HIGHER EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYABILITY AND NON-PRODUCTIVE OUTFLOW OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE

HIGHER EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYABILITY AND NON-PRODUCTIVE OUTFLOW OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE

All Researchers, Scientists and Managers (Research & Planning agencies) complain about “Lack of Resources”. Hope it includes “Lack of wisdom, Intellectual resource, Commitment and Self-esteem” as well? I really wonder as how pumping of money will address these issues which are of more serious nature than Capital goods?

Importing equipment, instrumentation and software for learning to use them and generating data can’t be taken as research. It only helps in converting a Researcher into a good for nothing Technician that is neither fit to work on Shop-floor nor to work as Honest Researcher.

Most unfortunately most research facilities are mostly producing “Technicians who are smartly Termed as Researchers (TTRs)”. This philosophy has become the mainstay of research (PhD) in the country.

The scenario is:

• ITIs are not producing trained Technicians.
• Academic & Research Institutes are not producing grass root level / innovative research.
• Engineering Institutions are mostly producing paper degree holding engineers (PDHE) who are mostly unemployable.
• Later most of these TTRs in the disguise of a Faculty since they hold the degree of PhD, start teaching engineering to the students while they are not even fit to work as Technicians.
• Thrust is on publicity and own career building rather than building an effective education system for sustaining the youth and the Nation.
• Gross misuse of autonomy and unscrupulous dilution of curriculum.

Sustainable manufacturing and product development needs balanced combination of trained & skilled Technicians and Educated Engineers & Researchers. This serious imbalance created due to our apathy & lack of commitment has given opportunities for Multinational Companies (MNCs) to take full advantage for spreading their wings in the country forever. Once established these MNCs won’t let Small Scale and Medium Scale industries to sustain. I hope our policy makers and TTRs are able to judge the impact on the Nation. Indiscriminate purchase of imported equipment, instrumentation and software only make MNCs rich at the expense of the poor people of this country. One must not be allowed to buy or import the equipment only for verifying the published work done elsewhere. MOST IMPORTANT IS NOT TO ALLOW MULTIPLICITY OF EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION IN THE SAME INSTITUTE.
Another unfortunate situation is the most selfish attitude of our faculty & researchers. Most of such resource is purchased only to increase the number of stereotype publications for getting promoted to higher positions or for the reasons best known to them. Most don’t allow fellow faculty & students to use the resource and again most Heads of the institutions don’t take any action despite reporting it to them. 

The apathy and lack of integrity of most people particularly the Heads of the Institutions is fast turning this Nation into the Nation of Followers and Mental Slaves. Chatur Ramalingam the famous character of super hit Hindi movie ‘Three Idiots’ describes this best.

This unscrupulous import of foreign equipment, instrumentation and software for no real positive contribution for the development of the Nation collectively from all the Universities and Institutions becomes probably one of the major sources of outflow of precious foreign exchange.

Are there still some people to take immediate corrective action for the sake of our Nation?

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STEP FORWARD IN SPREADING HARDCORE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY INDIAN WELDING SOCIETY

STEP FORWARD IN SPREADING HARDCORE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY INDIAN WELDING SOCIETY (IWS)

Thank you dear delegates. Your enthusiastic participation has laid the foundation for taking another step in this direction.

The overwhelming response from the enthusiastic Welding Professionals for the two days’ “Workshop on GMAW / MIG Welding and its Variants”, organized by the Indian Welding Society (IWS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 19-20 January, 2018 deserves to be thanked sincerely. Our target was forty delegates but nearly eighty delegates registered. The response was so overwhelming that we had to shift to a bigger room to accommodate all the delegates. This response has strengthened our resolve to PLAN more of such programmes on regular intervals. The intention is:

• To spread the “HARD CORE” knowledge on the subject that has become scarce in the Technical Institutes including Institutions of higher learning. 
• To develop the confidence for spending time on the Shop-Floor productively.
• Be able to discipline the work-force.
• Honestly philanthropic. The fee charged is only to meet the actual expenses. IWS is 100% non-profit organization.

The overall objective is to strengthen the “Make in India” policy of the Government of India by improving the sustainability of the Manufacturing Sector and new Start-ups in the country.

Technical education has been completely messed up to the point of no research by the technical institutions including institutions of higher learning in the recent years. The roaring business through commercialization of technical education by various private coaching institutes is the proof of it. 

I invite everyone including people from academia to suggest hot topics which are immediate need of the Industries and Academic research in various academic institutions.

