Scope for Forensic Science in India: Courses, Career, Jobs Available and Salary Package

Forensic Science professionals play a crucial role in crime investigations by collecting, analyzing, and presenting evidence to law enforcement agencies. If this field intrigues you and you find it interesting, think about pursuing further studies in Forensic Science to make a professional career in this field.

If you are someone who is interested in making an intriguing career path after 12th Science, consider Forensic Science. This field fills in the gap between science and criminal investigations, applying principles from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, psychology, and even social sciences to decode extremely difficult crimes. Forensic experts play an important role in various investigations to provide critical evidence that helps bring criminals to justice. Those who are interested in pursuing criminology courses and forensic science courses should go through this article. 

Why to Pursue Forensic Science Course?

Forensic science courses interests those who are interested in the intersection of the science and justice. There are multiple reasons why one can find this field interesting. See below some of the reasons:

1. Fascinating and Challenging Work:

Forensic Science is an exciting field where you are taught how to handle complex situations in a simple manner. Each and every basic knowledge of this field like evidence, DNA sampling, fingerprint, digital analysis, etc. is taught through the curriculum. You need to have knowledge of some core subjects like physics, chemistry, and maths.

2. Growing Demand and Job Security:

Now days the forensic experts design is increasing due to the increase in dependency on scientific evidence in the investigations and technology advancements. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the job openings in this sector is only going to increase. After completing the course one can work in the government agencies like state forensic labs, CBI private sector, and police department. You can also work in private sector such as corporate fraud detection, private investigation firms, and cybersecurity.

3. Diverse Career Opportunities:

A forensic science degree opens doors to a wide range of specializations and job roles, including:

• • Forensic Scientist/Lab Analyst
  • Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
  • Digital Forensics Expert
  • Forensic Pathologist/Medical Examiner
  • Forensic Anthropologist
  • Forensic Toxicologist
  • Forensic Document Examiner
  • Forensic Accountant
  • Academic and Research Roles
  • Crime Reporter/Journalist

5. Developing Valuable Skills:

This field helps you in building problem solving skills, analytical thinking and methodology. The students will learn skills of evidence preservation, data collection, laboratory techniques, report writing, and even presenting findings as an expert witness in court.

Pursuing a career in Forensic Science needs some kind of certification and degree. These courses create the foundation for understanding the nuances of the field of forensic science.  In India, quite a few numbers of colleges offer various courses on Forensic Science. It is always up to an individual to select a course according to their level of interest.

Forensic Science: Course Fee Structure

Although the total fee structure for a BSc in Forensic Science varies from college to college, an average fee starts at Rs 30,000 going up to Rs 2 lakh. 

Preferred Skillset

Along with an educational background in Science, there are certain skills needed to prosper in a career in the field of Forensic Science. 

• High observation: A keen eye for detail
• Analytical and logical Thinking
• Mathematical reasoning
• Research skills: Well-read about the latest techniques in the world

Forensic Science Career Prospects

Compared to growth in crimes in India, there is huge gap for efficient forensic experts. Due to this gap, there is a high demand for Forensic Experts and the career prospects are high currently. Lack of awareness about the course is another reason for the demand of forensic experts high in the market. 

Most of the Forensic Science candidates are hired by government agencies such as Central Bureau of Investigation or Information Bureau. Many legal firms and private investigators also hire Forensic Experts to strengthen their investigations and cases.  

Teaching is also a lucrative option for Forensic Science experts. Teaching about this specific field in colleges needs a lot of in-depth study of the subject. 

There is a lot of demand for highly qualified and trained Forensic Science experts in India. As very less number of students opt for this particular field. 

Forensic Science Jobs

The students of Forensic Science can join in as any of the following titles according to their field of expertise:

• Forensic engineers
• Legal counsellors
• Forensic expert
• Forensic scientist
• Crime scene investigator
• Teacher/Professor
• Crime reporter
• Forensic engineer
• Crime laboratory analyst
• Forensic psychiatrist
• Forensic serologist

Also Read:

• What is the scope for Forensic Science in India?

• BTech in Forensic Science Colleges in India
• Top Forensic Science colleges in India: Courses, Fees, Placements, Ranking, Exams

Salary Package Offered

The salary options for a forensic science expert depend a lot on the organisation. In the government sector, the salary structure is fixed and based on the pay scale, whereas in the private sector, it depends on the organisation. On average it can be quoted that a fresh forensic science expert can start anywhere between Rs 3-4 lakh per annum and after the experience, it can increase to Rs 6-10 lakh per annum. 

Top Recruiting Companies

Mentioned below are some of the companies where jobs for forensic science experts are available:

• Central Bureau of Investigation
• Intelligence Bureau
• Police department
• Forensic laboratories
• Hospitals
• Legal firms
• Universities
• Defence/army
• Private detectives
• Banks/Insurance firms

To sum up, Forensic Science is a unique and intriguing field, which if pursued in the right direction can shape up a good career path for a student both financially and professionally. In India, it currently shows a lot of potential.

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