 |
|
| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
|
Forensics research needs boost in universities While almost all universities in most developed countries have full-fledged
forensicscience programmes, India has only three universities at Sagar, Patiala
and Dharwad that offer such programmes. Texting can help improve your kid’s writing skills Campus Notes
|
|
|
Forensics research needs boost in universities FORENSIC science is an integral part of sciences. However, it is facing a serious identity crisis in the country, because scientific management or laboratory management principles have never been applied to forensic science laboratories. There is no awareness at all in the field of science and technology about forensic studies. The allocation of funds for its growth, both in universities and forensic science laboratories, is abysmally low, whereas modern forensics has to work in the frontier areas of science, using cutting edge technologies, if it has to deliver meaningful contribution to the criminal justice system. In most developed countries, almost all universities have full-fledged forensic science programmes, starting from undergraduate level to Ph.D. India has only three universities at Sagar, Patiala and Dharwad that offer such programmes at their respective departments which are being funded by the UGC as ‘low-priority’ departments. The forensic community in India seems to be totally cut off from the mainstream of science and technology, both academically and professionally. Forensic science is a multidisciplinary subject and it has to draw the knowledge, expertise and inspiration from all pure and applied sciences to effectively apply to crime prevention and crime investigation. Forensic science cannot function effectively if it works in isolation from the scientific culture and work under the umbrella of police and other law enforcement agencies. It is a curious paradox that while India has made giant strides in the field of agricultural, pharmaceutical, nuclear, medical, computer and space sciences, forensic science has remained static and technologically way behind by couple of decades when compared to other developed countries. Also, there is a misconception that other institutions cannot carry out research work in forensic science. It is a multidisciplinary endeavour needing advanced technologies and hence universities and other research institutions can carry out path-breaking research in forensic science, as is the case in most of the advanced countries. Leave alone the advanced innovative forensic research, forensic laboratories are not even able to adapt to routine analytical methodologies developed abroad decades ago. Due to serious limitations of staff, infrastructure and abnormally large number of cases, forensic scientists are not able to show their optimal performance. As a result, performance has plummeted to a level much below the internationally accepted parameters. Modern forensic science activity, be it routine work or research, demands resources. If we expect accurate, meaningful and fast solutions from forensic laboratories for complex investigations, there are no cheap options. We have to invest lot of funds for highly qualified, experienced and competent human resources, and infrastructural facilities like buildings, instrumentation and library, etc. Forensic science should be brought under the ambit of mainstream science and technology. Greater accountability and rigorous monitoring should be there through appraisals, assessments and expert reviews by multidisciplinary expert members from different institutions. While funds can be made available by the government, human resources professionals should be recruited from universities who can storm forensic science laboratories with new ideas and can face the challenges of new crime scenarios. In the present set-up, research in forensic science is almost negligible. Growth charts of forensic science laboratories, especially concerning workforce, have been totally static. There are no provisions of infusion of young blood through the lateral entry system. The funding position with respect to infrastructural facilities, when compared to international laboratories, is astoundingly low. Added to the blockade of human resources and infrastructural development, commensurate to the needs of forensic work of international standard, forensic laboratories are fraught with highest level of bureaucracy, blocking the innovativeness and risk-taking ventures which are so essential for forensic investigations, research and development. The Research Fellowships Scheme of the Department of Forensic Science, Government of India, has been suspended almost four years ago. The internship/attachment facilities at CFSLs have been stopped for some time now. These negative measures are a set back to forensic science students. Thanks to media hype, which has created a lot of interest among the youth in recent years, for creating a very high demand for forensic science courses. To foster the growth of forensic science in the country, the government and scientific institutions in general and universities and forensic science laboratories in particular should synchronously work by adopting an integrated approach towards forensic science education, routine forensic work and research and development. Inter-institutional collaboration will help promote the growth of forensic science. Whole forensic science set-up in universities and government laboratories needs total overhaul at all levels. This can be done by providing liberal funding to all agencies concerned and improving the availability of human resources, boosting the infrastructure to an excellent status, promoting research, integrating forensic science, both in the professional laboratories and universities, with the main stream science and technology, and giving complete scientific autonomy free from bureaucracy and non-interference from the police or administrators. The author is former Director, Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Hyderabad, and currently is the Academic Coordinator (Forensic Science), Department of Chemistry, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad
