Establishment
The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) is a growing phenomenon. Located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, RGCB began in 1990 amongst humble surroundings as a small charitable society called the Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology (C-DEST).
In 1991, recognizing its potential, the C-DEST was made a “Grant-in-Aid” institute of the Government of Kerala and renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology (RGC-DEST), becoming the first institute in the country to be named after Sri Rajiv Gandhi, the young illustrious and visionary former Prime Minster of India. On April 18, 1994 the Government of Kerala took the landmark decision to restructure the institute into a comprehensive
The foundation stone for the new building was laid on November 18, 1995 by the then Prime Minister of India, Sri. Narasimha Rao. Exactly seven years later, on November 18, 2002 the then President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam dedicated the comprehensive center to the nation.
Courses Offered
Ph.D. Program
Admission Process
Applications are invited twice a year (normally in November and June) and advertised in all national newspapers and on the RGCB website.
Minimum Eligibility for Candidates
Postgraduation in Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Agriculture, Veterinary Sciences and medicine graduates.
Applicants must have a consistently first class academic track record (no less than 60% aggregates) and a valid research fellowship from UGC, CSIR, ICMR and DBT (Category A only). Candidates with other fellowships are advised to contact the Dean to confirm eligibility.
Candidates awaiting final exam results can also apply. However only those candidates with a valid pass certificate will be allowed to appear for the selection interview.
Candidates without valid fellowships need not apply
However candidates with MBBS, MD, MTech, MVSc. MPharm and MSc (Agriculture) can apply even though they do not have a research fellowship. if selected, they will be supported by institute fellowships. They will be encouraged to obtain a suitable fellowship after joining.
Selection Procedure
Short-listed students will be invited to RGCB for a selection interview. No TA or DA will be paid for attending the interview. Candidates will be ranked at the selection interview on a total mark of 100. Candidates will be evaluated in their subject of specialization, knowledge of research methodology, instrumentation and laboratory calculations, overall knowledge in applications of biotechnology, general research aptitude and ability to comprehend & solve research questions as well as presentation & communication skills
Each selection committee member makes his or her own evaluation. The average of all such evaluation sheets will be consolidated and a rank list prepared by the office of the Director. Only students scoring over 70% will be offered admission to RGCB’s PhD program irrespective of the number of vacancies and number of applicants.
RGCB – Postdoctoral Training
RGCB has regular openings for postdoctoral training (for MDs and PhDs) in select programs of Disease Biology and Molecular Medicine. The trainee positions are normally for programs in Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases, neurological disorders and nanoscience based platforms. However other relevant cases will also be considered specifically on the merit of the subject and work proposed. postdoctoral trainees will be expected to plan and execute research programs with minimal supervision reporting directly to the Program Leader. They will also be expected to be a mentor to trainee students, research fellows and technical support staff. These positions are on contract and for a maximum period of three years.
RGCB’s postdoctoral training program is an ideal platform for young enthusiastic postdocs looking for comprehensive training as a prelude to applying for faculty positions in India and abroad. Applicants will be asked to make a presentation before a selection committee constituted by the Director.
Interested candidates may please contact the Director at [email protected] or [email protected]
RGCB – Short-term training
As part of its commitment to human resource development, RGCB permits students at the MSc, Btech, M.Phil and M.Tech levels to carry out dissertation and project work in various disciplines. During the past two years, RGCB has trained more than 300 post-graduate students from various parts of the country.
While this Short-term/summer training satisfies a requirement for completing the Masters program for a large number of candidates, our intentions are to provide these candidates with an exposure to an international quality biotechnology research environment.
Projects and dissertations may be for 1 month, 2-3 months, 4-6 months or 7-12 months. A service fee is charged from trainees to cover the costs of the training. The fee structure is given below:
Duration of Dissertation/Project Fee (Rs.)
1 month 10,000
2-3 months 20,000
4-6 months 30,000
7-12 months 50,000
Interested applicants may either contact the scientists directly and secure their consent or apply directly to the office of the Director, RGCB, who will allot students to laboratories based on vacancies or acceptance by the scientist concerned. Applications can be submitted throughout the year but actual training will be subject to the number of vacancies available with each scientist. Allotment to individual scientists will therefore depend on their consent and spaces available with them. For further details, please contact the Public Relations Officer at the Office of the Director([email protected]).
Completed applications endorsed by the Head of Department and Head of Institution should then be submitted to the Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre For Biotechnology, Poojappura, Thycaud P.O, Thiruvananthapuram 695014. Applications must be submitted at least two months before the dates requested for starting the training. Service fees may either be remitted as a crossed Demand draft payable to the Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014 or in cash at the administrative office. The Director will take the final decision on the training and placement. Applications can be rejected without assigning any reasons if they are found unacceptable.
Contact
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
Thycaud PO, Poojappura
Thiruvananthapuram – 695 014
Kerala, India Phone : +91- 471-2341716 | 2347975 | 2348104 | 2348753 | 2345899
Fax : + 91- 471-2348096
Email : [email protected]