By Team Asianet Newsable | 07:45 AM Friday, 12 May 2017
The IT industry is going through a difficult time, and big companies are taking drastic measures to cut down their workforce for underwhelming performance. Visa rule changes in multiple countries, automation and also outdated syllabus in technical institutions are posing newer challenges to this otherwise promising sector.
In fact, in the recent past, many industry experts, surveys and even people from the industry has repeatedly emphasised on the need for upgrading the courses in engineering to make the fresh graduates more employable. To change this scenario and to meet the growing demands of the industry All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to bring many changes.
In its recent meeting, the apex regulatory body issued certain mandates to be followed by engineering institutions across the country, reported the New Indian Express.
Here are the mandates:
1. Mandatory internships: For undergraduate students, 3 internships of 4 to 8 weeks duration each will be mandatory. This way the students will be able to understand the industry requirements and how it works.
2. Mandatory induction training: After the admission, each student will have to take in induction training for refreshing their fundamental concepts as well as language skills needed for technical education.
3. Institutions to help students: The regulatory body has entrusted the engineering institutions to help its students to get an internship in suitable organisations and industries.
4. Refresher course for teachers: Annual refresher course for teachers has been made mandatory by the AICTE. SWAYAM portal will deliver this course, and minimum 50 percent faculty members participation is must for an institute to get approval.
5. Leadership training: The head of the institutions will also have to go through leadership training every 2 years.
6. Yearly change in curriculum: The universities were also asked to make necessary changes in curriculum each year and also to create subject-wise industry consultation committees.
7. Rules for final exams: The final exams should test understanding of different concepts and skills than knowledge of subject matter among students.
In the meeting, it was also discussed that each year around 7 to 8 lakh students are graduating from engineering institutions from across India, but only one-third of these graduates are employable. Also, only 50 percent fresh graduates join their core area of study.
In the same meeting, AICTE also set 5 benchmarks to attain:
1. Improve employability through imparting requisite skills and make the students ready for industry.
2. Increasing the student placement from 40 percent to 60 percent.
3. Increase accredited programmes from 15 percent to 50 percent.
4. Ensuring minimum 75 percent students’ participation in summer internships.
5. To deliver the above benchmarks, the body is planning to build the required capacities of technical institutions in India.