One can reach me on: profsunilpandey@gmail.com

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PROPOSED NEW ADMISSION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO M TECH PROGRAMMES

PROPOSED NEW ADMISSION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO M TECH PROGRAMMES

[http://www.thehindu.com/migration_catalog/article11559629.ece/alternates/FREE_660/2_EPBS_GATE]

The admissions to the present PG programmes on the basis of GATE are the outcome of sincere efforts of many a people involved and the present system is the result of such continuous evolution. However, observing very closely the output of the PG programmes over the period positively suggests some drastic modifications particularly keeping in mind the policy of the Government of India on “Make in India”. It is very clear that some policies followed at the time of admission are seriously jeopardising the success of “Make in India” programme. Since we all are committed to the success of the programme, following modified procedure is suggested for implementation with immediate effect, 

Session 2018-19.

• Admission to All M Tech programmes must be from amongst the candidates who have qualified GATE in that programme or stream only. 
• Admission to students from other streams should be allowed only when seats remain / fall vacant.

1. This proposed procedure for admission to various M Tech programmes may kindly be implemented with immediate effect (Session: 2018-19). Else M Tech programmes will die a natural death.
2. This will also eliminate the presently used complicated, illogical and wasteful procedures.
3. The MHRD may like to ensure uniform implementation throughout the MHRD controlled Institutions in the country.
4. The MHRD may direct all concerned to include these guidelines for improving the quality of M Tech programmes in the GATE notifications for the Session 2018-19. These guidelines once implemented will make the programmes technically effective and easy for the candidates.

Example: M Tech programmes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IITD

Programme	Seats Assistantship (20)	Seats (Proposed) ·       Self-sponsored or Self-financing, 20. ·       Assistantships as and when becoming available may be offered as per merit.	*Sponsored (Employed) Max 5, Supernumerary
Design	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.
Thermal	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.
Industrial	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.
Production	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.

* Self-financing and Sponsored categories must be well highlighted and given maximum publicity for making it a success.

Note-1:

1. Fill up the seats from the merit list of the particular programme only.
2. No inter-programme admissions allowed.
3. No moderation / rationalization amongst the various programmes.
4. No transfer of seats until falling vacant.
5. No minimum cut-off in any stream. Continue till seats are filled in order of merit.
6. Therefore there may be different cut-offs for different programmes.
7. Do away with the interview immediately. The current practice is JUST not fair for the candidates who have been working hard to clear GATE examination. The introduction of INTERVIEW introduces an element of doubt and results in frustration of the candidates and wastage of resource.
8. Full respect to the GATE Merit List should be the criteria.
9. Candidates must be called only for offering admission.

Note-2:

1. Self-Sponsored category must be introduced for the reason that around 50% or more students leave M Tech programme midway for taking up jobs with the PSUs.
2. All resources engaged in teaching the particular programme at times go below the minimum break-even point in terms of productivity. 
3. The presence of self-sponsored candidates will at least ensure the healthy class room strength to be able to justify the investment in resources.
4. This will also provide one more opportunity to those students who are committed.
5. This will also help in producing more trained manpower with the same investment of resources.

Note-3:

1. Sponsored candidates must be encouraged for improving the quality of employed engineers and it will definitely help in improving the productivity of the “Make in India” programme.

Note-4:

1. All candidates with Assistantship leaving the programme midway must be asked to refund the amount to the respective Institution.
2. Failing the PSU he is joining must be asked to ensure the refund. 
3. This clause must be added to the agreement signed between the MHRD and the PSUs.

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NO DECISION ON ENGINEERING PASSOUTS VIA CORRESPONDENCE MODE

NO DECISION ON ENGINEERING PASSOUTS VIA CORRESPONDENCE MODE

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/dec/29/no-decision-on-engineering-passouts-via-correspondence-mode-hrd-minister-prakash-javadekar-1739879.html

Appeal

Engineering degree programme through correspondence can't even be visualized but this was going on or allowed officially by UGC / AICTE. However, all degrees awarded may kindly be derecognized without wasting any precious time. So much can be written about the unscrupulous way of obtaining engineering degree for taking backdoor entry into responsible positions despite having no idea of real engineering. I am sure concerned officials are able to read between the lines.

The equivalence of Membership Examinations to BE / B Tech degree of various professional institutes dealing with various engineering areas must be done away with immediately. Country has suffered and is suffering on account of such people occupying responsible Government positions. Such programmes are only the backdoor entries for those who fail to get admission into any decent engineering institute. Equivalence of even AMIE examination to graduate engineering programme needs very serious consideration by the Ministry.

Lastly food for thought is “if the engineering degree through correspondence can build any Nation then where is the need to sustain institutes like IITs, NITs, CFTIs, Central Universities, and State Universities at the enormous cost of lakhs of crores of rupees of public money each year?” 

We have seen by and large the failure of engineering education in the country. Let us plug all loopholes. Sycophants are doing the maximum damage. Their sole job is to enjoy the position but not to serve the position. There is always a time for introspection. Let us not continue to damage the Nation further.

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