Dr Shakti Kumar Pandey
Human beings are capable of immense possibilities and greater achievements, which cannot be attained by the conventional educational methods alone and for which we need to create a non-formal and non-conventional educational environment, which we do by developing supplementary training and educational programs and ensuring students’ involvement in them. The conventional system of education helps us in acquiring professional skills alone, which consists of academic knowledge and technical skills for the accomplishment of certain specialised functions. For example, one may become a medical practitioner by studying medical sciences. On the other hand, for the greater attainments and satisfaction and higher life we must be able to develop various other capabilities, which lie dormant and remain unused in our mind and brain. In other words, we need ‘Total Personality Development’ or ‘Holistic growth’ through which we can tap the human potential fully. After all becoming a professional expert – like doctor, engineer or chartered accountant – is not the only purpose of human life.
We must keep in mind that God has created human being in his own image and that God primarily is a Creator. And we too are creators in our own right. We have been endowed with an exceptional gift of creativity. Through our creative potential and creative thinking we can do something valuable and make extra-ordinary contribution to our society and the surrounding environment, which not only improves life in the surrounding but also proves a source of greater fulfillment to the individual. The exploration and achievement of these possibilities is the goal of life.
In fact, when we use the phrase ‘Total Personality Development’ we have several other abilities and qualities in mind, other than the purely technical skills or academic knowledge. For example, if we want to achieve greater success in life and attain higher goals, we must be able to develop, in addition to professional skills, other valuable skills – like the social skills, the leadership skills and the life skills.
We need to highlight the value of these skills to our students and explain to them the various benefits and implications of its development. We should also apprise them of the capabilities that we will acquire by the development of these other skills. Thus, by projecting the various aspects of personal development involved in the achievement of these skills, we can motivate the students in a better way and inspire them to involve in the extra-curricular, co-curricular and supplementary activities and training programs.
In the modern competitive age, the personal survival and national growth depends upon our students’ highly sophisticated technological skills. But at the same time people’s overall performance depends upon the excellent social skills to interact and communicate with the peers and superiors effectively, which can make the functioning smooth and atmosphere conducive to their own development and the growth of their organizations. The social skill, which is an important requirement for getting into and sustaining in any job of responsibility, consists of communication and interpersonal skills.
Similarly, for arriving at concurrence and common understanding on the controvertible issues they must also be able to hold healthy dialogue and exchange of ideas with their team or senior and junior members in the hierarchy and this can be done through group discussions alone. The personal or one-to-one communication is also needed when one has to interact with the superiors as well as subordinating officers in the organization.
The social skill also consists of the powerful interpersonal quality in the individual. This quality helps students develop and keep better relationship with everyone surrounding him. It makes him humble, large-hearted and broad-minded, and therefore amiable to all. The quality of human relationship and social orientation makes an individual acceptable in any environment or situation in which he or she has to work.
Along with the professional and social skills the students also need leadership skill, which takes them far ahead of others in life. They become capable of leading big organizations in the field of education, business or even politics and social service. The leadership skills include the ability of setting goals and achieving them, problem-solving, decision-making, time management, motivating others, and managing the human resource or the work force. Besides, a true leader maintains professional ethics, positive outlook, control of mind, self-esteem and a spirit of socio-religious tolerance. Their attitude is always positive and they never involve in negative tendencies such as criticism of others and cursing their fate.
Another third dimension is required for ensuring the all-round or total personality development and that is the learning of life skills, which is needed for the attainment of perfect health, happiness, peace and prosperity in one’s life. The life skills consist of the knowledge of the principles and practice of spiritual life and creativity, the freedom of thought, sensitivity of human values, scientific outlook and an understanding of the concept of holistic well-being. By life skills alone one can achieve fulfillment in life and enjoy the perfect health and happiness in one’s life.
Ashish Joshi
Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology to the management of biological information. Computers are used to gather, store, analyze and integrate biological and genetic information which can then be applied to gene-based drug discovery and development. The need for Bioinformatics capabilities has arisen due to the explosion of publicly available genomic information resulting from the Human Genome Project.
To cash in on this, many universities, government institutions and pharmaceutical firms have created bioinformatics groups, consisting of computational biologists and bioinformatics computer scientists. These will offer cutting-edge research by unraveling the mass of information generated by large scale sequencing efforts in laboratories around the world.
