Perceptions of Fisheries Professionals with Reference to Change in Minimum Qualification for Agricultural Research Services

A study is done with the objective of assessing perceptions of fisheries professionals with reference to revised notification of minimum qualification being Ph.D. for Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Information has been collected from 50 Masters and 50 Doctorate fisheries professionals/students of ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai, using an online Google form and adopting quantitative and qualitative methods. Non parametric Mann Whitney U test is used to check if there is any difference between perception of Masters and Doctorate students. Study reveals that before the notification becoming a ‘Scientist’ was the first career choice of fisheries professionals, followed by ‘Assistant Professor’ and ‘Officer in State Department of Fisheries’. However, after the notification, the first choice has changed to becoming ‘Assistant Professor’ followed by ‘Officer in State Department of Fisheries’ and then ‘Scientist’. Students also perceive advantages and disadvantages of this revised notification. Acceptance of the notification is relatively lower among Masters Students, with a statistically significant difference between the two student groups.