24 July : Fruits of hard work were obvious as huge smiles on the faces of final year students of the Deptt of Food Science at MCM DAV College for Women, Sector 36-A, Chandigarh. All the students of Microbial and Food Technology – III year scored first division with the highest percentage of 81.6 scored by Ms. Swati Kapoor. In total, 33 distinctions were achieved. Students also received Pre Placement Offers (PPOs) while under-going on the job training during the summers in various corporate houses. Keen on pursuing higher education, MCM DAV students successfully competed with their peers from other universities and bagged Masters seats in professional courses like Food Science and Technology, Foods and Nutrition, Nutrition and Dietitics, Microbiology, etc. at esteemed universities like PAU Ludhiana, GNDU Amritsar, PU Chandigarh, SVB Patel University, Baroda, etc.
Jubilant students attributed their success to amiable college environment, dedicated and competent faculty, innovative pedagogy, elaborately designed syllabus, well equipped library and state-of-the-art infrastructure, industry-academia interface through seminars, workshops, industrial visits, guest lectures, food expos and on-the-job training in food industries like Britannia, Verka, GSK, HPMC, Ceremica, Kissan, Smithkline Beecham, Nestle, Dabur, Markfed, Pepsi, Parle Agro Foods Ltd, NDRI etc . One year research exposure through various projects on Enzymes and Secondary Metabolites Production, Novel Therapeutic foods, Use of Functional ingredients for enrichment, Pathogens and Adulterants Detection, Food Quality Analysis, Process and Product Optimization orients the students for future research needs for society. All this contributes to a bright future with career opportunities as Production Managers, Quality Control executives, Microbiologists, Food Inspectors, Health Educators, Food Procurers, Research Scientists and Teachers, and Entrepreneurs in private and public sector. As Neha, one of the students sums it, “it is not just a degree but an indispensible medium for self empowerment.”
Observing a visible inclination of students towards such professional courses during the ongoing admissions, the Principal of the college, Dr. Puneet Bedi, remarked that ‘in today’s global scenario, the need of the hour is to create employable graduates with hands-on skill and application oriented courses like food science impart students with a professional edge.’ Congratulating the students, she brought more reasons for celebrations by declaring that the meritorious will be soon felicitated.