Interview excerpts:
Q. What are the challenges before AICTE in engineering education?
The Indian education system is facing a huge employability challenge as the curriculum is not relevant to the needs of the industry or society. We continued the British legacy for a long time. It has not contributed to any innovation, which is why we have the New Education Policy (NEP). But the change in engineering education began before the NEP. We faced two challenges. From the mid-1980s to 2015, the number of engineering institutes grew rapidly, leading to overcapacity and vacant seats. The recent trend of closing down engineering colleges or reducing the number of seats will lead to consolidation and ensure continued quality in the years to come.
Q. What other changes have been introduced?
Internship has been made compulsory for the last three years for engineering students. The colleges are signing MoUs with industry to ensure that the students get the required practical experience and internship opportunities. We have created an internship portal which enables the students to choose their place of internship from the available options. Both the internship provider (industry) and the students are on the AICTE internship platform, making it possible for students to get internships through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based matchmaking.
We have started a faculty certification program. Eight modules have been created with the help of skilled educationists at National Institutes of Technical Teacher Training and Research at Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Kolkata. Faculty is put through these specialized courses. Completion of the module is a prerequisite for regularizing faculty appointments.
“Internship is now mandatory. We have connected engineering students and industry through AICTE Internship Platform”
Then, we have identified several areas to upgrade the curriculum, such as AI, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Robotics, Cloud Computing, Data Analytics, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Cyber Security. It is a continuous process. We have specialized faculty development programs in these emerging areas because most teachers did not get to study these courses when they graduated 15 or more years ago. We are charging them in full in an effort to enhance the quality of engineering education.
Exam reform is another focus area. You have to stop learning to cram. We are rapidly testing students for the analytical skills, critical thinking, applications and innovation that the industry seeks. This includes creating a level playing field for those studying in different language mediums before pursuing engineering. In the next two years, all institutions will have to be recognized on these grounds. We are also helping students to participate in hackathons to help them gain confidence.
Q. What policy interventions are needed to make engineering education relevant and build better links with the industry?
We have suggested that each institute sign MoUs with at least five industries. Some colleges signed up with 20-25 while others couldn’t at all due to the remoteness of their location. It is a long way to go but AICTE is engaging with industry bodies like NASSCOM, FICCI and CII to support the internship initiative.
Q. How do you compare your AICTE tenure with the previous assignments?
Can’t really compare. At AICTE, I have been able to completely eliminate corruption and transform the body from a mere regulator to a facilitator.
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