Objective of the 6th National Convention was to consider in-depth various aspects
of the reform of engineering education and try to get a consensus on the contours
of change.
India produces a large number of engineering graduates every
year, but multinationals find that just 25 per cent of them are employable, according
to a study conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute on the emerging global labour
market.
"Our engineering education, therefore, seems is not relevant to the present needs
of the Indian industry. We need industry-specific / or sector-specific engineering
education for making engineers employable," said the Engineering Council of India
(ECI).
The ECI organized its 6th national convention on the theme "Industry - Specific
Engineering Education for Better Employability of Engineers-Contours of Reform"
in Kolkata on Monday (19th Sept).
Higher technical education, particularly engineering education has always occupied
a place of prominence in India's economic development.
According to the XIth Plan Working Group of the Planning Commission on Technical
Education, the key challenging issues include inter alia: assuring quality of technical
education, ensuring its relevance to global, local market and industry needs, and
improving employability.
Objective of the 6th National Convention was to consider in-depth various aspects
of the reform of engineering education and try to get a consensus on the contours
of change.
It also considered aspects such as, the multidisciplinary engineering curricula
and its new possible branches that will meet the needs of the industry.
The convention looked at duration of the course, industry training, after the course
mandatory internship with the industry, treatment to the diploma stream in the reform
process, and modalities of bringing in the engineer technicians in the process of
formal engineering education.
The ECI said: "Concerns about the present engineering education system that we have
today were widely shared by the delegates from both the industry and academia at
these conventions.
"An almost unanimous view emerged from these in-depth deliberations that the engineering
education needs a systematic overhaul, so that India can produce world-class engineers
having multi-skills, apart from sound knowledge of engineering sciences."
"We need industry/sector-specific engineering education. Besides, the country is
able to educate much larger numbers without diluting academic standards. Indeed,
this is essential because the transformation of our economy and society in the 21st
century would depend, in significant part, inter alia, on the spread and the quality
of technical education, particularly engineering education among our people."
The ECI said it is generally felt that the present regulatory system of higher technical
education including engineering education is flawed in some important respects.
"The barriers to entry are too high. The system of authorizing entry is cumbersome.
The system, as a whole, is over-regulated but under-governed. The system of affiliated
colleges for undergraduate education, which may have been appropriate 50 years ago,
is no longer adequate or appropriate; it needs restructuring, and reformed. India
is not an attractive destination of higher technical education, particularly engineering
education for international students."
"It is time for us to make a conscious attempt to create appropriate policy framework
for attracting foreign students to India for higher technical education, particularly
the engineering education. This would enrich our academic milieu and enhance quality.
It would also be a significant source of finance," said the ECI.
The supply constraint of quality engineering education is an impediment today, said
the Council.
"It must ease for the better. When students have relatively few choices, institutions
have greater power over them. An expansion of the quality engineering education
system that provides students with choices and creates competition between institutions
is going to be vital in enhancing inter alia accountability.
"Such competition between institutions within India is, of course, essential. However,
the significance of competition from outside India must not be underestimated.
"For this purpose, we need appropriate policy for the entry of foreign institutions
into India and the promotion of Indian institutions abroad. This policy must ensure
that there is an incentive for good institutions and a disincentive for sub-standard
institutions to come to India," said the ECI.
Prof. Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta was the Chief Guest
and Prof. P. K. Mahapatra, Pro-Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Technology
was the guest of honour.
Keynote addresses were delivered by the distinguished persons both from the academia
and the industry.
There were be a panel session at which distinguished panelists both from the industry
and academia will give their presentations. Around 180 delegates attended the convention
including a few student engineers.
Courtesy: Yahoo Campus
