Today there are more than 2,300 Engineering Institutions in the country turning out more than 6, 00,000 engineers every year. Indian Engineering Education represents one of the largest educational systems in the world. Global survey indicates that India is ahead of all the Asian and even European countries in terms of producing Engineering graduates in a year. The challenges posed by this rapidly growing system in our country are complex. While addressing the strategy of nurturing a large number of highly intelligent post- secondary students in a proper manner, quality of Engineering Education emerges as the issue of paramount importance.

An engineering education is relevant for the graduate if it meets the needs of the industry. A core set of such needs must be identified. It should include skills related to manufacturing, computer technology, inter-personal relations, analytical and experimental techniques. Academic programmes have to be evaluated and revised periodically so they endow graduates with skills pertaining to the above- mentioned set.

Having mentioned this, the focus should be drawn on training the mind and developing the power of analysis. This can be accomplished through a proper and well balanced curriculum and appropriate grading system. It should be remembered that the primary philosophy of teaching should be to collect, collate and feed the information to the students in a digestible form.

The engineering graduates of the advanced countries possess a high level of confidence in handling unknown problems. Are our students equipped to ‘tread upon unknown terrains’? Many of our graduates are deficient in handling unknown problems. The gap has to be bridged through setting up appropriate educational system. Experts say The IIT model has been successful. This model should be adopted by a large number of Institutes for academics and governance.

Is there an excellent educational system which will eventually terminate the current crisis? Where are we in terms of core competency? Can we create engineers who actually apply their skill sets? Where are the trainers/facilitators to enable this? Career Guide meets up with APSCHE Chairman Professor P Jayaprakash Rao to discuss, debate and suggest few innovations that could lead our engineers to expand engineering frontiers.

Why is engineering education losing its charm?

As we all know, multi-fold increase in the number of engineering institutes in the country is one of the basic reasons for this dreary image today. It doesn’t require great intelligence to tell that supply is many times greater than the demand. Hence the value for the subject and the engineers seems to be receding. Not that we do not have the need for expertise, but how can we look for quality in this huge quantity? We all know that out of vast engineers graduating from these institutes only 25% of them are employable, or competent enough to deliver the goods. This again needs to be traced to the quality of education they received at their institutes, which reflects, automatically on the faculty. So, we now know, however bright the student may be it is the teacher who imparts the knowledge and hones the skills. Then, the question would be, how to train these trainers?

What needs to be done to bring back that?

Well, Central Government is taking steps to strengthen the roots now. Engineering graduates are provided with incentives like scholarships for taking up research/MTech and PhD. Also thanks to the recession at the right time, more and more graduates are turning to teaching. But another hitch here is that there is a scope of those unenthusiastic candidates who come into this profession more out of compulsion than choice, thus resulting in poor-quality teaching. To tackle this, government has imposed mandates like simple assessments that show the mind set and skill sets of the students. If we are successful in drawing students into higher studies, half the job is done. Once they are into this they will gauge the situation themselves and give themselves to the cause.

Is this working? Is this moving as per the expectations?

Well, like Rome was not built in a day, this takes time and the results are not very tangible as of now.  It’s a slow process that needs dedication, periodic quality check and regular ongoing assessments to ensure a long-term success. But this has been the challenge when anything revolutionising had to happen, be it the field of education or any other area. Frankly, it isn’t happening at the desired level. Economic needs cannot be ignored. Once equipped with the degree, a student’s first choice if to work, rather than Higher Education, this is where apex body like APSCHE needs to intervene and motivate them to pursue higher studies. This will be possible if the economic/day-to-day needs are taken care. Hence government is also looking at incentives like increased pay and better facilities, in terms of infrastructure and aides for the teaching staff/ professors. I am sure we will be able to do it soon.

In terms of revising the curriculum, where do you think the focus needs to be?

