How to Become a Scientist in India: Career Path, Courses & Scope

If you are someone who likes experimenting with things, curious about the mysteries of this universe and love solving the real world problems, then becoming a scientist might be the perfect career path for you.

To become a scientist, students have to gain a deeper expertise in the subject of their choice. The subject may include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Computer Science, Space Science, Geology, Environmental Science, Medicine etc.

To pursue a career as a scientist, students have to start with a bachelor’s program (B.Sc or B.Tech), followed by a master’s degree (M.Sc or M.Tech) and finally a PhD (in your desired subject/specialization).

Before we go on to explore a career path to become a scientist, let’s understand who is a scientist.

Career as a Scientist

A scientist is a professional who systematically studies and research about the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world through observation, experimentation, and analysis.

The Scientists work to discover new knowledge, develop theories, and solve real-world problems using evidence-based methods.

A scientist conducts experiments and research and publish their findings in the scientific journals with the objective to create a new technology, upgrade an existing one or find solutions to the global issues.

“The term scientist was coined by a theologian philosopher William Whewell”.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the famous Indian Scientist & former president of India. He has contributed for the development of missile and nuclear weapons programs of India.

How to Become a Scientist?

To become a scientist candidates have to meet the educational qualification and pursue career in research.

Candidates can also become scientist after completing their master’s and join organzation like ISRO, DRDO, ICAR etc.

Below is the step by step guide to become a scientist:

Step 1: Develop an Interest in Science subjects

• Develop a strong interest in science subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, or Computer Science
• You can participate in science olympiads, read science books, magazines and watch documentries.

Step 2: Choose the right subjects at 10+2

• Select science stream at 10+2 and focus on subjects of your choice and instrest.
• Focus on the subject that interest you the most, work more on problem solving and analytical thinking.

Step 3: Pursue Undergraduate Program

• Clear entrance exams like JEE Main/Advanced, CUET UG and apply for bachelor’s program.
• You can pursue a B.Sc in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Agriculture, Environmental Science, etc
• or a  B.Tech in Computer Science, Biotechnology, or any domain specific discipline.
• Build projects, involve in lab work and join internships to gain practical experience.

Step 4: Pursue a Postgraduate Program

• Clear entrance exams like GATE, CUET PG and apply for master’s program.
• Choose a Master’s specialization based on your area of interest. Some examples are M.Tech in Data Science, M.Sc in Physics/Chemistry/Astrophysics etc.
• Participate in research projects and develop skills in writing scientific papers.

Step 5: Gain Research Experience

• Apply for internships or junior research fellowships (JRF) at research institutions (like IISc, IITs, ISRO, DRDO, CSIR labs, etc.)

Step 6: Pursue a Ph.D

• Clear entrance like CSIR NET, GATE, ICMR JRF
• Apply for a Ph.D. program in your chosen field of science.
• conduct research under a university professor or a scientist.

Step 7: Start Career as a Scientist

• Apply for scientific positions in ISRO, BARC, DRDO, CSIR, ICAR, NASA. 
• Join as a junior scientist in government or private R&D labs

Skills Required for Scientist:

• It requires attention, dedication to work and ability to face long working hours.
• A scientist should have an ability to work independently and sometimes with guidance.
• You must have good presentation skills, computing skills, time management, team working skills, etc.

There are various fields that needed knowledge and application of science. Here we have mentioned some types of scientists in different fields:

Data Scientist – Specializes in analyzing and interpreting complex data to help in decision-making using statistical, computational, and machine learning techniques.

Agronomist – Specializes in crops and soils, focusing on improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.

Botanist – Studies plants, including their structure, properties, biochemical processes, and classifications.

Geologist – Specializes in the Earth’s structure, history, and the processes that shape it, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and rock formations.

Microbiologist – Studies microscopic organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.

Marine Biologist – Studies marine organisms, including plants, animals, and ecosystems found in oceans and seas

Also Check: Science Courses after 12th

Courses

What qualifications are required to become a scientist?

Pursuing a right program is the first step to become a scientist. Students must choose a specialization in based on their interest.

