Doon Post Graduate College of Agriculture Science and Technology M.Sc Review By Vaishali Joshi

DCAST is a private college that was established in the year 2000, affiliated with Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various specializations. DCAST is popular for its Agriculture course. So, the B.Sc. Agriculture aspirants have to appear for an entrance exam conducted by the college. Later, the merit scored by the candidates in the entrance exam is considered for final admission. Besides this, the marks of the candidates in the previous qualifying examination are also considered during admission. Apart from Agriculture, the various departments available in the college include the Department of Forestry, Horticulture, Hotel Management, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Fisheries.

I joined M.Sc. Environmental Science in DCAST. However, no entrance exam is conducted for the M.Sc EVS course. The students can apply for direct admission to this course if they have scored a minimum of 50% marks in B.Sc with relevant subjects. I am an environmental enthusiast so I opted for this course in my masters. Also, I have tried my best to raise awareness on various environmental issues since my graduation, this made me realize that I must pursue a master's degree in Environmental Science. Moreover, the subjects were quite useful, as the first semester was about the basics only and provided a firm foundation for accumulating further knowledge. However, I cannot say that it was very helpful in getting a job. Because none of my batchmates, seniors, or even juniors got the job immediately after the course. Though one could apply for internships or research projects initially.

There were only three faculties in my course at that time. However, two guest faculties also used to teach some lessons in Environmental Science. Overall, there are around 30-40 teachers in my college. Most of them are quite experienced in teaching, however, freshers also apply in DCAST for teaching. But the faculties in my college have at least completed post-graduation. And in Environmental Science, all the faculties have completed Ph.D. in EVS. So, they are proficient enough to teach the subject properly. In fact, the faculty were very interactive and helpful both academically and personally. They have always helped me in boosting my knowledge and confidence.

The placement and training cell of my college is not at all up to the mark, especially for my course. No companies arrived at the campus for the placement. I have also visited the Dean's office during my last semester with some companies' names that recruit the master's students so that they can invite them. However, it was of no use. No one was placed directly after the completion of the course in my batch. Although the teachers of my course were quite helpful as they used to always encourage and inform us of any opportunity that seems approachable. Also, they have always guided me during the course as well as after it.

DCAST also offers a hostel facility to its students both for boys and girls separately. There are a total of three girls' hostels and two boys' hostels. One of the boy's hostels is in the campus area while the other hostel is in a distant location. Also, all the three girls' hostels are located away from campus. There are about 50-60 rooms in each hostel and a minimum of three students live in a room. Since the rooms were quite spacious it is easily adjustable for students. The hostel fee is a little expensive and it costs approximately Rs. 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per year. However, the facilities like food quality, cleanliness, maintenance, etc. available in the hostels are fine. The power supply is available 24/7 as they also provide an inverter facility in case of a power cut. Besides, the wardens are also friendly and make the environment homely. Also, students celebrate various events like freshers, farewell, Christmas, New Year's parties, etc. which creates a fun and relaxed environment.

The campus area of DCAST is not very large. There are a total of five buildings, a canteen area, library, and administration area. One of the five buildings constitutes laboratories for various subjects including Environmental Science, Zoology, Botany, Fisheries, etc. Besides this, there was a mess facility available within the campus for hostellers. Also, the campus has its own playground and basketball court (outdoors). For Medical and emergency support, not much facility was available within the campus. However, there were some private clinics in the nearby location. Overall, the campus is situated in a serene location away from the main market or the nearby industrial area. Besides this, there is a small park at the entrance of the campus where students can sit during the lunch break. Thus, the park adds up to its peaceful environment.

Lastly, the overall campus life in my college is fine, but there are definitely some drawbacks especially the placement unavailability. Besides this, there is not enough exposure, activities, or clubs. Thus, human growth is not visible among students during their campus life in DCAST. However, the fests, farewell, and other celebrations take place from time to time. So, students can participate in some of the events like debates, speeches, sports, and other extracurricular activities like dancing, singing, poetry, etc. In some major events like annual fests, celebrities like Neha Kakkar, Himansh Kohli, etc. had also arrived. So, it creates a fun-loving environment. However, the college must fulfill the major requirements of candidates for which they join the courses.