Information for Students on Courses in Nutrition In India:

Since a lot of my friends have been asking me about how to get started in the field of Nutrition,I thought who could be better to enlighten the public than my very first boss,Ms.Swarupa Kakani. She's been a great teacher and I can proudly say that I learnt my Nutrition "A,B,C's" from her, when I started my career as a trainee at Manipal Hospital,Bangalore.
Here's a brief intro:

Ms.Swarupa Kakani

Ms.Swarupa Kakani is the Chief Nutritionist at Sagar Hospitals ,Bangalore.She has done her MSc in Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati and Diploma in Dietetics from Christian Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Vellore. She is presently persuing Ph.D in the field of Children with Diabetes.
She has in the past, worked at the CMC Hospital Vellore,Wockhardt Heart Institute, Bangalore and also Manipal Hospital, Bangalore.She has over 15 years of experience in the field of Clinical Nutrition and is also the President of the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA),Bangalore Chapter.

Excerpts from the Interview with Ms. Kakani:

Q.What are the basic qualifications required to become a Nutritionist or a Dietitian?
Ans: a) B.Sc Home Science / Clinical Nutrition / Nutrition & Dietetics with 6 months internship or 1 year diploma in Nutrition & Dietetics.
b) M.Sc Foods, Nutrition & Diet Therapy / Dietetics and Food Service
Management.

Q.Are these courses available in all colleges?
Ans: Not in all colleges.

Q.Which are some of the well known colleges in India which offer these courses?
Ans:There are so many colleges that it is not possible to give all the names.Here are some of the colleges categorised state wise-
Karnataka:
• Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
• VHD Central Institute Of Home Science, Bangalore
• University Of Agricultural Sciences(UAS), Bangalore
• Manasagangothri University, Mysore
• Mangalore University, Mangalore
Tamil Nadu:
• Queen Mary’s College, Chennai
• MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai
• Women’s Christian College, Chennai
• Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science, Coimbatore
• RVS College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore
Kerala:
• BCM College for Women, Kottayam
• College of Agriculture, Thiruvananthapuram
• College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara
• Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur
Andhra Pradesh:
• The National Institute for Nutrition, Hyderabad
• University College for Women, Hyderabad
• Home Science College, Saifabad
• D.K Govt College for Women, Nellore
• Sri Satya Sai Institute for Higher Learning for Women, Anantpur
• Govt College For Women, Nagarjuna University, Guntur
• Joseph's College For Women, Andhra University, Waltair
Gujarat:
• Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar
• Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara
• Matushri Virbaima Mahila College, Saurashtra University, Rajkot
• Seth P.T. Mahila College of Arts and Home Science (SNDT University), Surat
Delhi:
• Lady Irwin College, Delhi
• Institute of Home Science, Delhi
Maharashtra:
• Sophia College, Mumbai
• Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
• SNDT ,Mumbai
• Lady Amritabai College for Women, Nagpur University, Nagpur
Rajasthan:
• Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur
• Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali
• College of Home science, Bikaner
• Smt. Indira Mani Mandatia Griha Vigyan Shiksha Niketan, Rajasthan University, Pilani
Assam:
• Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat
Uttar Pradesh:
• Ginni Devi Modi Girls (P.G) College, Ghaziabad
Punjab:
• Govt. College of Home Science (Punjab University), Chandigarh
• College of Home Science (Punjab Agricultural University) Kaoni, Faridkot
• S.D. College (Kurukshetra University), Ambala Cantt
West Bengal:
• Jwari Devi Birla Institute Of Home Science, Jadavpur University, Calcutta
• Viharilal College Of Home Science, Calcutta University Calcutta
Please note that this is a list of some of the colleges,there are many more colleges that offer the same courses.

Q.Is a post-graduation mandatory to get a job?
Ans: No it is not mandatory.

Q.What kind of jobs can a person qualified in nutrition get?
Ans: There are ample opportunities for nutritionists and dietitians in different industry, hospitals, schools, colleges, government agencies, and clinics etc. Students can also make career in research field especially in the biomedical and nutritional biochemistry fields. One can also find business-related opportunities in sales, marketing, customer service, employee wellness, human resources and general management. Apart from these, there are ample scopes for self-employment. You could open a consultancy clinic in some residential area, where you could interact with mothers, housewives, homemakers, adolescents and so forth.

Q.How many years of hospital training would you advise a fresher, to get a good grasp on the subject?
Ans: Minimum of six months.

Q.How would you say the job market is different from the time when you started your career and now?
Ans: Yes, there is a lot of difference from 1985 and now. Job opportunities are more and remuneration is much better.

Q.Does the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) have a website?
Ans:The IDA has a website:www.idaindia.com

and lastly,
Q.What is your advice for people who want to take up nutrition as a career?
Ans:Nutrition and Dietetics is an emerging field which is expected to provide enormous opportunities in professional career. It would be a good idea to take up the Nutrition course since, an individual aspiring for a career in Nutrition and Dietetics should have a preliminary knowledge in biology, biochemistry, and physiology as well as the sociological and psychological dimensions of human nutrition. Such Knowledge is very important to day to day healthy living even if one is not working.