“If you want to become a scientist at NASA, then you must choose science, technology, engineering and Mathematics centered education”.

Some of the popular UG courses are:

Bachelor Courses

• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc)
• B.Tech in relevant specialization
• B.Sc in Research
• B.Sc+M.Sc (Integrated Program)

Master Courses

• Master of Science (M.Sc)
• M.Tech or equivalent master degree in relevant field.

“After completing the master degree, you can also apply for doctoral level (Ph.D) courses in the relevant specialization that you have chosen”.

Eligibility Criteria

Am I eligible to apply?

Eligibility is the first thing, you must check before applying for any course. Here we are providing you the basic eligibility and duration of UG and PG programmes:

UG Courses Eligibility

For admissions into UG courses, you should have completed the 12^th or equivalent examination from any recognized board.

Some colleges prefer the minimum percentage criteria for providing admissions. The duration of undergraduate course can be three to four years as per the course opted by the students.

PG Courses Eligibility

To apply for admission to PG courses, you should have obtained a degree in the relevant field from any recognized college or university.

The duration of postgraduate course like M.Sc and M.Tech will be two years.

Admission Process

How to get Admission?

In India, admissions will be given to students through the entrance tests which are organized at national, state or university level.

Some universities also offer admissions on the basis of the merit list of the qualifying examination. The admission process generally involves written test followed by a counselling process.

You can appear in various entrance exams as per your preferences. For admissions in Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), you must have qualified the JEE Main and JEE Advanced examination.

Here we are providing a list of various entrance tests for admissions in UG and PG courses:

• JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) Main
• JEE  Advanced
• CUET UG
• CUET PG
• GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)
• IISER Aptitude Test

Top Colleges in India

There are various government and private colleges in the country which offers quality education in science and research. Some of the top colleges are:

• Indian Institute of Science
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
• Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
• National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
• IIT BHU

Career & Scope

“India being one of the fastly developing country offers a lots of career opportunities in the field of research and development ”.

Scientists are majorly required in various fields like agriculture, social science, physical science, engineering, technology, space research and many others field.

There are plenty of job opportunities are offered to scientists in government as well as private organizations. With a research degree, you can also find jobs in India as well as abroad.

What will be my job profile?

As a scientist you can work in various fields. Some job profiles of scientists in different fields are mentioned here:

• Computer scientists
• Data scientists
• Archaeologists
• Astronomers
• Biologists
• Earth scientists
• Food Scientists
• Military scientists
• Economists
• Communication scientists
• Criminologists
• Neuroscientists
• Agronomists
• Ecologists
• Geologists

Employment Areas

In India, there are various organizations which recruit scientists are:

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
• Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
• Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
• Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
• Indian Association for Cultivation of Science (IACS)

In Private sector, scientist can work in the following organizations:

• Biocon
• Serum Institute of India
• Sun Pharma
• Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
• Cipla
• Lupin
• Pfizer India
• AstraZeneca
• GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)
• Bharat Biotech
• Tata Chemicals
• BASF India
• Google Research India
• Samsung R&D

Salary

After obtaining a Ph.D degree, what salary packages are offered to the scientists?

In government sector, a juinior scientist can start their career with a salary in the range Rs. 7-9 LPA. Candidates with 5-6 years of experience, candidates can earn between Rs. 12-15 LPA. Depending on the department, designation, and specialization.

The salary packages offered to scientist, depends on various factors such as academic qualification, working area, work experience, companies & organizations, etc.

In private sector, scientist work on cutting edge technology and research and recieve a handsome salary package often in the range Rs. 12 -20 LPA.

Scientist are very high in demand, in countries like USA, UK, Germany and Australia. Candidates with good experience and a solid research background can secure well-paying positions in academic institutions, research organizations, healthcare, and technology sectors.

“There is no maximum salary limit for the scientists, with some good experience in the relevant field, you can earn beyond the limits”.

Books & Study Materials

There are various books are available in the market for scientists. Here we have listed some popular books which are compiled by our experts after analyzing the other study materials:

• Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) by Isaac Newton
• A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
• The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene
• Elements: A Visual Exploration by Theodore Gray
• The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard P. Feynman
• The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking

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