B.Sc Forensic Science – Scope in India

How do we combat crime ?

Governments try to prevent crime by either enforcing the law in a strict way or by making strategies to bring about changes in community infrastructure, culture, or the physical environment. Even after all the strategies, crime rates haven’t gone down. And that’s where forensic science comes into action in criminal investigations.

Why Forensic Science ?

Forensic science is like a piece of puzzle without which the puzzle of an investigation is incomplete. Without the application of forensic science, offenders can never be convicted unless an eyewitness is present.

Forensic series like Mind hunters, True Detectives, Dexter, have made the subject so popular that even common man has now become aware of the Do’s and Don’t of Crime Scene Processing. This effect is very popularly known as the CSI effect. Some of us get so intrigued by the series and the subject that we decide to take it as our career choice.

In this post, I want to tell you about the “actual” scope of Forensic Science in India. Consider this post as a piece of advice from someone who is already in this profession. So that you take better
decisions in your journey to become a forensic expert.

Let’s talk about Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science. Without a doubt, the decisions you take after your 10+2 board exams is one of the most crucial moments that will likely end up deciding your future.

You may end up choosing a field purely based on your interests or based on the suggestions of your family or through research and information from others already in that field. Let me take you through the pros and cons of pursuing a career in forensic science in India

One area of struggle that many face (and maybe you will too) with a forensic program is that it is still in a very nascent stage in India. So majority of the people around you would probably have a hard time guiding you down the road.

Nonetheless, since you are highly fascinated with crime cases and investigations, you may try finding about colleges that offer an undergraduate program. Looking at the course curriculum, you would be 10 times more excited! I mean, who wouldn’t be excited to have Crime Scene Investigation as a subject right?

Scope of Forensic Science

Well, when you google about the scope of Forensic Science, you will likely find various articles suggesting that there has been an exponential increase in job prospects due to an increase in the crime rate. In a way, it is not entirely wrong; various forensic laboratories as well as forensic posts have been set up in recent years.

But do we really get jobs and the kind of packages they ‘mis’project in their articles ?

NO, YOU WONT!! Answering this question without any filter.

First of all, you won’t get a job after getting your B.Sc Forensic Science degree. Some of the private labs have started recruiting students with B.Sc degree mainly for clerical work and not ‘real’ work. Because, let’s face it. Even with a B.Sc, you are still considered a novice in the field of forensic science.

You will probably have zero experience. You have still not mastered the subject. So, you will only be allowed to see things from a certain ‘distance’.

Another important question would be, is B.Sc. Forensic Science the best choice/path to becoming a Forensic expert in India? Probably not!

Especially in the current scenario, if you are looking for a forensic post in the Government sector, such as Central (CFSL) and State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSL). This is the part people don’t usually tell you, but rather something that you find out only after you’ve been admitted to the program.

The bitter truth is that a student of B.Sc. Forensic Science is not considered to be even eligible to apply for a majority of such posts, with the exception of one or two. Instead, what they actually ask for is a Bachelor’s degree in pure or basic sciences, so for example, in case of a post in forensic chemistry, they prefer someone from chemistry background, i.e., the eligibility criteria would be a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

Without a doubt, that probably seems like the most unfair thing to exist and you probably have a million questions in your head right now. Why is a forensic student not eligible for a forensic post? In fact, shouldn’t they be even more eligible or be given the highest priority while filling up such posts?

Why have colleges and institutions introduced such programs when there’s no scope? Why
are such positions being offered to someone who’s never studied forensic?

So, here’s their reasoning behind it: as forensic science is interdisciplinary, instead of focusing completely on one area, we learn a little of all the required disciplines in the bachelor program.

Hence, B.Sc. forensic science students are considered to not be knowledgeable enough on the basic concepts of a particular subject or at par with a person of a background in any one of the basic sciences.

Thus, a degree in basic or pure science is considered to be more eligible for the post. Nevertheless, a Master’s degree in Forensic Science is very much eligible for such posts.

Therefore, the best advice one could give you, if you want to pursue a career in Forensic science would be, to take up pure sciences in your undergraduate program, rather than a Bachelor’s in Forensic Science. You can then take up M.Sc. Forensic Science, if that is where your interest lies.

What next after B.Sc Forensic Science?

Lastly, one question remains – does that mean if I’ve taken up B.Sc. Forensic Science, my entire future is doomed? Well, not really! You can always go for a doctoral degree and apply for teaching positions in Universities or even opt to work for Private companies.

You can as well look into competitive exams such as UPSC or PSC which may also offer you a way into the field of forensic sciences.

People with B.Sc. Forensic Science working in an FSL is not entirely unheard of. A few regional FSLs in some states have started considering individuals with B.Sc. Forensic Science. Hopefully, with passing time more government labs will start doing this.

There have been many petitions filed by students who have done their B.Sc Forensic Science, to include Forensic Science as a subject in UPSC exams, to make it as one of the eligibility criteria for competitive exams. But concrete results are still awaited.

Some changes have been made in the recent times still we have a long way to go to pave path for us as far as “relevance” of undergraduate degree in Forensic Science is considered.

At the end of the day, I want to sum up this post by saying that if “Forensic Science’ is something you are truly passionate about and if you work hard to be the best in the field, success will come to you in one way or the other.

If u have a doubt, comment below and we will get back to you with the most apt answer 🙂