Quality of Engineering Education in Various States

The top 50 universities in the world in engineering and technology in the year 2013 did not include any Indian college or university. The Higher Education World Reputation Ranking 2013 of the best 100 institutions has representations from all BRIC countries, with India being an exception. We can find an excuse and blame it on bias and prejudice or just ignore the rankings. It can be argued that the institutions run by the government have their challenges. However, when you take into account the quality of education provided by private institutes and universities, you will find that they are not interested in improving standards of education, which is appalling.

In this article, we will list down, highlight the features of the top engineering colleges of the most important states in India, and have a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). In addition, we will carry out an in-depth analysis of the quality of engineering education in India. Therefore, let us get cracking.

West Bengal

1) IIT Kharagpur: When it comes to the top engineering colleges in West Bengal, IIT Kharagpur lies at the forefront with an AAAAA rating. IIT Kharagpur offers a mind-boggling 31 undergraduate and 58 postgraduate programmes. Besides, this institute is a leading autonomous institute in the country and an institute of national importance. With state-of-the-art research facilities, the institute boasts of full residential features.

2) National Institute of Technology, Durgapur: This institute is a premier engineering institute with an aim to support national integration. It is completely funded by the government and has an autonomous Board of Governors. With an active placement cell, the college competes with the best with regard to major engineering disciplines.

Uttarakhand

1) IIT Roorkee: With Dehradun as capital, the state of Uttarakhand has become a major educational hub, thanks to its best-of-the-best institutions, especially in the engineering domain. IIT Roorkee is more than a 150 years old. This speaks volumes about the reputation of the institute. A surprising fact is that the institute is home to a full-fledged dairy that supplies butter and milk to the various messes on campus. Needless to say, standards of education are very high.

2) College of Technology, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar: This institute is AICTE approved and has received accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation. The campus is replete with a central ground for cricket and football. What’s more, it has a fully-functional gym, a dispensary for the students, and a separate hostel for boys and girls.

Tamil Nadu

1) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras: It is interesting to note that the state of Tamil Nadu is home to the first engineering college in India at Guindy, which was founded in 1857. IIT Madras has first-rate laboratories and spacious classrooms. To top it all, the campus is home to three temples and a hospital, too.

2) PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore: This college is a government-aided, autonomous, private engineering institute in Coimbatore. PSG and Sons Charities Trust has actively nurtured this organization. The college is affiliated to the prestigious Anna University. The college offers scores of full and part-time programs at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Rajasthan

1) Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani: The institute traces its roots to 1901, when Seth ShivNarainji Birla founded a “patshala” in Pilani. Some of the alumni of this college have been recruited by top organizations, including Facebook, Morgan Stanley, Ranbaxy, and Capital One, to name a few. There is a plethora of student clubs, such as Music Club, Mime Club, Photography Club, among others.

2) Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur: The three primary departments at IIT Jodhpur are Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science Engineering. Besides an excellent placement cell, the institute boasts of facilities such as an ultra-modern Computer Centre, Central Library, Health Centre, Banks, ATMs, and even a hostel for visitors.

Punjab

1) Thapar University, Patiala: This illustrious university was previously known as Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. Mr Karam Chand Thapar founded the university in 1956. The campus is replete with state-of-the-art hostels, with each hostel boasting of a Common Room, Reading Room, and Gymnasium. The university offers B.E. and M.E. degrees, among others such as Doctor of Science and Master of Technology.

2) Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar: This renowned institute is located at Rupnagar. IIT Ropar is one of the 8 new IITs that have been set up by the Indian Government’s HRD ministry for expanding the reach of technical education in the country. The entire campus is connected by Wi-Fi. Besides grounds for football and cricket, there are specialized basketball and tennis courts so that both students and faculty stay fit as a fiddle.

Uttar Pradesh

1) Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur: IIT Kanpur is one of the best residential campuses in India and offers first-rate accommodation to nearly 4000 students, 350 faculty members, and 700 support staff members. The campus is replete with facilities and amenities that help develop the academic, social, and personal skills of the students. IIT Kanpur is a premier institute offering excellent facilities, such as Students’ Activities Center that houses Hobby Clubs, including photography, fine arts, Indian music, and Theater workshops.

2) Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi: IIT-BHU is a coeducational and residential campus situated within the larger Banaras Hindu University campus, which sprawls over 1,300 acres. The university was integrated with the country’s IIT system since July 2008. Situated at Varanasi’s southern end on the banks of the Holy River Ganges, the institute offers 10 engineering programmes. The university is famous for its cultural, technical, and sports festivals.

Madhya Pradesh

1) Indian Institute of Technology, Indore: With three major departments, including Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Science Engineering, IIT Indore is renowned for its twin festivals: Fluxus and Ferocia. Equally famous is the Inter IIT Sports Meet and an active Student Body. 

2) Jabalpur Engineering College, Jabalpur: This college is one of India’s oldest technical colleges. The college is autonomous and AICTE approved.    Besides a well-stocked library and separate hostels for boys and girls, the college is renowned for its Seminar Hall, and sports and recreational facilities.

