Taxonomy Teaching in Universities and Colleges in India

Abstract

India is not producing enough Taxonomists now to meet its normal requirements, although with the increasing importance of its rich biodiversity and the need for its preservation the services of more Taxonomists will be needed. It is observed that the quantitative and qualitative deterioration in the taxonomic training in the country that has taken place in the recent past in our universities and colleges is not due to any serious drawback in the curricula alone and that the causes for this malady are to be looked for elsewhere. T he major components directly involved in this issue are- ( 1) Teachers. (2) Students, (3) Facilities/Funds, and (4) Stake/Responsibility. The effects of each of these constituent units in the mechanism of Taxonomy Teaching and Training in our teaching institutions are analysed briefly. Based on what can be learned from this, some suggestions for improvement are proposed.