Science! What is it? A mystery or a logic!
Moreover, it is something upon which our whole society is dependent. Understanding science & its fundamentals are not that easy but there might be a few who can actually understand the scientific and technological aspects.
If you are curious about the world and want to know how things around us work, it simply means that somewhere in your mind, the flair of becoming a scientist is developing. And, the instinct follows a question ‘how to become a scientist?’
Becoming a scientist is obviously not the same as becoming a doctor or engineer. It’s all about the spirit. “Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: It is the character.” These inspiring words from Sir Albert Einstein make out the worth of the rectitude of a scientist.
In this article, you will find:
Difference Between Scientist & Researcher
How to Become a Scientist in India?
Pursue Higher Qualification to Become a Scientist
Career Opportunities for Scientists
Skills to be Developed for Becoming a Scientist
Difference Between Scientist & Researcher
Before you check the procedure to become a Scientist, it is important to clear the confusion between a Scientist and a Researcher as many of you may have doubts about these two positions.
Various debates formed by experts on deciding the similarities and differences between Researchers and Scientists. So, out of them here we are sharing some major points that will help you to identify both the positions.
A Scientist can also be a researcher as he works on testing, verifying, and observing the research project.
Not all Researchers can be Scientists but both positions are interconnected in a general sense.
A Researcher is merely someone who conducts a systematic and organized investigation on any problem whereas a Scientist uses scientific methods to get the solutions.
A Researcher can do any kind of research even in non-scientific topics like literature, education, social science, religion, etc. but as a Scientist, one must do research in Science affiliated with various organizations.
In terms of discoveries, innovation, workload and passion both positions represent the same group.
To become a Researcher, you have to finalize a subject of your interest and then get the required qualification for it i.e. PhD degree. Once you have adequate knowledge and qualification about your subject, you can go for a project for research in any organization.
Below you can check the detailed procedure to become a Scientist.
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How to Become a Scientist in India? Setting the Groundwork after 10th Class
The best advice is to start your preparation after getting into the high school itself. You all know that you have to opt for the science stream but choosing the field is very important.
Because, to work as a scientist you get many options, but you have to get mastery over only one. So, choose wisely between PCM and PCB.
Keep it in your mind that your calculation and knowledge of Maths will be needed. Even if you don’t take Maths as a subject in your academics, you must be specialized in Mathematics. Because scientists from all the fields require the knowledge of statistics in general dealings.
Get Specialisation in Your Field
Now you have a clear idea about the field you want to prefer as your research area. So. select your bachelor’s degree keeping in mind the assorted options like Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Astronomy, Geology, Social Sciences and more.
You can pursue a degree like B.Tech, B.Sc, B.Pharma etc. in your interested subject.
Note: - There are no criteria set for Class 12 percentage, but we advise you to get above 60 in your academics.
Must Read: Career Options after 10th & 12th Science PCM
Pursue Higher Qualification to Become a Scientist - Enhance Your Skills
To answer your question ‘how to become a scientist in India’, we would like to advise you to go for master’s degree. By getting a bachelor’s degree, you will be able to make your base strong but to sharpen your knowledge, you have to take master’s degree in the related field.
You can go for M.Sc., M.E. or M.Tech as a master’s programme in the related subject.
After getting master’s degree, you can also apply for the Ph.D. programme to get the doctorate degree. It will help you in making your path of becoming a scientist easy and you will get more reputation and opportunity.
After completing your master’s degree and Ph.D., you will be able to apply for various research institutes or labs to attain higher education.
Career Opportunities for Scientists - List of Research Organizations
In this world of science, every field is fenced with scientific elements. With the growth of we humans, technical advancement is continuously increasing. This is resulting in increased demand for proficient scientists.
When you ask about how to become a scientist in India, there also arises a confusion about the organizations where they will get employment.
In our country, there are many institutions that provide mesmerizing opportunities for skillful scientists. These are–
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
Indian Association for Cultivation of Science (IACS)
Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
Below you can check the process to get the entry in these prestigious organizations.
How to become a Scientist in CSIR?
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a prominent institute that operates in the field of science and technology. There are 38 CSIR Labs in our country. Candidates can apply through CSIR Recruitment conducted in various laboratories to get scientist jobs in India.
The institute also offers scholarships for candidates with doctoral degrees.
The recruitment for CSIR Scientists is clutched by the Recruitment and Assessment Board (RAB).