Kerala

1) National Institute of Technology, Calicut: Besides the traditional branches of engineering, this institute also offers a degree in Architecture. Two of its bespoke facilities include a Language Laboratory and Physical Education Department. The primary student activities include FOSSCell, Adventure Club, Club Mathematica, and Club Unwired.

2) Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram: This institute was founded in the year 2007 with sponsorship from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). IIST is recognized by UGC as a “Deemed to be University.” It functions as an autonomous organization under the Indian Government’s Department of Space.

Now let us take a closer look at some of the advantages and disadvantages that engineering colleges bring along with them because engineering is the first career choice for millions of Indian students.

Advantages:

• Paragons of excellence and learning

• Excellent placement cell within the campus

• Excellent accommodation facilities

• Good, all-round development of students

• Encouragement to actively participate in extra-curricular activities

• Fun and enjoyable cultural festivals

• Impetus given to sports

• Excellent infrastructure

• A plethora of facilities, such as banks, ATMs, hospitals, and dispensaries

• Highly-qualified, experienced faculty members

• Coeducational learning

• State-of-the-art labs and research facilities

• Well-stocked libraries

• Cosmopolitan studying atmosphere

• Forging friendships for life

• Gateway to a rewarding career

Disadvantages:

• Challenging and rigorous admission procedure

• Highly-stressful exams

• Too much pressure to succeed

• Poor faculty for colleges located in remote areas

• Poor funding

• Inadequate girl-to-boy ratio

• Inadequate teacher-to-student ratio

• Ragging of first-year students

• Too much focus on exhaustive course material

• Little importance for learning life skills

• Segregation of students on the basis of caste, such as General, OBC, SC/ST

Quality of Engineering Education State Wise:

India is as diverse a country can get. This diversity also extends to quality of engineering education across several states. The States Employability report throws enormous light on the differing quality of education state wise.There has been a manifold increase in Indian technical education over the last decade, which has led to founding of hundreds of engineering colleges throughout the country, leading to the creation of nearly half a million engineers every year.

According to some reports, there has been a considerable drop in percentage of employability of engineers, state wise as well as sector wise. Here, we analyze the primary reasons for the variation in quality of education being imparted to students.

It has been found that the quality of education is most advanced in Delhi, followed by Uttarakhand and West Bengal. In addition, the employability of engineers belonging to these states is the highest. Delhi, with its splendid colleges and high standards, has been transformed into a major hub for education. It also attracts the best minds from across India. Therefore, the basic trend is that quality of education is best in the Northern India, followed by Eastern, Western, and Southern India. It has been observed that states with a higher number of Government colleges rather than private colleges fare much better on quality parameters, thus influencing employability.

Exploring the Reasons for Variations in Quality of Education:

• Proliferation of Institutes

It is a fact that the total number of engineering institutes within a state can affect the overall quality of education. Studies have shown that the lesser the number of engineering institutes, higher was the quality of education in that state. The vice-versa of this also holds true. Thus, it can be derived that establishing more engineering colleges will not solve the problem of poor-quality education and poor-quality engineers. The need of the hour is that engineering colleges should set higher benchmarks and standards for themselves.

• Inequalities in Terms of Geography

While the number of engineering institutes has risen manifold throughout the country, the growth has been primarily seen in geographical pockets. The southern states combined with Maharashtra are home to nearly 60% of the total number of education institutes in the country. Draw a comparison with the Northern and Eastern States, which are home to only 16% of the total number. This means that geographical inequalities can result in deteriorating quality of education.

• Faculty Vacuum

The rapid increase in number of engineering colleges has led to significant shortfall in trained faculty. Inexperienced faculty members and those who are not well qualified have led to the deterioration of some of the finest engineering institutes. It should also be noted that highly-qualified faculty members migrate to other developed countries, causing a brain drain.

• Shortfall in Accreditation

It is the responsibility of the NBA (National Board of Accreditation) for accreditation of engineering institutes and programs. This autonomous body falls under the AICTE. Despite mandatory accreditation, less than 10% of technical institutes are properly accredited. There is a need to weed out below-par institutes.

Some of the other reasons for poor quality education in the engineering domain are mentioned in a nutshell below:

• Lack of interaction and cooperation between the classroom and industry

• The growth rate of graduates is exceeding the growth rate of the economy

• Exorbitant fees demanded by private colleges can keep genuine candidates away

Conclusion

India has enormous potential in the field of technical education. The IITs along with their alumni command tremendous respect across the globe. The second-tier engineering institutes in the country, too, are well regulated and have superior faculty and student bodies. However, with a new engineering college throwing open its doors to students per week on an average, the AICTE is struggling for the maintenance of excellent standards set by some of the best institutions. AICTE needs to ensure that high standards are met at existing institutions, new institutions are founded only in regions that need them, substandard institutions are shut down, and the shortage in faculty should be reversed by extra investment in postgraduate education and providing encouragement to exceptional talent to continue working in India as teachers and professors.