September 7, 2022, New Delhi, IIT Delhi Ex-Director Questions Disparity in Engineering Branch Choices: On September 5, 2022, IIT Delhi’s Ex-Director – V Ramgopal Rao – questioned the trend of more and more applicants selecting IT and computer science engineering (CSE) over other engineering branches. Mr. Rao stated that this situation is common in most of the engineering institutes that he has visited or heard about.
In one of his tweets concerning the issue, he wrote, “Colleges are hardly able to fill even one-third of the available seats in branches other than computer science and IT. No one wants to do even basic electronics. The situation is worse in civil, mechanical, etc. Many colleges don’t know what to do with a large number of faculty working in these departments.”
Additionally, he drew attention to the fact that while it is simpler for mechanical or civil engineers to transition into CSE or IT branch-related employment, the same cannot be true for a situation in which it is the other way around. He further points out that, “If everyone studies IT/CSE and if all the companies and products they build are e-commerce and IT-related, where does it leave us?”
This article will go over Mr. Rao’s other concerns and the solution he believes is appropriate.
IIT Delhi Ex-Director Questions Disparity in Engineering Branch Choices: Major Concern
- Rao also explains that the motive behind raising this issue is that India, being a developing country, has several unresolved issues at the grassroot level and much needs to be done in several fields such as healthcare, agriculture, energy, defence, space, civil infrastructure, transportation, waste processing, semiconductors, manufacturing, drone technologies, and many more.
- He believes that if people do not choose other fields of engineering, then the solutions to existing problems in these fields will not be easily found.
IIT Delhi Ex-Director Questions Disparity in Engineering Branch Choices: What is Engineering About?
- According to Mr. Rao, engineering is not all about mechanical, civil, CSE, or any other such branch.
- The goal of engineering is to meet societal requirements in the best possible and sustainable ways.
- A multidisciplinary team is frequently required to provide a solution. Our capacity for creativity could be severely hampered if all fields converge into CSE and IT, he warned.
IIT Delhi Ex-Director Questions Disparity in Engineering Branch Choices: Fourth Industrial Revolution
- He also discussed the role of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) in changing the mode of functioning of many engineering fields.
- He believes that as times change, so do work experiences and talents.
- Mr. Rao also stated that Industry 4.0 has fundamentally changed mechanical engineering and much of the mechanical engineers’ work.
- To support his argument, he also gave examples of how a large number of civil engineers are currently involved in a variety of environmental challenges and how metallurgy as a subject has now evolved into material science.
- He emphasised that the future is all about intelligence and metamaterials.
IIT Delhi Ex-Director Questions Disparity in Engineering Branch Choices: Solution
- The former IIT-Delhi Director has advised the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) to produce films that highlight the changes that are occurring in different regions of the world and also shed light on the innovations that are occurring in other engineering disciplines.
- In addition to this, Rao thinks that youngsters should be educated about all engineering fields and disciplines from an early age, preferably starting in school.
- He concluded by saying, “Bring children to our top institutions and show them what modern mechanical and civil engineering labs look like and what researchers in these departments work on. It’s time to act in a concerned manner through national-level initiatives.”
FAQs
Who is the current director of the IIT Delhi?
Mr. Rangan Banerjee is the director of the IIT Delhi.
What is the meaning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The blending of the physical, digital, and biological worlds is referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. It combines technological advancements in 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution also called?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is also called ‘Industry 4.0’.
