Dr. B.Lal Institute of Biotechnology

Dr.Sonika Saxena is the Vice Principal and also an Associate Professor at Dr.B.Lal Institute of Technology. She has been a research guide for a total of 51 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr. Sonika Saxena was recently honored with the Eminent Scientist of the Year Award by the National Environment Science Academy and the University of Delhi in 2018.

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

“Believing in the members and being a facilitator”

“The strength of a team is each member, the strength of each member is the Team” this quote of Phil Jackson motivates me to understand my team members. Being a part of an academic institution student’s health, safety and academic growth is our fundamental duty. My practice is to read people well, comprehend their source of motivation, and then strategically plant seeds that may eventually blossom into success. While working in a team, we aim to focus on every aspect like nurturing, counseling, educating, and disciplining every student. A good administrator must be dedicated to the organization. In my role as the Vice Principal of the Institute, I’m responsible for the execution of the groundwork of management. This type of dedication pays enormous yield to the staff, students, and society at large. 

In your experience, what can an inbound student gain from studying here in your college?

“Understanding the expectations of the students and fulfillment of the same”

Science is a subject with no language barriers. Considering the current situation or pre-COVID-19 situation, biotechnology education and practical knowledge of the subject is the need of the hour in every sector throughout the world. Starting from crop improvement to pharmaceuticals, from clinical research to forensic science, from food, dairy, and textile industries to entrepreneurship biotechnology has always supported and structured the careers of many scholars. Being the exclusive biotechnology institute, we provide practical hands-on training to the students and also offer skill development programs to the outsiders, to cater to the industrial needs and benefit the society at large.

What are some plans that you’re currently (or will be) designing for the institute?

“Focusing on soft skills, behavioral aspects along with knowledge acquisition”

“We want that education by which character is formed, the strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet.” Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda is the motto of our organization. We are committed to making the institute a center of excellence for learning in Biotechnology and carrying out research and training to fulfill the needs and expectations of students, parents, and society at large. We would do this with a high degree of social sensitivity, through innovation. We focus on 360⁰ development of a student by empowering them with quality education with hands-on practical experience. We also prepare the students for:

  • Skill Development
  • Research, Innovation, and Development
  • Bio-entrepreneurship
  • Higher education and placement

Check Dr. B.Lal Institute of Biotechnology Courses & Fees

What are some valuable insights into the programs that you are offering at your institute?

“Viewing the curriculum with a holistic approach”

Our institute is an exclusive biotechnology institute offering different technical courses in Biotechnology and Microbiology. The courses have a direct link with the industries like pharmaceuticals, clinical research organizations, food and dairy industries, textile and handmade paper industries, forensics, research, and development to name a few. These courses are highly job, research, and start-up oriented where the candidate can aim for a variety of positions in government as well as the private sector. The training and research projects carried out during the tenure of 3 years in a B.Sc. Biotechnology and 2 years in M.Sc. Biotechnology and Microbiology will equip the candidate with industrial knowledge. Along with that, they learn the importance of interpersonal skills or soft skills, which are equally important to succeed in a corporate or research community.

What do you see as your college’s greatest strength?

“Working to produce self-reliant individuals”

We are an exclusive biotechnology institute catering to the needs of the industries since 2008. Being an exclusive biotechnology institute we offer quality education with access to state of the art laboratories. We also offer skill development courses to the scholars to train them as per the industrial requirements. We also have an Incubation Centre- Centre for Innovation, Research, and Development where the research ideas of the students are guided and funded for a preliminary study. Bioentrepreneurship or sustainopreneurship or entrepreneurship is equally important to support the self-reliance mission of India, for which we have Utkarsh- Entrepreneurship Cell. Utkarsh guides the students on how to establish an idea into a successful enterprise by organizing a series of interactions with the successful alumni preneurs, entrepreneurs, and start-up incubators.

What are the biggest challenges you see, both for higher education in general and for your institute specifically?

“Raising awareness beyond the mainstream fields”

India is the 3rd largest biotech destination in the Asia Pacific has vast potential for the growth of this sector. From ancient times, Indians have been using biotechnological products in daily life ranging from yogurt, bread, cheese, etc. In medical science, biotechnology has made a significant contribution by enhancing the quality of drugs and synthetic manufacturing of drugs like insulin, penicillin, and many lifesaving drugs with the least side effects. Other than the medicinal contribution, biotechnology has also provided testing kits equally contributing to the diagnosis of a disease. Being a support system to the field of medicine, and receiving support from the government for the self-reliance mission, biotechnology is still unknown to many. Thus it is important to create a need to spread awareness and connect people to this advancing biotechnology sector for the successful mass movement of “Innovate India”.

How does the curriculum of your institute ensure the best practice of the industry?

“Training the technocrats to excel in the concerned sectors with the necessary skills”

Since, B.Sc. biotechnology, M.Sc. biotechnology, and microbiology are technical, job, and research-oriented programs, they are directly linked with three basic human necessities namely health, agriculture, and environment. Our curriculum is designed in such a way that it covers all three aspects with state of the art laboratories offering practical hands-on experience. Industries associated with these aspects like pharmaceuticals, medical, diagnostic centers, research centers, food and dairy, agriculture, environment, forensic are directly approachable to the bio technocrats. We also provide special training programs and counseling sessions to the students.

Click here Dr. B.Lal Institute of Biotechnology Placement

What would you like people to know about your college they may not know?

“Prime focus on the nurturing of the students and teacher’s relationship”

Apart from quality education, values play an important role in the development of a student. Being a scientific-educational institute, we also believe that moral values and ethics play a vital role in the overall success of a student. We are committed to giving quality education while inculcating moral values through Guru Shishya Parampara (GSP). Through the GSP system, we establish a good relationship between a teacher and students to guide them for a better future according to their interests. We indulge our proliferating young scholar minds into research for the betterment of society and most importantly become a better human by inculcating the habit of being grateful.

How do you tend to establish a healthy relationship and environment in your college?

“Encouraging the students to make use of their talent and creativity beyond the classroom”

Being a single department institute, we are completely dedicated to imparting futuristic biotechnology education to the young bio technocrats through quality education. We encourage one to one counseling through the GSP system, interaction with successful Alumni of the institute. A 360⁰ approach to development through participation in inter and intra collegiate sports, cultural and social events makes the students realize their social responsibilities.

Any suggestion you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

“Realise your strength and work for constant upscaling”

The youth of any nation is the strength and driving force of that nation. I’m proud to be a citizen of India which has the maximum population of youth in the world. I would just like to say that our young biology students have many opportunities waiting at their doorsteps in the field of biology. When biology or life science combines with technology, it has always created miraculous history. Young minds need to think about how their work, research, and innovation can contribute to the betterment of humankind. I wish all the students their bright future.