``The numbers haven't declined, but the quality definitely has'', say professors of the faculty. ``Students know there are few options for the mediocre'', points out a senior professor of the faculty. ``The top few can aspire to go to institutes like ISRO and BARC, but not all can make it to the top.''

On the other hand, engineering students, on graduation, either walk into a plum job, or look to bettering their choices in a few years, he says. ``A science student, even one with a Master's degree, is not generally the first choice of employers.''

The fact that none of the Science faculty were job-oriented could be a reason, the professor admits. Agrees another head of a Science faculty department, ``Unlike engineering or management students, they know there's nothing like campus interviews or job offers waiting for them.''

``We usually get two kinds of students here: one which comes to study, is interested in research and will probably stay in academics and publish papers in journals; and the other, comprising students who want a graduation degree `better' than an Arts or Commerce degree'', says the professor candidly.

The head of the department believes at least some of the blame lies with the students. ``A Commerce student has a good idea of what he's going to do after his graduation, whether it was chartered accountancy or company secretaryship. But ask a Science student, and he won't have an immediate answer'', he says, highlighting their lack of motivation.

According to faculty vice-dean S R Pandya, not many students were aware of the options they had after graduation or Master's programmes. ``That's why the faculty has brought out a prospectus that will tell them the choices they have after a particular branch of study.''

The students Express Newsline talked to, however, seemed too hung up on engineering to exploit the avenues their course of study had to offer. Says Kaushal Patel, ``I was interested in engineering, but since I didn't secure admission there, I opted for Science. But I'll try for engineering again next year.''

Amit Shah, who secured a first class in his HSC, too, says science was only an alternative to engineering for him. ``If I'd taken up Commerce or Arts, I'd never have been able to explain the decision to others'', he says.

(The number of students who appeared for the FYBSc exam was 1,400 and not as mentioned in Wednesday's report).