unless they clear the subject in the exam they will not get the degree,” Sahasrabudhe said.
The council is yet to decide whether the degrees of students who have passed out will be valid because their admission itself would be invalid. While several courts have struck down courses and colleges that are invalid, senior members in the council said they will have to seek legal opinion on whether the eligibility rules can be changed with retrospective effect.
Professors from deemed universities offering courses for students without maths in Class XII said most students cope with maths in college and perform well in exams.
But senior educationalists such as Anna University former vice-chancellor M Anandakrishnan, who was also former chairman of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, said mathematics in engineering combines mathematical theory, practical engineering and scientific computing to address technological challenges. “I would not recommend any engineering course without basic high school mathematics. Although there is synergy in education with subjects such as chemistry, physics, maths and biology, students will be handicapped if they don’t know basic mathematics,” he said.
The academic debate has put students and parents in a dilemma. “My son is awaiting NEET results. We do not know if he will make it into a medical college because seats are limited. He is a pure science student and we were hoping biotechnology could be one of his options,” said S Nagarajan, who works for a private bank. “But I don’t even know if the course is a valid choice anymore,” he said.
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