The minimum qualification a candidate must pursue is B.E/B.Tech./M.Sc. in their related fields. With higher studies, the chances will grow more.
Candidates who work as research fellows in CSIR may get more chances to get selected for CSIR Scientist Position. If you want to join CSIR as a research fellow, you can go for CSIR NET JRF exam conducted by the council itself.
How to Become a Data Scientist in India?
‘How to be a data scientist is the most usual question asked by the candidates. There is a large crowd of students who want to become data scientists. But it is not that easy for everyone.
As a qualification, you must have an M.Sc. degree in Mathematical Statistics. But this is not enough. Besides this qualification, you have to do a lot of things.
You have to get mastery over coding and programming skills.
You must know statistical analysis.
Must understand the Machine learning algorithms like Linear Regression, Logistic Regression, etc. along with R, and Python.
Grab the knowledge of SAS and tools like Rapid Miner, Tableau etc.
Also, you must possess excellent communication skill and great data intuition to become a data scientist.
How to Become a Scientist in ISRO?
The easiest way to enter ISRO is to get admission into IIST (Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology). ISRO also selects candidates from IITs, NITs and other reputed institutions.
You can choose your graduation course as B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Radio Engineering, and Engineering Physics. You must acquire above 65% in your B.Tech degree.
ISRO conducts ICRB Exam to select candidates as scientist or engineer in ISRO.
How to Become a Scientist in NASA?
If you wish to work with NASA, you must have various educational degrees with you. Doing master’s in physical and biological sciences will provide you a base but to become a scientist in NASA, you have to acquire a Ph.D. Degree, which will help you go ahead.
From the time of your bachelor’s and master’s degree, you have to apply for the scholarships provided by the NASA. You may fail many times but must try harder.
You must keep on writing papers and publish them in recognized journals. Also, you must take references from other scientists.
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What are the Skills to be Developed for Becoming a Scientist?
As we stated earlier that the answer to your question ‘how to be a scientist’ and ‘what to study to become a scientist, doesn’t end with having any educational qualification. It is all about the quality of your research, your experience, and the uniqueness of your discovery.
To maintain all these elements in your work, you must assemble a few skills and add some daily habits in your routine work–
Improve Your Writing Skills
At the time of receiving grants for your research and publishing your research work and the results, a scientist has to use his/her writing skills. So, you must work on your writing skills and always keep on reading scientific journals.
Update Your Knowledge
Together with your studies, you must keep updates related to your field. We know that things in the scientific field keep on changing. If you don’t keep yourself up to date, you can miss something important.
Sense Your Curiosity
To have curiosity in your mind about the world and the environment around us is the representation of a scientist.
Scientists will only be able to discover something new if they have interest in understanding the thing happening around us and the reason behind them.
Have Patience
You can’t become a scientist just by clearing a competitive exam. Becoming a scientist consumes a lot of time. You have to be patient and wait for the result of your research and discoveries.
If the results are unique and widely accepted, then you can put ahead of your step as a scientist. And to reach the final process, you have to wait a lot.
A Mindset to Keep on Learning
Scientists can’t be perfect till they attain success in their own discovery. A successful product or discovery is the result of continuous learning and research. So, you must learn at every walk of your life, no matter what the sources will be.
Look for a Mentor
You must search for an expert adviser, who can share his/her experience about the research. The guidelines given by them will be helpful in your scientific journey. You will be able to meet up all the ups and downs.
We have collaborated the experience of two prominent scientists through the interview. You can grasp some constructive insights from them. Kindly have a look at the following articles -
Inside the Brain of a CSIR Lab Scientist – Bapuji Maringanti
Inside the Brain of JRF (Earth Science) Manudeo N Singh, IIT Kanpur
Here, we end the basic guidelines on how to become a scientist in India. But we observed some common queries by the candidates, who keep the dream of becoming a scientist in their minds.
You must keep on thinking on a higher level than the common people. Observe the world around you and try to find out the scientific involvement in them. Must research more and more.
We hope this article helped you in finding the answer to how to become a scientist in India and outside India. If you are satisfied with the solution of your queries, please place your valuable feedback in the comment box given at the end of the article.
In case, you have any doubts or more queries, we are always there to solve them at the earliest. You can also place them in the comment section below.
Combine your belief, hard work and effort; you will definitely achieve your goal!
All the very best
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