I am a professional with a work experience of over 18 years. I wanted to know if I can pursue law as a career at this stage of my life.

The essential qualification for the three-year LLB programme is graduation with 45% (in some universities, it is higher) which is prescribed by the Bar Council of India and is a mandatory requirement. So, if you meet those requirements, you can study law to become a lawyer. But you must also note that if you want to practice as a lawyer. you have to necessarily enrol in a recognised college or university and complete the three-year course in regular mode. The Bar Council does not give recognition to an LLB pursued through long-distance mode or in evening colleges for the purpose of practising as an advocate and so you will not be able to continue working during this period.

Also, while there was an upper age limit for studying law earlier, the Bar Council Of India has now withdrawn the age restriction and students are allowed to take admissions in colleges/universities in LLB or LLM courses without any age limit. So, if you wish to change your career and take up law practice, you will have to take up the full-time three year programme.

However if you wish to study law to gain knowledge of various legal aspects, which you may have to deal with in the sphere of work, there are certificate and diploma courses in environment law, cyber law, aviation law, and also a Master’s degree in law of financial services and capital markets open to graduates from any discipline.

I am a student of biology and currently in the final year of BSc (H) in zoology. I want to explore the field of forensics and crime investigation but biotechnology also intrigues me. I’m confused. What should I do?

When exploring a possible career option you need to find out as much as you can about the kind of work you will be doing, and the qualities you require to be successful in that field, and then match it with your own abilities and interests. Forensic science is the application of scientific principles for the investigation of crime. Forensic scientists are often involved in the search for and examination of physical traces, such as blood, hairs, textile fibres from clothing, etc, which might be useful for establishing or excluding an association between someone, suspected of committing a crime and the scene of the crime or victim. You can take up an MSc degree or a postgraduate diploma in forensic sciences after a BSc in any science discipline - physics, chemistry, zoology, botany, biochemistry, microbiology, a BPharm, or any applied science. However, there are limited job opportunities in forensic science as the work is mostly as a forensic pathologist, or analyst handling forensic investigations, and with government investigative agencies such as the police, CBI, IB, RAW and so on. However, if you have a curious and analytical mind, and enjoy lab work, forensic science can be an interesting career option.

Biotechnology is a research field, so career options are in research areas related to agriculture, environment, medicine, genetics, ecology and microbiology, among others. Jobs in biotechnology include working in the area of medical research, developing vaccines, diagnostic tools, production of biotech products, tissue culture for agriculture, management, academics and training. If you are interested in the pharmaceutical aspect of biotechnology, there are opportunities for zoologists with specialization in microbiology to study microbes and organisms that cause diseases (in humans, animals as well as plants), evaluating antibiotics and developing vaccines, and manufacturing drugs. There are also opportunities in consultancy in technical and research roles, with chemical, and petroleum companies.

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science the University of Delhi following which I worked as a customer care executive in an MNC for two years. Now, I want to become a nutritionist. Will I be required to repeat my Bachelor’s programme? I want to know what degree options can I consider to be a certified nutritionist. And what is the scope offered by the various available programmes?

Nutrition and dietetics is the science of managing food and nutrition to promote health, therefore any food and nutrition course will require some background knowledge of food science, physiology or health care related subjects. The basic eligibility for an MSc in any food and nutrition degree course is a BSc home science , food science and technology, science, healthcare, medical, pharmaceutical, nursing and courses related to nutrition and dietetics, food service management and dietetics. Several universities including IGNOU, Madurai Kamraj University, Tamil Nadu, University of Kerala offer postgraduate diploma and MSc courses through E- learning mode too, but also require a science background. Also keep in mind that even if you are ready to repeat the Bachelor’s degree, you would require to have taken science subjects for Class XII exam. You could take up any of the innumerable online courses in nutrition and dietetics that will give you the knowledge of the subject, but this will not give you a credible qualification or authority to practice as a nutritionist. It is therefore best to look at alternative career options.

(The columnist is director of Career Smarts and the author of The Penguin India Book of Careers Vol 1 and 2)

First Published: Mar 27, 2019 16:46 IST