Poor Quality of Engineering & Management Education Prevents Industrial Growth

by Upkar Singh Ahuja, President, CICU, Ludhiana

With beginning of Admissions in Engineering Colleges, we can watch lucrative Advertisements in T.V & print media to attract youngster to join colleges and institutes.

U.S is $16 trillion economy and produces 1 lakh engineers per year. Whereas India is $2 Trillion economy and produces more than 15 lakh engineers per year. After getting degrees may 30% of them get suitable jobs, manufacturing sector use to be mass recruiters, but due to record slow down industry intake is almost nil, IT sector is also slow to which use to recruit good number of students.

World Bank also mentioned that the poor quality of education reflected in low learning level in India and south Asian Countries gaps many young people in poverty and prevents fastest economic growth and shared prosperity.

There are 257 engineering colleges in Punjab. The theoretical knowledge imparted at these colleges is very poor, faculties are not well paid and mostly none experienced teachers are teaching. High quality workshops are required for practical knowledge. Workshops exists with very poor level of Machines and equipment. Just showpieces and sometimes even not operational.

CICU Suggested following measures:-

We need to take a fresh look to improve the education level.

· College charge fees from students during even internships, when students take training in some factories, it should be passed on to industry, where students is taking training to match cost of Industries.

· Colleges must teach in theory and practical latest and advance technologies not the old one.

· Workshop of engineering colleges should be upto mark and equipped with latest machines like, CNC Machines, Robotics, 3D printers, Digital Labs, Rapid proto type and designing equipment and many more.

· Colleges should invest in joint projects with industry, where students of final year in guidance of teachers take up the productions & quality improvement projects. It will add value to the industry as well to the students.

· Colleges can start services like New Product Development, Design Improvement of Existing productivity for Industry against nominal charges.

· Special Training to be imparted on Digitalization & Industry 4.0.

· Exposure to be given to students by factory visit, Exhibition visiting etc.

· Govt. must cancel the Registration of the College, where 40% do not get jobs after completing the education.