<u>Making a basic mathematics course compulsory for everyone studying science at pre-college and college level</u>

From a study based on personal teaching experiences and one-to-one and in-group interaction with a large number of students (9^th to 12^th Grade and UG levels) and teachers across India, we found that science students not having mathematics in their subject combination, suffer from physics-phobia.
In pre-college programs (at 11^th and 12^th grades) when students are first exposed to “real” science curriculum (with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Computer Science), many students in India do not take up mathematics, having the option to rule out mathematics as they aspire to be medical doctors or biologists. Students are moulded into the mindset that to study biology or medical science in future, mathematics is useless. These students take admission into 11^th grade with a pre-installed idea that mathematics would be an extra burden on their pathways to become biologists or doctors.
As a consequence these non-maths students severely suffer in physics classes and start viewing physics as a dry, calculation-based abstract subject, missing out the true beauty and essence of physics.
We suggest a compulsory basic mathematics course for everyone studying science at the 11^th-12^th grade as well in UG level in India to build better citizens of science.