BALASORE: Students of Applied Physics and Ballistics under Fakir Mohan University (FMU) are left high and dry sans employment opportunities.
Applied Physics and Ballistics, a new job-oriented two-year post-graduate course, claimed to be introduced for the first time in Asia, was started in Fakir Mohan University (FMU) two years back. With ballistics as a major subject, many including the university authorities had thought it would fetch employment opportunities for students. But now, the first batch of students have passed without any jobs in hand.
FMU started the course, brain behind which was of former President and noted missile scientist APJ Abdul Kalam, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that provided the laboratory of Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) at Chandipur for practical purposes.
The students alleged that neither any campus recruitment drive was organised in the university nor the authorities concerned took any interest to get them placed. Many have pointed figures at the formulation of the course. They claimed that there is no mention of their specialisation paper in their certificates. “We spent Rs 55,000 for the course but there is no campus recruitment. The hype for the course two years back has fallen flat now with not a single student getting placed,” said a pass-out who has scored 79 per cent marks.
“During admission we had an impression that we would be absorbed by the DRDO or at least in any of the 40 ordnance factories in the country. But nothing such has happened so far,” he lamented. As many as 16 students have passed out in the first batch. The students said though they have studied papers like Internal Ballistics, External Ballistics, Terminal Ballistics, Ballistic Instrumentation, Weapon systems, Ballistic Modelling and Analysis and Rocket Ballistics, but they have to again prepare for examinations like Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), National Eligibility Test (NET) and Scientist Entrance Test (SET) just like other MSc pass-outs.
“Significantly, SET only involves physics. We would have got benefits had the SET included Ballistics as another paper. Despite of studying 10 papers in Ballistics, we are forced to compete with the general MSc pass-outs,” a student said.
Sources said while the posts of a Reader and a lecturer in Ballistics are yet to be filled up, two pass-outs of the first batch are taking classes for the second batch.
But the University authorities have sought to play down the issue. “It is a new course and definitely has job opportunities. We are in discussion to include Ballistics in SET. Besides, we have already decided to give specialisation in two papers – External Ballistics and Electronics from the current batch,” said Head of the Department G.C.Rout.He, however, advised the students to appear for the GATE, SET and NET to get placed in higher posts. “They can also do their MTech in the subject concerned in the only University in Pune and then there is no end to their prospective,” he added.
