The situation has brought many issues into limelight as far as engineering education in India is concerned.

The news that has come recently with regards to engineering education in India may be a good deal of surprise for them.

There has been a considerable drop in the number of seats in engineering education of this country.

Sources tracking the engineering education in India point towards the data of AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education).

The engineering seats in the country is said to have gone down by 1.4 lakh this year.

Those who regularly have their eyes on engineering education in India, feel the issues do not end there.

There is much more on the larger level. The engineering seats in this nation have come down to 23 lakhs.

This drop is worth noting as far as engineering education in India is concerned. The reduction is said to be the lowest in the recent years.

However, before the present dull-times dawned on the engineering education in India, things were bright with it.

When the times were really good, the number of seats were 30 lakhs as far as engineering education in India is concerned.

But as time move ahead, dark times began dawning on engineering education in India, the number of seats went down wards.

The question is why the reduction in the number of seats. The number of engineering colleges went for a closure owing to lack of demand.

Studying the course was a sure way of getting well paid jobs in the government and private sectors.

However, as times moved ahead, uncertainty began ruling the roost in the private sector in particular, says the retired teacher.

The private sector began witnessing a reduction in manpower recruitment as business prospects turned dull.

This resulted in a lack of interest in engineering courses, says G. Gopinath, a retired civil engineer.

As the lack of job prospects in the engineering sector in particular became visible, not many students perhaps came forward to study engineering courses.

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As the number of students coming forward to study engineering has stopped, engineering colleges had to be closed, says Gopinath.

Sources having an eye on the engineering education in India says over 400 engineering colleges have been closed in the past seven years.

The peak for engineering admission was seen in 2014-15. However, as the glow reduced, the colleges also began closing down.

Added to this, the new engineering colleges approved by AICTE too have been witnessing a reduction.

About 314 new engineering colleges got approval from AICTE. As the time moved ahead, this number began witnessing a reduction.

In 2021-22, only about 54 new colleges have got approval from AICTE.

On the other hand, the number of AICTE approved institutions that went for closure witnessed an increase.

The number of institutions that closed was 9 in 2012-13, the same was 20 in 2013-14. And, in 2021-2022 the number of institutions that got closed stood at 63.

This probably has a lot to say, when it comes to engineering education in India.

All these point towards another important element in the engineering education in India. The days when the students used to study engineering and go out in the open market and hunt for jobs are long over.

Now these are the days for campus placement. ‘Study engineering and appear for an interview in their college campus even before one finishes his or her degree.’

It is almost a requirement for colleges to offer bright placement.

There is another issue also to this, reminds Narayanamurthy. He sees a connectivity between economy and engineering education in India.

The strong economy has managed to generate enough jobs for engineering graduates from various streams till recently.

However, for the last few years, certain sectors have been witnessed no performance due to various reasons only to generate no or minimal employment.

Lack of employment opportunities has also in a way prevented many from taking to engineering education in India.

He hurries to point towards low demand for courses like Civil and Mechanical Engineering.
These sectors have been seeing low performance owing to which there has been no much employment generation.

So not many students are turning forward to study subjects like civil and mechanical engineering.

After all these issues have been analyzed, one big doubt that would flash in one’s mind is ‘Have dark times dawned on engineering education in India?’

‘If economy turns bright with various sectors witnessing a rise in performance, jobs would be generated and demand for engineering courses will once again go up.’

Experts also point towards various emerging sciences like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Mechatronics.

These courses have the potential to generate lot of jobs in future, so they may rise the demand for engineering subjects related to these disciplines, say experts.

This collaboration agreement seeks to capitalize on the strengths of both institutions, broadening the learning experience for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) programs at IIT Madras and undergraduate programs at IIT Palakkad.

To date, over 30,000 students are actively participating in this program, fostering a vibrant and interactive learning community, say sources from IIT Palakkad.

Director of IIT Madras

Welcoming this collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said IIT Madras is committed to reach quality education to every deserving student in our country. This initiative with IIT Palakkad is a very significant step towards reaching the goals.

We are enthusiastic about mentoring these bright minds. Our courses and internships have a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and innovation, said director of IIT Palakkad.

This collaboration with IIT Madras will build a robust foundation that equips students with the skills, insights, and networks they need to excel, he said.

Key features

The key features of this collaboration include:

Ø Credit Transfer from IITPkd Courses: IIT Madras BS (Data Science and Applications) students who meet the eligibility criteria can fulfil their credit requirements by taking courses at IIT Palakkad, promoting an exchange of academic resources and expertise.

Ø Access to IIT Madras Courses for IIT Palakkad Students: The MoU allows undergraduate students at IIT Palakkad to enrol in courses on Data Science and Programming from the IIT Madras BS program, ensuring equitable access to these cutting-edge skills.

Ø Support for Additional Initiatives: The collaboration will also facilitate student exchange programs, internship opportunities, and other joint initiatives.

Commitment

This collaboration between IIT Madras and IITPkd highlights the commitment of both institutions to enrich student experiences through cross-disciplinary exposure, practical learning, and research opportunities.

It aims to create a robust academic ecosystem that utilizes the expertise and infrastructure of both IITs.

Collaboration

IIT Madras has been collaborating with other leading institutions in the country to provide in-person learning opportunities for final-year students in the BS program.

IIT Gandhinagar, IIIT Hyderabad, and Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) have already made their campus courses available to eligible students from the IIT Madras BS (Data Science) degree program.

About IIT Palakkad

Established in 2015, the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is dedicated to creating an environment that enables students and faculty to engage in the pursuit of knowledge, to dream, think, and innovate thereby becoming change agents for a better world.

Having begun with just 120 students in July 2015, IIT Palakkad has since grown into an establishment that is about a thousand students strong and with the best manpower in key positions.

IITPkd aims to become a multi-disciplinary institution with 5000 students by its 10th year. The Institute recognizes collective growth, in collaboration with industry and other academic institutions, as the need of the time and emphasizes blue-sky research and directed research as two essential pillars of technology development.

The Institute embraces a vision to be a leader in cross-disciplinary inquiries, and to contribute to the potential that India’s demographic dividend represents for the country and the world, which is embodied in the motto of the institute “Nurturing minds for a better world”.

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