We are currently in a golden era for technical education in India: AICTE Chairman

AICTE Chairman Emphasizes the Importance of Embedding Skilling into Curriculum, Highlights Progress in Research, and Addresses Placement Challenges

Prof. T G Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in a comprehensive interview with Shiksha.com, Prof. Sitharam delved into critical issues impacting technical education in India. He discussed the factors contributing to the decline in placements in engineering colleges, including IITs, and the reasons behind the closure of certain engineering courses and colleges. Prof. Sitharam also highlighted the extensive internship and placement assistance initiatives provided by AICTE, aimed at enhancing employability for students.

Q: What are your expectations from Modi Govt 3.0?

AICTE Chairman: The Modi Government has ushered in many positive changes, and I am optimistic that this trend will continue in third term as well. We have witnessed remarkable policy continuity from the first term to the second, particularly in areas like entrepreneurship, innovation, and intellectual property protection. Over the past five years, numerous initiatives have been launched, laying a strong foundation for India to emerge as a global leader in innovation.

We are currently in a golden era for technical education in India. Today, we have approximately 3600 engineering colleges and 3500 diploma institutions, with annual admissions exceeding 3 million in engineering. Each year, we graduate close to 1.5 million engineers, a trend that has been consistent since around 2010. All 23 IITs combined contribute to about 1% of the total engineering graduates.

This extensive growth in technical education institutions and graduates’ positions India to rapidly advance in innovation and technological development. I am confident that with the continued support and forward-thinking policies of the Modi Government, India will achieve remarkable milestones in the field of technical education and innovation.

Q: A lot of engineering colleges and courses closed down in the past six-seven years. How do you look at this trend?

AICTE Chairman: I don’t feel that there is any such trend. The fact is with the rapidly evolving and emerging technologies, the new and more specialized streams of engineering are taking over the core engineering disciplines. Though, core streams are the roots of engineering.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is taking proactive measures for the holistic promotion of the core engineering courses among the youths. In line with the same, AICTE removed the moratorium on opening of new institutions in traditional areas of Engineering & Technology to create a balance between core areas of engineering and new emerging technologies. This will further reinforce India’s leadership in STEM. The other important initiatives taken by AICTE include mandatory internship for students, introduction of minor degree courses in emerging areas for the students of core engineering. Teachers Training in core engineering is one of the most influential initiatives of AICTE.

The overall initiatives are taken to enhance student’s interest in core engineering, thereby equipping them with the necessary programming and problem-solving skills required in various engineering domains.

I'll tell you, even today, we have 75,000 students in civil engineering, 95,000 in mechanical engineering, 1,35,000 in electronics and communication engineering, 65,000 students in electrical engineering, and 30,00,000 in computer science.

Though these numbers are satisfactory, but there is always a possibility of improvement. When analyzed, certain challenges were observed pertaining to low enrollment of students in core engineering. The sharp minded students are staying back from pursuing their career in core engineering, resulting in huge talent deficiency in the core industry sector. Moreover, the engineering institutions are substantially reducing student intake numbers for core engineering courses, directly affecting the career of faculties teaching core engineering courses. And most importantly, tech jobs in the IT industry are expected to be replaced by advanced tools like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain etc.

These challenges need to be addressed on priority by the stakeholders of the specific domain. Critical and applicable approach is the need of the hour to aware our young minds about the career opportunities in core engineering. There are immense job opportunities for core engineers in reputed government departments - Civil Services, Indian Railways, Indian Armed Forces, PWD, Municipal Corporations etc. 

AICTE is taking proactive steps to educate not only students but their parents as well about the importance and opportunities involved in the core engineering. They should be aware of the core engineering advantages at the school level through Social media campaigns, seminars and workshops highlighting the opportunities in core engineering. CBSE and State Boards should advocate to promote core engineering among students via different means like – industry visits of students in core engineering industry, interaction with role models from core discipline with whom students can relate, etc. 

Q: The Govt. of India is working on a lot of infrastructure projects like Smart City projects, etc. Should we see a change in trend for these courses also picking up?

