Hello, and welcome to the Forensics Digest Q & A Session. Monthly, we interview students and experts of forensic science on a host of topics ranging from technical aspects to career soft skills.
Today we have Jasrah Naz Sadique Rahman, an alumnus of Amity University where she did her gaduation in Forensic Science. She has topped IPU CET 2020 for Forensic Science with 267 marks. We are nothing but glad to have her with us for this short Interview.
Arpita: Tell us about your childhood and schooling. Who all are there in the family and what are their professions?
Jasrah : I am from Assam and I did my schooling in Maria’s Public School, Guwahati. I live with my parents and younger sibling. My dad is in Government service and mom is an educator. They have always supported me in all my endeavors and believed in me even when I didn’t and I will always be grateful for that.
Arpita : What was your All India Rank, score/marks in the NICFS entrance exam? Which year did you qualify in NICFS?
Jasrah : I cleared the NICFS entrance exam(IPU CET) in 2020 with AIR 1.
Arpita: What made you think that Forensic Science is the career you want to pursue?
Jasrah : Growing up, like every other kid, I was a fan of crime thrillers. When the time came to choose our majors my friend told me about her experience in criminology which intrigued me. But being a science student through and through I wanted to look for the science counterpart of criminology and I came across forensic science. And the more I learned about it, the more I knew that this is it for me.
Arpita : How much time did you prepare for the exam?
Jasrah :I wanted to be a part of NICFS since I started on my journey in forensic science. Keeping that in mind, I think I have been preparing for it from a much longer time.
Arpita : Tell us the challenges/difficulties you had to face during your preparation and in life during that period?
Jasrah : As I mentioned it was in the middle of a pandemic. Unlock India just started and by that time I had not stepped outside my house in Assam for months. And all of a sudden I had to plan a trip to Delhi, which I selected as my centre back in March. I was worried that I might miss this opportunity as there were quarantine protocols to follow. But with the support of my friends and family and the Forensics Digest team on Instagram, my friends and I made it to the exam.
Arpita : How should one prepare for the NICFS entrance exam and what should be the preparation strategy for self study?
Jasrah :I would say revise your PCMB notes. As far as I have noticed, most of the questions are directly from 11th-12th NCERT books. And the forensic part of it I studied from my graduation notes which helped me with my last moment revisions.
Also an important point to keep in mind is that, it has negative marks. As my senior who’s also a student of NICFS told me, do not mark anything that you are not 100% sure of. That saves you a lot of marks from negative marking.
Arpita: Can you suggest some good books with Author names which you referred to during your preparation?
Jasrah :NCERT books. The questions are usually directly from NCERT books, so reading through it once or twice is good enough. But the math is from B.Sc. level as described in the syllabus and if you are from a mathematics background then revise your notes. And the rest, like me, need not worry either. Because even if the math might seem tough, there will be about 4-5 questions that is from either 10th or 12th level, which can be easily solved if you know your NCERT.
Also being a forensic graduate from Amity University, Noida, helped me a lot since I already had all the notes related to the subject. Other than the forensic science section there are questions in the PCB section which are based on forensic concepts. So if one has any notes of forensic then they should go through those or can look up the basic concepts of forensic science from net.
Arpita : Any online test series you suggest?
Jasrah :I was planning on appearing for Forensics digest’s mock test but could not make it as I was travelling that day. And I am not aware of any other test series.
Arpita : What are your future plans? What do you plan to do after NICFS?
Jasrah :I see myself working in a laboratory where I can apply my knowledge on real cases. My next step will be whatever that takes me closer to that goal. I will do to the best of my ability to serve my nation through my knowledge.
That brings us to the conclusion of the interview. Best of luck for your future endeavors, Jasrah !
All the best for her future