A Paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils. Paleontology is the study of the history of life on Earth as reflected in these fossil records. Fossils are the remains or traces of organisms (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other single-celled living things) that lived in the geological past and are preserved in the crust of the Earth.
Personal Competencies
You enjoy Science
You like working outdoors
You like to analyse problems/situations
You have keen sense of observation
Entry Pathway
1. Complete 10+2 in Science stream (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)
2. Complete a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc.) in Biology/Geology
OR
Complete a Bachelor's degree followed by a Master's degree and PhD in the same or related subject
Please check the duration of the course during enrolment
Where will you study?
This course is offered by the Department Of Geology or Geological Sciences. This list of institutes is indicative only
Government Institutes 1. Government Arts College, Karur 2. Government Arts College, Tamil Nadu 3. Alagappa Government Arts College, Tamil Nadu 4. Center for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, Madhya Pradesh 5. Government Arts College, Coimbatore 6. Government Arts College, Salem 7. Government College, Kerala 8. Sri Pratap College, Srinagar
Private Institutes (Please check if Institute is affiliated and accredited with UGC before applying) 1. Shri Guru Ram Rai PG College, Dehradun 2. ADM College for Women, Nagapattinam 3. AVS College of Arts and Science, Salem 4. DBS PG College, Dehradun 5. Deogiri College, Aurangabad 6. Dr Palpu College of Arts and Science, Puthussery 7. Fergusson College,Pune 8. Gossner College, Ranchi
*NPTEL - National Programme in Technology Enhanced Learning. It is by the Government of India and offers a variety of courses in an audio - video form
Fees
The approx. course fee ranges between INR 10,000 - 2,00,000*
*(The above-mentioned figures are approximate numbers. This will vary from institute to institute)
Scholarships & Loans
SCOLARSHIPS
• National Scholarship Portal - Visit http://www.scholarships.gov.in. Under this portal there are Central Government schemes offered by different departments, UGC/AICTE Schemes and State Schemes* • Visit http://www.buddy4study.com for details on available scholarships. This is a gateway to scholarships starting from Class XI* • Scholarships are also available in the institutes based on merit* *(Availability of these scholarships can vary from time to time)
LOANS
• VidyaLakshmi, http://www.vidyalakshmi.co.in, is a portal for students seeking education loan. This portal has been developed under the guidance of the Department of Financial Services, (Ministry of Finance), Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Human Resource Development) and Indian Banks Association (IBA) • Some states have student credit cards with low interest rates, for instance, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, etc. • All banks give education loans
Where will you work?
Places of Work: Government and Private Research Organizations, Environmental Organizations, Natural Science Museums and others
Work Environment: It is not a desk job. You will not handle a team. Local travel is a part of this job role. Part-time work and contractual jobs may be available. Organizations usually work for 5 to 6 days a week and 8 to 9 hours every day. This may vary from organization-to-organization Shift system may be available
Opportunities for work exist for differently abled in this field
Expected Growth Path
Intern → Palaeontologist → Senior Palaeontologist → Deputy Director of the Department → Director of the Department
Expected Income
The approx. salary of a Paleontologist ranges between INR 80,000 - 1,50,000* per month.
Devapriya Chattopadhyay, a paleonto-biological researcher is one of the few Indian women who have made a mark in the paleontology community. She has produced several research work throughout her career. She had done her B.Sc in Geology from Jadavpur University, M.Sc. in Applied Geology from IIT, Bombay, and Ph.D from the University of Michigan.*
Paleontologist
NCS Code: 2114.0300 | SC0121. Complete 10+2 in Science stream (Physics, Chemistry and Biology)
2. Complete a Bachelor's degree (B.Sc.) in Biology/Geology
OR
Complete a Bachelor's degree followed by a Master's degree and PhD in the same or related subject
Please check the duration of the course during enrolment
This course is offered by the Department Of Geology or Geological Sciences.
This list of institutes is indicative only
Government Institutes
1. Government Arts College, Karur
2. Government Arts College, Tamil Nadu
3. Alagappa Government Arts College, Tamil Nadu
4. Center for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, Madhya Pradesh
5. Government Arts College, Coimbatore
6. Government Arts College, Salem
7. Government College, Kerala
8. Sri Pratap College, Srinagar
Private Institutes
(Please check if Institute is affiliated and accredited with UGC before applying)
1. Shri Guru Ram Rai PG College, Dehradun
2. ADM College for Women, Nagapattinam
3. AVS College of Arts and Science, Salem
4. DBS PG College, Dehradun
5. Deogiri College, Aurangabad
6. Dr Palpu College of Arts and Science, Puthussery
7. Fergusson College,Pune
8. Gossner College, Ranchi
Information on the institute rankings can be found at - https://www.nirfindia.org/2022/Ranking.html
Distance learning Institute
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Online Courses
• NPTEL* Swayam - https://onlinecourses.swayam2.ac.in/cec19_mm01/preview
• Udemy - https://www.udemy.com/course/geo-star/
*NPTEL - National Programme in Technology Enhanced Learning. It is by the Government of India and offers a variety of courses in an audio - video form
The approx. course fee ranges between INR 10,000 - 2,00,000*
*(The above-mentioned figures are approximate numbers. This will vary from institute to institute)
SCOLARSHIPS
• National Scholarship Portal - Visit http://www.scholarships.gov.in. Under this portal there are Central Government schemes offered by different departments, UGC/AICTE Schemes and State Schemes*
• Visit http://www.buddy4study.com for details on available scholarships. This is a gateway to scholarships starting from Class XI*
• Scholarships are also available in the institutes based on merit*
*(Availability of these scholarships can vary from time to time)
LOANS
• VidyaLakshmi, http://www.vidyalakshmi.co.in, is a portal for students seeking education loan. This portal has been developed under the guidance of the Department of Financial Services, (Ministry of Finance), Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Human Resource Development) and Indian Banks Association (IBA)
• Some states have student credit cards with low interest rates, for instance, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, etc.
• All banks give education loans
Places of Work: Government and Private Research Organizations, Environmental Organizations, Natural Science Museums and others
Work Environment: It is not a desk job. You will not handle a team. Local travel is a part of this job role. Part-time work and contractual jobs may be available. Organizations usually work for 5 to 6 days a week and 8 to 9 hours every day. This may vary from organization-to-organization Shift system may be available
Opportunities for work exist for differently abled in this field
Intern → Palaeontologist → Senior Palaeontologist → Deputy Director of the Department → Director of the Department
The approx. salary of a Paleontologist ranges between INR 80,000 - 1,50,000* per month.
Source: https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/paleontologist/india
*These figures are indicative and subject to change
Experts from the field
Devapriya Chattopadhyay, a paleonto-biological researcher is one of the few Indian women who have made a mark in the paleontology community. She has produced several research work throughout her career. She had done her B.Sc in Geology from Jadavpur University, M.Sc. in Applied Geology from IIT, Bombay, and Ph.D from the University of Michigan.*
Source: https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/meet-palaeontologist-devapriya-chattopadhyay-indian-woman/
*The above information is for training purposes only and will not be used for any commercial gains
palaeontologist, geologist, fossil geologist