What to B.E.

The Hindu

18 hours ago

Over 2.5 lakh students are expected to take part in the Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) 2025 counselling from July 14. The merit list was released Friday last. Early trends suggest a continued preference for Computer Science-centric courses — though surprises cannot be ruled out. Private engineering colleges report that courses like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity are in high demand, in line with the industrial trend nationwide. In contrast, traditional core branches such as Civil and Mechanical Engineering continue to struggle for patronage, despite recent efforts at reviving interest in these courses.
Principals across engineering colleges agree that students mostly prefer Computer Science and allied fields. 'In our institution, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science are the top picks, followed by Computer Science and Engineering [CSE], and Electronics and Communication Engineering [ECE],' said T. Saravanan, principal, New Prince Shri Bhavani College of Engineering and Technology, Chennai.
ECE has gained popularity owing to the government's push in the semiconductor sector, while Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) and Mechanical Engineering are regaining traction. However, Civil Engineering continues to evoke low interest, with only 30% of seats filled at his college, he added.
Under the TNEA 2024 single-window counselling system for colleges affiliated to Anna University, only 4,451 candidates opted for Civil Engineering-related courses as against 10,772 available seats.
'Civil Engineering is still not preferred. We offer only 30 seats, and just 35% of them are filled under the management quota,' noted K. Palanikumar, principal, Sairam Engineering College in Chennai. 'Interestingly, students opting for Civil Engineering often have parents working in the construction sector. What we have noticed is that there is a disconnect between job opportunities in government departments and public perception.'
He added that the fear of lay-offs in information technology companies has slightly slowed the admission to CSE, while the government push for manufacturing has sparked interest in Mechanical Engineering and EEE.
Staging a comeback
In Coimbatore, the Dhaanish Ahmed Institute of Technology has recorded a surge in interest. 'Cybersecurity is the buzzword in information technology companies such as TCS, Wipro, Infosys, and CTS. After computing, semiconductors are next in demand,' said its principal K.G. Parthiban. He added that Mechanical Engineering and allied branches — such as Robotics, Automation, and Mechatronics — are on the radar again, thanks to the growing demand in the auto and industrial automation sectors. 'There's even an increase in girl students choosing Mechanical Engineering.'
At Vivekanandha Educational Institutions, Tiruchengode, girl students mostly opt for Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, CSE, ECE, and IT — in that order, said executive director S. Kuppuswamy. Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology rank fourth, while core engineering courses trail. Despite his personal efforts to advocate for core courses like Civil Engineering, students remain unconvinced. 'We have 30 Civil Engineering seats and fill them through government counselling. We've chosen not to surrender the branch, hoping that the interest in it will revive over time,' he said.
A few years ago, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) allowed colleges to surrender seats in less popular disciplines so as to start new courses. Many colleges relinquished nearly 50% of their Civil and Mechanical Engineering seats and then expanded Artificial Intelligence and data-centric courses. While some institutions are attempting to revive core branches, IT-related programmes continue to shape the engineering education in Tamil Nadu, fuelled by immediate job prospects. This is not limited to Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges. Even the country's premier institution — the Indian Institute of Technology — is no exception.
A recent event organised by the Pan-IIT Alumni Leadership Series (PALS) in Chennai discussed ways to improve candidates' choices. Directors of several IITs took part at the event. A recurrent theme was the need to encourage students to choose core engineering programmes. PALS has adopted 50 Tier-2 and Tier-3 engineering colleges to help them improve performance.
A model for other students
IIT-Madras Director V. Kamakoti acknowledged that in the past decade, 99.9% of the toppers in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) — the qualifying examination for admission to the IITs — opted for CSE. Students did not choose Electrical Engineering. This is a matter of concern against the backdrop of two major occurrences — the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Sindoor. 'In the first one, a solution came from biological sciences and in the second, from multiple disciplines. It is not just Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. It was the multidisciplinary approach, much beyond traditional AI,' he pointed out. 'We must reach out to people who studied in these core disciplines and are now doing well for themselves. They could be examples for younger students.'
Mr. Kamakoti gave a wide range of suggestions, from improving syllabus to encouraging students to appear for competitive tests to help them evaluate themselves against their peers. He suggested that autonomous colleges fine-tune their syllabus to attract students. Colleges could call on their alumni in core engineering programmes to interact with the aspirants. Institutions could focus on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary education. Candidates should be encouraged to take up dual-degree programmes. Every institution must encourage students to take 40% of their credit through advanced courses to prepare themselves for the industry, he said.
The AICTE and the University Grants Commission have permitted colleges to offer 20% skill-oriented courses. These courses could be taught by industry experts, and students could be assigned credits. Faculty members should encourage students to take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering to help them understand their self-worth among peers, the IIT-M Director said. 'Self-audit is very important for students.'
Instead of focusing only on engineering education, college faculty members could offer students wider choices, encouraging them to go in for even the Civil Services Examination. The country would benefit from tech-savvy engineering graduates who could shape technology-driven policies, he pointed out.
IIT-Tirupati Director K.N. Satyanarayana suggested that students be given more time for practicals. Introducing Artificial Intelligence in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering is the way forward, he said. But there are no teachers for the subject.
Lack of engineers
He pointed out that India had built only 50% of the infrastructure it needed. It aspires to be the manufacturing hub for semiconductors and electronic chips. Lack of trained engineers resulted in an Indian company Tata advertising for workers in Taiwan to work in its semiconductor industry. While it is true that civil engineers get paid lower than a software engineer or a CSE graduate initially, a level playing field is achieved for a core engineering graduate when the candidate completes 30 years in service, he added.