Department of Biotechnology

The DBT, New Delhi initiated and launched the ‘Star College Scheme’ for improving logical, critical and innovative thinking and to improve and inculcate ‘hands on’ experimental experience with approaches towards technology development needed for biological studies at undergraduate (college) level in life sciences. The scheme paves a way for the improvement of basic sciences and for tackling the new challenges in the field of computational biology among the young minds thereby improving the quality of education in the institution augmented by upgraded and modern equipments and to procure other essentials to enhance the practical skills.

MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME ARE,

To strengthen the academic and physical infrastructure for achieving excellence in teaching and training.
To enhance the quality of the learning and teaching process to stimulate original thinking through ‘hands-on’ exposure to experimental work and participation in summer schools.
To increase capabilities of core instrumentation resources by procuring new equipment and upgrading of existing facilities.
To promote networking and strengthen ties with neighbouring institutions and other laboratories.
To provide access and exposure to students to research laboratories and industries in the country.
To help in devising Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) /kits for Practical; and to provide better library facility to students and teachers.
To conduct specialized training programmes for faculty improvement for optimizing technical capabilities.

The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India has sanctioned ”Star College Scheme” in October 2015 to five undergraduate science departments viz., Botany, Chemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics, Computer Science and Mathematics. These departments involved in the STAR college programme have been executing the scheme excellently, focusing on their goals and objectives at all levels.

New experiments have been added to the curriculum to make the learning process more experiment-oriented and equipments have been purchased to permit more students to individually handle both regular and relatively new equipments. The departments have also brought out laboratory manuals. The fund has enabled the respective departments to organize field trips, guest lectures, workshops, hands-on training, visits to National Laboratories, National and International Seminars for both faculty and students. Research acumen is instilled among the UG students doing projects under this scheme as a result of which the aspiration to pursue post graduate and doctoral programmes will be strongly seeded in their young minds.

Advisory Committee Members

CHAIRPERSON

Dr.S.K.Jayanthi
Principal,
Vellalar College for Women (Autonomous),
Erode.

DBT REPRESENTATIVES

Dr.Garima Gupta, Scientist –‘F’,
Programme Officer for Star College Scheme,
Dept. of Biotechnology,
Ministry of Science & Technology,
Government of India, New Delhi.

Dr. Abhishek Kumar Mehta, Scientist – ‘C’,
Programme Head,
Dept. of Biotechnology,
Ministry of Science & Technology,
Government of India, New Delhi.

EXTERNAL EXPERTS

Dr.R.Rajendran, Former Principal & Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology,
PSG College of Arts and Science,
Coimbatore
e-mail: [email protected]

Dr.K.Sekar, Associate Professor & Microbiologist,
Department of Computational and Data Sciences,
Laboratory for Structural Biology and Bio-computing,
Super Computer Education and Research Centre,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Ph: 080-22933059, 23600551, Mobile: 098456 26227
e-mail: [email protected]