Science is a unit, though we try to break it down to sub units like physical science and life sciences, end of the day it is ‘Science’ as one. I think it is mandatory for all of us to see this ‘oneness’, which will help us steer ourselves towards a holistic learning. Today if everybody wants to take up engineering what about Bachelor of Sciences? There wouldn’t be any takers for this. As it is there is a severe shortfall in this area. Looking at this, Academy of Sciences came up with a suggestion that science graduates should be allowed to take up engineering in the second year (B Tech) which will reorient their thinking skills and give them a direction as to where they want to head, academically.

Does APSCHE play any role here?

Of Course, APSCHE supervises the technical and non-technical teaching content and the deliverables.

Would you please highlight APSCHE’s achievements?

As everybody knows the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education came into existence on May 20, 1988 through an Act (No. 16 of 1988) of the State Legislature to advise the Government in matters relating to Higher Education in the State and to oversee its development with perspective planning and for matters connected therewith. 

It is the first of its kind in the country, set up as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy 1986, is primarily a coordinating and liaison body between the University Grants Commission, the State Government and the Universities. Besides that we are into preparing consolidated programmes in the sphere of Higher Education in the State in accordance with the guidelines that may be issued by the University Grants Commission from time to time, and to assist in their implementation, keeping in view the overall priorities and perspectives of Higher Education in the State. We assist the University Grants Commission in maintenance of standards and suggest remedial action where ever necessary.

APSCHE also evolves perspective plans for development of Higher Education in the State and monitors the progress of implementation of such developmental programmes.

As one of the main academic functions of APSCHE is to encourage and promote innovations in curricular development, restructuring of courses and updating of syllabi in the University and the Colleges, in this perspective we started Language labs in many colleges throughout the State. Being mandatory to have these labs has turned out to be very advantageous to the students who have shown marked improvement in their communication skills.

We would be establishing new universities in districts like Karimnagar, this is of course National Knowledge Commission’s recommendation.

What are services to be expanded under Higher Education?

As we had discussed extensively on strengthening the roots, our focus would invariably lie on preparing/training competent teachers, who not only teach but motivate students to set higher goals. Information Technology would no longer be possession of the urban only; it would reach the rural teachers and empower them with teaching methodologies, confidence and knowing.

Regular training programmes/ workshops for teachers to keep them updated about teaching methodologies and developments in their subject basically expand their domain knowledge.

‘Communication skills’ is the buzz word today. What is APSCHE’s role here?

Better English leads to better jobs. There’s no argument about that. Take a walk down any street in most of the cities and towns of India, and many villages too, and you will see advertising signs of Spoken English classes. It is probably one of India’s fastest growing businesses – both as a cottage industry and in the organised sector. And yet, talk to employers and they will tell you of the number of good candidates they have had to turn down, just because they couldn’t speak even passable English.

The need to revolutionise Spoken English in India derives from an economic imperative. To train our youth to speak ‘passable’ English is one of our main objectives.

As I had mentioned language labs coming our jurisdiction are fully equipped with LCD projector and client machines with multi-media facility. The students can have good practice in speaking and listening and can also record the same. Students will have a better opportunity in the job market as they can articulate better with this kind of training.

Winding up with a note on EAMCET, what would you like to say about that?

First Phase of counselling has shown 1.48 lakh admissions of the 1.8 lakh seats available, which mean 32,000 seats, are still vacant in the Engineering branch. The second phase of counselling which runs from October 5-9 will be able to give us a complete picture as to where engineering education is heading, what are the subject preferences today etc.,

What would be your vision for APSCHE?

As members of APSCHE and as people who have been in this field for quite sometime we would vow to work in tandem, share resources and manpower to enrich Higher Education in the State. It pains me to see the brain power go waste in want of resources and proper direction. If dealt with in the right way, it will surely improve the economic condition of our country in a huge way.

We wish to bring about considerable improvement in the higher education scenario of the State in both quantitative and qualitative terms. The very fact that more and more students are navigating new shores in education apart from Engineering shows that their preferences and aptitude have changed. We all understand education must open up new avenues and guide the students into a career that is based on their own skills rather than their parents’ or peer. Our support is always available for these enterprising ones.