Govt asked to tweak criteria to give jobs to forensic students

Mumbai: The Criminal investigation department (CID) every year offers jobs to students for the posts of document and fingerprint experts. However, many students who have completed the five-year B.Sc (forensic science) course at the state-run Institute of Forensic Science (IFS) have complained about lack of recruitment. They have also written to CM Devendra Fadnavis about their plight.

The IFS, located at Fort was set up in the year 2009 specifically for the students with an interest in crime by the higher and technical education department of the state government. The examinations for these students are conducted by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) who selects applicants for civil service jobs according to merit, rules of reservation and eligibility criteria. The IFS students, after a 5-year-course get the degree of B.Sc in forensic science, while the eligibility criteria is that “any graduate with subjects chemistry or physics” can apply.

“Just because of this name difference, the students do not get any job opportunity in government-run laboratory. Many of them, due to lack of jobs, have started to turn to out-of-course jobs like private business, teaching, etc,” said a professor of IFS on the condition of anonymity. He further said that the institute (IFS) is trying its best to help the students.

When asked about this matter, Sitaram Kunte, additional chief secretary of the higher and technical education department, told The Asian Age that the matter is now with the home department. He said, “We have requested them to change the qualifications in order to include the students who have a degree of B. Sc in forensic science. The internal correspondence between the departments is going on as of now.”

Talking about the lack of job opportunities for the students even after pursuing a tailored-made course, he said, “It’s not that they don’t have jobs. Many private agencies jobs in cyber crime, the problem is the lack of government jobs.”