|
|
|
Texting can help improve your kid’s writing skills
PARENTS might be puzzled by the modern-day text lingo, however, using abbreviations like ‘lol’, ‘gr8’ and ‘b4’ can improve your child’s writing skills, a new study has found. According to a UK government research, there is a positive relationship between so-called “textisms” and pupils’ ability to draft essays. The study, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), found that mobile phone use required a “certain degree of phonological awareness” that could drive up standards of written work, The Telegraph reported. They also found that pupils who regularly wrote blogs and used social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter were “significantly better writers” than those who shunned the technology altogether. Pupils often perform worse in writing than in reading, maths and science at all ages. Last year, a quarter of pupils in the UK failed to hit national targets in writing at the age of 11, with boys lagging far behind girls, according to figures. Critics have suggested that the influence of technology, particularly mobile phones and social networking websites, is fuelling a decline in pupils’ written skills by blurring the boundaries between colloquialisms and standard English. The DfE study, which was based on an analysis of existing international evidence on children’s writing, admitted that technology was starting to have an impact on student’s schoolwork. It quoted one that found “technology-influenced features” regularly appeared in essays and other
written projects. “For example, 50 per cent of teenagers said they sometimes use informal writing styles instead of proper capitalisation and punctuation in their school assignments, and 38 per cent have used text shortcuts such as ‘lol’ (laugh out loud),” the study said. The report said text messaging was the most common form of writing used by school age children, employed at least once a month by 69 per cent of pupils. As many as 52 per cent used social networking sites, 47 per cent used emails and 45 per cent used instant messaging. However, the report found no evidence that “children’s written language development is being disrupted by the use of text abbreviations”. — PTI |
|
|
Campus Notes THE need of hour is to make amendments to our education system keeping in mind communication abilities and innovative skills among students, instead of imparting only theoretical knowledge for apt social and economical set up. These views were expressed by Prof. Dev Parkash Agrawal, Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi, while delivering a lecture at the 43rd Foundation Day celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev University at Guru Nanak Bhawan recently. Professor Agrawal advocated for quality research and said teachers needed to be imaginative enough, so that exact futuristic development could be analysed. Professor J.S. Grewal, former Vice-Chancellor of the university, and Jaspal Kaur Singh, Professor in English, Northern Michigan University, USA, also presented their views on the occasion. Earlier, the day-long celebrations began with Bhog Sri Akhand Path at university's Gurdwara Sahib followed by shabad kirtan by Bhai Maninder Singh, Hazori Ragi, Sri Darbar Sahib and Ardas. A hockey match between women teams of Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, was also organised at the university hockey stadium. In addition, a kirtan darbar was organised in the evening at Gurdwara Sahib. The campus buildings were also illuminated on this occasion. In folklore competitions, BBKDAV College for Women, Amritsar, and Sri Guru Angad Dev College, Khadoor Sahib, stood first. Guru Nanak Dev University College bagged the second position, while Mata Gujri Memorial College, Balvanda, clinched the third position. Hans Raj Mahila Mahavidiala, Jalandhar, and SSM College, Dinanagar, were awarded consolation prizes. In another competition of painting, Sunil Kapoor from APJ College of Fine Arts stood first, while Rajni of BBKDAV College for Women, Amritsar, remained second and Gurleen Kaur from Department of Electronics Technology of the university finished third. Meanwhile, Prof. Agrawal also inaugurated an exhibition of rare books and manuscripts arranged at the Bhai Gurdas Library of the university. Literary critic award Professor Habhajan Singh Bhatia of the School of Punjabi Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, has been presented with the Shiromani Literary Critic Award by the Punjab Government. The award was instituted by the Punjab Bhasha Vibhag. Professor Bhatia attained this recognition for his association with Punjabi literature as a writer as well as critic. He has to his credit around 21 books and publications, besides about 100 research papers, which earned him number of honours at the national and international levels. The most prestigious ones being Dr Ravinder Singh Ravi Yadgari Puruskar and Dr Joginder Singh Rahi Yadgari Award. He has also been a member of the Jnanpith Award Committee during 2011-12. Revised dates for exams The examination of Music Instrumental of B.A./B.Sc. semester-I of the university scheduled to be held on December 8 will now be held on December 16. Citing administrative reasons, Dr R.K. Mahajan, Professor In charge (Examinations), said: “The examination of Travel and Tourism (Elective) of BA/B.Sc semester-I will now be held on December 17. However, timings and centres of examinations shall remain same.” —
Contributed by G. S. Paul
|
FORENSIC science is an integral part of sciences. However, it is facing a serious identity crisis in the country, because scientific management or laboratory management principles have never been applied to forensic science laboratories. There is no awareness at all in the field of science and technology about forensic studies.
