The Challenges of Engineering Pipeline in India: Analysis and Recommendations

1. Imperatives for an Operative Engineering Pipeline Brig (Dr) R S Grewal Vice Chancellor, Chitkara University 2010 ASEE Global Colloquium – Track 1 Keeping the Engineering Pipeline Filled – Attracting Young Talent to Engineering in the New Economy October 20, 2010

2. Preview • Present Environment in India and challenges faced • Key Factors – Why such skewed environment • Likely consequences – the looming predicament • Some recommendations

3. Present Environment • Adequate capacity created in engineering colleges • Intake capacity for Bachelors 1.08 million * • 2906 Technical Institutes * • Skewed demand and supply due to artificial increase in number of institutions; No. of seats remain vacant • Challenges • Masters and Doctoral level programmes not the preferred choice • Low preference to programmes dealing with basic sciences • Average / Below par quality of Technical Institutions • Deficiency of high quality faculty * Source: http://aicte-india.org/adgeneral.htm

4. Growth Rate: Graduate Engineers India 10 Germany 0.9 UK 3.9 USA -1 S Korea 5.9 Japan 1.6 China 9.9 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

5. Engineering Graduates per Million Population Steady rise in demand for Engineering Graduates across the past fifty years, across geographies * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

6. Comparison of Output : Bachelors & Masters Output Output BACHELORS 1947 - 2006 MASTERS 1947 - 2006 CAGR Graduates : 12% Number of Graduates 2008 : 350,000 Number of Institutions : 1668 CAGR Institutions : 6.2% CAGR Masters : 11.6% Number of Masters 2006 : 20000 Number of Masters 2008 : 23000 * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

7. Percentage of Masters Output to Graduate Engineers Output Masters vs Bachelors Percentage * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

8. Students Graduating at Masters and Doctoral Levels India needs to encourage students to take up Masters and Doctoral level programmes * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

9. Output: PG, Doctorates and Salaries Postgraduate & Doctoral Output Average Salaries Output : Masters Programme Year Number % of Sanctioned Graduated Intake 1995 2857 48 2008 ~23,000 57 Doctorates: Annual number for 2007 : 1000 to 1100 Growth Rate 1954 – 2005 : 8% per year Ph D Output to Graduate Engineer Output : Between 1 to 3% Degree Annual Salary (INR) Bachelors 510,000 Masters 420,000 Doctorate 700,000 (Figs for IITs only) * Source: Study “Engineering Education in India”; Rangan Banerjee, Vinayak P Muley; IIT, Mumbai, Dec 16, 2008

10. Why Such Skewed Environment? • Low technology based society content with import rather than research and development • Fast expanding economy needs engineers to keep processes operative and need skilled manpower for repetitive work • Students enticed away by industry after completion of bachelors’ degrees • Short term profit motives inhibit R&D investment by industry • Absence of role model technologists and scientists for younger generation to emulate as compared to large number of management experts • Economy dominated by services sector

11. Why such Skewed Environment ? (contd) • Academia • Poor infrastructure and problem of lack of intellectual capital • Theory based curriculum with hardly any emphasis on practical applications fails to fulfill aspirations of students • Lack of emphasis to produce problem solvers • Wide fluctuations in demand and supply of specializations • Disparity in compensation packages: Managers vs. Engineers

12. The Looming Predicament • Knowledge creation neglected • Institutions not producing problem solvers • Famine of faculty likely to become more acute; applied sciences may be worst affected; engineering no better • Lack of stimulating environment likely to deter students from taking up engineering • Knowledge economy will soon demand personnel with R&D skills and suffer due to paucity

13. Some Recommendations • Time to act now before the engineering pipeline dries up • Multi-pronged strategy to include changing mindset of society • Students and Parents: Job security vis a vis career growth • Academia: Develop ‘Executive’ M Tech/ME and other multi-disciplinary programmes with an element of Management; add incentives for ME/M Tech programmes; Faculty Development Programmes like IUCEE and Mission 10X • Industry: Greater emphasis on creative work; seek problem solvers • Hiring of ‘Mentor Professors’ to boost R&D • Help in research and to create exciting careers; offer incentives • Improve career options for engineers including forecasting

14. Some Points for Discussion What more can be done to ensure that the present engineering education system : - (a) Provides right type of knowledge workers for national development? (b) Is capable of nurturing the future leadership to meet the needs of R&D in the Industry?

15. Thank You