After a degree in Bioinformatics, you will be able to pursue careers as diverse as a structural analyst, molecular modeler, bio-statistician, database programmer, scientific curator, research scientist, database programmer and computational biologist.
There is immense scope for bioinformatics M.Tech and PhD post graduates. Salaries can range between Rs. 50,000 and 70,000 per month. There are excellent opportunities abroad for bioinformatics post graduates from top institutes. This is an emerging field of study with immense potential.Here are some of the institutes in India which offer courses in bioinformatics. Just scroll down and see which one is right for you!
VIT University, Vellore
VIT University, established under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956, was founded in 1984 as the Vellore Engineering College. It was conferred University status in 2001. The institution offers 18 undergraduate and 34 postgraduate programmes which are accredited by national and international agencies such as NBA, NAAC, IET (UK), Energy Institute (UK), etc.
Course Offered: B.Tech. Computer Science and Engineering (Specialisation in Bioinformatics)
Contact Person: Dr. E. James Jebaseelan Samuel
Director:
UG Admissions
VIT University
Vellore-632 014
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone: + 91-416-220 2157,
220 2168
Fax:
+91-416-224 5544, 224 5766
Email: ugadmission@vit.ac.in
Indian Institute of Information Technology
The Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad (IIIT-A) was established in 1999, as a centre for the dissemination of Information Technology and allied areas. The institute was conferred ‘Deemed University’ status by the Government of India in 2000.
Address: IIIT Allahabad
Devghat, Jhalwa
Allahabad-211012
Course Offered: M.Tech, IT (Specialisation in Bioinformatics) through Division of Applied Sciences & Indo-Russian Center for Biotechnology [IRCB]
Phone: 91-532-2922000
Fax: 91-532-2430006
Email: contact@iiita.ac.in
Jaypee University of Information Technology, Himachal Pradesh
This university was established in 2002 by the Government of Himachal Pradesh for education, training, and research in the emerging areas of technology in the State of Himachal Pradesh, in collaboration with Jaiprakash Sewa Sansthan, New Delhi. It covers an array of courses in the technological domain.
Address:JUIT-Waknaghat Rd, Near Dumehar Bani, Post Waknaghat, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173234, India.
Course Offered: B.Tech in Bioinformatics
Contact Person: Ravi Prakash (Vice Chancellor)
Phone: +91 1792 257 999
Email: ravi.prakash@juit.ac.in
University of Kerala
The Centre for Bioinformatics, established in 2005 and upgraded as the Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics in 2011, is a new generation inter-disciplinary as well as multidisciplinary teaching and research Department of the University of Kerala. The university is strong on research and the Ph.D programme of the Department focuses on both computational and life science projects.
Address: Dept. of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics
State Inter-University Centre of Excellence in Bioinformatics (SIUCEB)
North Campus – Kariavattom
University of Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram
India – 695581
Course Offered: M.Phil in Bioinformatics (one-year).
Phone: Call: +91 471 2308759
Email: sankar.achuth@gmail.com
Amity Institute of Biotechnology
This institute offers top class research in the field of biotechnology, molecular biology and bioinformatics. It has a dedicated research centre which ensures students interact with some of the world’s best faculty in the field of biotechnology.
Address: Amity Institute of Biotechnology
J-3 Block, Amity University Campus,
Sector 125
Noida – 201 303 (U.P.)
Contact Person: Prof. (Dr.) K. C. Upadhyaya, FNA, FNASc. (Director)
Phone: 91(0) – 120-4392946
Fax: +91(0) – 120-4392947
Email: kcupadhyaya@amity.edu
Institute of Bioinformatics
The Institute of Bioinformatics is a not-for-profit organisation engaged in research in Bioinformatics. Located in Bangalore, it was established in 2002. The Institute of Bioinformatics offers cutting edge research in Databases, Computational Genomics, Proteomics and Comparative Genomics.
Address: Discoverer Building, 7th Floor
International Tech Park
Whitefield,
Bangalore – 560 066
Phone: (+91) 80-28416140
Fax: (+91) 80-28416132
Email: help@ibioinformatics.org
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