BINC

Overview

There is a growing need for the trained manpower in the area of Bioinformatics. Currently, various Indian universities, Government and private institutions are involved in imparting Bioinformatics education in India. However, there exists a large variation in the course contents, training period and method of training. Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, has instituted BINC examination with an objective to evaluate the Bioinformatics knowledge & skillset of the students. This certification would facilitate industries and potential employers in recruiting Bioinformatics professionals. BINC(BioInformatics National Certification) is an initiative of Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Government Of India in coordination with Bioinformatics Center, University of Pune. The BINC examination is conducted in the first quarter of every year. Those meeting the prescribed standards in BINC are issued a certificate of proficiency in Bioinformatics. BINC has decided to award Research fellowships to 15 BINC qualified Indian nationals to pursue Ph.D. in Indian Institutes/Universities. Note that the candidate must possess a postgraduate degree & meet the criteria of the institutes/universities in order to avail research fellowship. In addition, a cash prize of Rs. 10,000/- will be awarded to the top 10 BINC qualifiers. University of Pune has been identified as a nodal agency by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India to coordinate this examination along with six centres. They are as follows

1. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
2. Anna University, Chennai
3. West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata
4. Institute of Bioinformatics & Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore
5. North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong
6. University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

History

The BINC examination was introduced in 2005 to identify and certify professionals in the area of Bioinformatics. A national coordination committee under the chairmanship of Prof. A.S.Kolaskar consisting of Bioinformatics experts from all over the country, decides the mode, frequency, syllabus, centers of examination,question paper setters, evaluators,etc. Dr. Urmila Kulkarni-Kale is Coordinator, BINC at present.

Eligibility

Graduate in Science, Agriculture, Veterinary, Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering & Technology are eligible to appear in the examination. They need not have any formal training viz., certificate, diploma or degree in Bioinformatics. Students in final year of Bachelor’s degree are also eligible to apply. International students are also eligible to apply. Note that successful international students will be only certified & are not eligible to claim DBT BINC fellowship.

Pattern of the Examination

BINC is conducted in a way as to test your bioinformatics knowledge to the core. This is the only examination in India that has 3 papers.The syllabus consists of four sections - Biology,Physical & Chemical Sciences,Information Technology and Bioinformatics.

1. Paper I  : Objective. There will be negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer.
2. Paper II  : Short answer questions.
3. Paper III : computer based practical knowledge in Bioinformatics. Majorly programming related to bioinformatics. Language options are PERL, C, JAVA.

Candidates securing 40% or above marks in Paper I ONLY will be eligible to appear for Paper II and III. Candidates scoring overall 40% or above will be certified.Thus BINC tests your Bioinformatics knowledge. The advantage is any graduate of any stream in science can appear in the exam and get certified.

Qualifying BINC means

   * Your knowledge in the area of Bioinformatics is certified by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India.
   * BINC is not equivalent to NET exam conducted by DBT/CSIR/UGC.
   * BINC Certification is valid for lifetime.
   * The top 10 BINC qualifiers will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 10,000/-.
   * Research fellowships will be awarded to 15 BINC qualified Indian nationals to pursue
     Ph.D. in Indian Institutes/Universities.
   * The candidates interested in availing BINC-JRF fellowship, awarded by DBT to Indian nationals, should activate the
     fellowship within one year from the date of declaration of results on the BINC website.
   * Note that the candidate must possess a postgraduate degree & meet the criteria of the Institutes/Universities in order to avail research fellowship.

External Links

1. BINC website[1]
   
2. DBT[2]