Knowledge of Chemistry helps us understand the world around and within us. It plays a key role in everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, and transport. It has important applications such as designing life-saving medicines and vaccines, sustainable alternatives, and a lot more.
However, for several years, there has been a decline worldwide including in India in students taking up subjects in pure science and Mathematics at the undergraduate level. Among these, the decline in chemistry is particularly concerning. The fall in student numbers in Chemistry has led to Chemistry departments proposing closures.
In higher education disciplines, Chemistry lays the foundation for studying other related subjects such as Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, Earth Science, etc. However, students prefer courses with better job opportunities. “The job market has changed, with more students leaning toward tech-driven fields like AI, Data Science, and Healthcare Technology, which seem to offer better pay and job security,” explains Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre, Principal Technical Officer, Education, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune.
Other reasons for the decline in student enrollment include challenges in conceptual understanding and dwindling interest in Chemistry. The perception of Chemistry matters when students choose a discipline for higher education. “Chemistry relies heavily on lab work, and the pandemic made hands-on learning really difficult. All these factors together have made Chemistry a less attractive choice for students looking for fast-growing, flexible career options”, adds Dr. Dashaputre.
Students perceive Chemistry as a subject that requires long hours in the laboratory. But that is also true for Biology. “Students seem to be detesting the long time that needs to be spent in the laboratory, which is a part and parcel of Chemistry”, says Dr. Sujatha Varadarajan, Center Head at Multidisciplinary Curriculum and Pedagogy, Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy (MSFDA), Pune. She adds that given a choice, subjects that provide better career prospects seem to be students’ preference.
Dr. Ankush Gupta, Associate Professor, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai, mentions that students also choose subjects that appear to be ‘easily understandable’, highly scoring, or, at times, challenging, but one with better career options.
While the introduction of elective courses under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives students the freedom to pursue subjects of their choice, it may impact their possibility of choosing a pure Chemistry course. “They may opt for interdisciplinary or more career-oriented subjects instead of traditional, pure Chemistry courses”, says Dr. Dashaputre.
Job opportunities
However, scientists assert that Chemistry also offers enough job opportunities although students may be unaware of those. “Next to Biology, this (Chemistry) is the science that most students would like to enroll in. We have an industrial side as well as an academic side. When we have enough job opportunities, the students may not get the exact job they want, but they will be able to secure a job for sure”, says Prof. J. Sankar, scientist and teacher at IISER Bhopal. He adds that students enrolled in Chemistry courses are more inclined towards topics closely related to Biology, as Biology seemingly offers better employment opportunities.
Prof. Sankar says undergraduate students also find Physics or Mathematics more interesting. “They think that these are the two subjects that are intellectually stimulating”, he adds. He feels this could be because physics is connected to space and cosmology or the perception that Mathematicians are exceptionally intelligent. Therefore, they treat Biology and Chemistry as secondary subjects.
Consequences
This decline in students taking up Chemistry paints a gloomy picture. Essential sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, environmental science, automobile, and more require professionals trained in Chemistry. “Whether it is in the production of new chemicals or healthcare or, analytical testing, quality control, you need people who have the knowledge of chemistry. And if you have a decline in that population, then it becomes a concern for future, right?” exclaims Dr. Gupta.
Understanding Chemistry is not limited to students; it affects an entire society. In the light of global problems such as climate change, food security, health and infectious diseases, there will be a dearth of knowledge to address these challenges. “If fewer people study Chemistry, there’s a risk that we, as a society, might be less aware of how our actions impact the environment— which could have serious consequences in the long run, with global challenges like climate change, global warming, etc.”, warns Dr. Dashaputre.
Possible solutions
Thanks to the efforts of teachers, educators, and scientists, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Teacher educators are developing strategies to help teachers present lessons in familiar contexts, including pressing issues. For instance, environmental pollution is based on concepts of analysing water, soil, or air quality. The concepts can also be related to other disciplines to better connect them with real-life scenarios. Dr. Sujatha Varadarajan explains such topics have “economic, social, and psychological aspects. When we connect them, the subject has a better relation to their daily life.”
She further mentions that teachers usually teach Chemistry starting with how to prepare a certain compound, followed by its properties and then uses. Instead, going in the reverse order would make the topic more engaging. She explains how they used denim as an example to teach about the Indigo dye, since indigo imparts the blue colour to the denim. “The denim which they wear in their daily life was the theme. We started talking about what Indigo dye is, where it is used, and what is the history associated with it. You talk about why Indigo is blue, and how the British had the monopoly of producing it from the Indigo plant.”
Dr. Varadarajan adds that teachers could also convert the topic into ‘problem-based learning’ by encouraging them to think about treating indigo wastewater. Thus, bringing the historical, social, and environmental contexts in teaching chemistry right at the beginning hooks the learners and sparks their curiosity.
Many chemical and pharmaceutical industries are supporting Chemistry programs in India. “Cipla has been supporting many of the Chemistry education programs. They have also invested in analytical programs or lab facilities”, says Dr. Gupta. He believes that such initiatives by industries and pharmaceutical companies not only motivate students to take up Chemistry but also provide exposure to career opportunities in Chemistry.
Several countries, including India, are also redesigning Chemistry curricula to make them more relevant to real-life applications. Hands-on activities, virtual laboratories, and simulations provide rich learning experiences. “There are cool initiatives like the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) and Chemistry Olympiads that showcase how Chemistry helps solve global problems. To keep up with modern trends, universities are blending chemistry with AI, data science, and materials science, making it more appealing”, adds Dr. Dashaputre.
Drs. Gupta and Dashaputre describe ‘Systems thinking’ as a novel approach to connect Chemistry with other disciplines. Systems thinking focuses on the interaction of different parts of a topic and explores emergent behaviour to understand Chemistry in the real-world context. It fosters a holistic understanding while learning chemistry. Dr. Dashaputre gives examples of initiatives like Sustainability and Systems Thinking In Chemistry Education developed by leading educators to make chemistry more relevant and engaging globally.
Published – March 03, 2025 05:00 pm IST