The Home Science Association of India wants graduate and postgraduate courses on home science to be renamed family and community science. The association has placed the demand before various universities and will soon approach Calcutta and Jadavpur universities, said Vijayalaksmi Purishotaman, the association president, on Friday.

Purishotaman, who was in town to attend the 28th biennial conference of the association, said: “There is a misconception that home science caters only to cooking, stitching and home-making.”

“Home science students can also opt for a career in food and nutrition, human development or family studies. They can become dieticians or diet consultants or pursue a career in the textile-apparel industry. They can also become teachers at universities, counsellors in lifestyle clinics or scientists,” she said.

Purishotaman said the nomenclature of the course should change as home science graduates were barred from appearing in competitive exams like those conducted by the UPSC.