AICTE Chairman: The core engineering holds the actual responsibility of the Indian growth landscape and can’t be taken for granted. We must support advancements in cutting-edge technologies but with the revival of core engineering sectors with initiatives like Make in India and Skill India. Core Engineers are the real builders of the country, its industries and economy.

Core engineering has to survive, and it will survive. Without core engineering, you cannot innovate. That is why AICTE has taken various steps; we are giving scholarships to attract talented people to come to core engineering. We have scholarships called SSV; 5000 scholarships we are giving across the country for private engineering colleges. The full fee will be paid. So 5000 scholarships are not an easy job. So the only thing is the perception has to be changed. Perception has to be changed among our students. So we are also working with CBSE to popularize that.

Q: You talked about perception and you also said that if the perception parameter is removed, IITs will be among the top in international rankings. Can you elaborate on that?

AICTE Chairman: The issue of perception in international rankings is complex, as these rankings are conducted by private companies with their own criteria. To address this, the Ministry of Education established the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The creation of NIRF reflects our commitment to providing a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of Indian institutions.

I believe that our institutions, particularly the IITs, possess exceptional quality and standards that may not always be fully captured by international rankings. The perception parameter can sometimes overshadow the actual strengths and achievements of our institutions. As a result, I, along with other directors, have chosen to prioritize NIRF over some international rankings.

NIRF focuses on parameters that are more relevant to the Indian context, ensuring a fair and transparent evaluation of our institutions. This initiative underscores our confidence in the potential of Indian institutions to be recognized globally for their excellence in education, research, and innovation. By continually enhancing our education system, we are poised to see our institutions rise in prominence on the global stage.

Q: The placement has been going down in engineering colleges including IITs. What do you think is the reason and how this can change?

AICTE Chairman: The key factor behind the decline in placements is the need for enhanced skilling. In today's job market, simply having a degree is not enough; students must possess specific skills and expertise in their chosen fields. Employers are increasingly focused on the unique skills that candidates bring to the table, rather than their academic background alone. If students are unable to demonstrate these skills, it becomes challenging for them to secure employment.

However, there are ample job opportunities available, and our focus should be on bridging the gap between students and these opportunities. To facilitate this, AICTE has implemented various initiatives, such as the AICTE career portal and placement portal, which are crucial in connecting students with potential employers. These tools play a vital role in enhancing the employability of our students, especially those from rural engineering colleges.

By emphasizing skill development and leveraging these resources, we can ensure that our students are well-prepared to meet the demands of the job market and achieve successful placements. Our efforts are aimed at empowering students with the skills they need to thrive in their careers and contribute meaningfully to the industry.

Q: AICTE started something for rural students' internship programs and placement.

AICTE Chairman: Yes, AICTE initiated this effort 2-3 years ago, and it has been a significant success. We have offered 50 lakh internships through our program. On our internship portal, we have two crore registered students and 75,000 companies participating. Our placement portal is even more extensive, providing ample opportunities for students. These initiatives signify a positive direction for enhancing employability, and we believe that by working together, we can continue to create more opportunities and support for our students, particularly those from rural areas.

Q: Your take on research in Indian institutions?

AICTE Chairman: The progress in research at Indian institutions over the past two decades has been remarkable. To put this into perspective, in 2003, the combined research output from all seven IITs was significantly smaller than that of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). However, by 2023, IIT Madras alone surpassed IISc in terms of research publications. This transformation reflects the incredible strides our IITs have made, evolving into multi-disciplinary research universities.

Today, our IITs are not only excelling in research but also in innovation, start-ups, entrepreneurship, and producing a substantial number of publications. Many of our IITs are now featured in top world rankings, showcasing their global competitiveness. If we set aside the perception parameters in these rankings, several of our IITs would be positioned even higher, potentially surpassing institutions like MIT.

We are witnessing the emergence of Indian institutions that can rival the likes of Harvard and Stanford. The dedication and hard work of our researchers and academicians are paving the way for India to become a global leader in education and research. The future is indeed bright for Indian research institutions, and we are proud of the achievements and contributions they are making on the global stage.