A Satirical Look at India’s Engineering Ecosystem.
In the Indian education system, where getting into an IIT is more complex than finding a parking spot in Mumbai, somehow, we’ve managed to achieve the impossible: empty seats in these premier institutions. Who would’ve thought that after decades of parents threatening their kids with “IIT ya quit,” we’d see the day when these premium engineering seats would go vacant? It’s almost as baffling as finding an auto-rickshaw driver who goes by the meter!
Recent data highlights a troubling trend in premier technical institutes like IITs and NITs, where a significant number of seats remain unfilled.
- This year, 276 BTech and 1,165 postgraduate (MTech/MSc) seats were vacant across 13 IITs.
- Similarly, 401 BTech and 2,604 postgraduate seats went unoccupied in 19 NITs.
Why is it critical to understand that these vacancies represent a misuse of public resources and deny opportunities to aspiring students?
The Nobel Connection (or lack thereof)
Let’s address the elephant in the room – or, should I say, the missing Nobel Prize in the room. While our legend C.V. Raman snagged his Nobel back in 1930, we’ve been somewhat… shall we say, conservative with our Nobel collection in sciences since then. It’s almost as if we took “sustainable development” too seriously and decided not to sustainably win Nobel Prizes.
In STEM, we’ve won two Nobel Prizes in Physics and one in Chemistry, the last one in 2009. Do these numbers suggest we’re excelling physically or cognitively?
Why is STEM an important factor in determining India’s growth?
The world is moving towards automation, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies. STEM fields are at the core of this transformation. Equipping students with STEM skills ensures they are prepared for the jobs of the future—jobs that demand technological literacy and innovative thinking. With large sums of money being announced for initiatives such as quantum computing, cybersecurity, or artificial intelligence, it is essential to find students who are skilled; and it is a struggle now!
Where we are lacking- In the Great Engineering factory.
Recall the movie’ 3 Idiots’. While private engineering colleges, the newer Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and universities have expanded access to education over the last few decades, studies show that a vast majority of students graduating from these colleges lack the basic skills that are required by industry. To support this statement, consider the statement from our FM Sitharaman when she said that 1 in 2 Indian graduates are unemployable.
Across various sectors, there is a struggle to find students who are skilled, and it is alarming that the number of students pursuing higher education has dwindled. At this rate, institutions, which are already grappling with the issue of faculty shortages, will face even greater challenges in the years ahead.
We became so good at producing engineers that we started treating them like instant noodles – ready in 4 years, best consumed immediately after preparation. But here’s the plot twist: we forgot to ask if anyone wanted so many engineers in the first place! It’s like ordering 100 dosas when you’re eating alone – impressive but slightly impractical.
Moreover, in Indian institutes, attendance is more important than creativity. Seems like PHYSICAL PRESENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CREATIVE IDEATION.
In such a case where 75% mandatory attendance is becoming an obstacle for engineering and science graduates to explore their creativity, BITS PILANI has come forward as a trendsetter. BITS Pilani has a “zero attendance policy”, which means that students are not required to attend lectures and are evaluated only through assessments, quizzes, and exams. This, according to the university, pushes a lot of students to pursue entrepreneurial paths and build startups for the country. This can be taken as a lesson for every Indian university/college to accept the fact of today that creative minds need freedom, not obligation! Of course, this can be a debatable topic as well, whereas 75% attendance is a complete NO.
Are we ready for the future?
The JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is a magical test where students learn concepts they’ll never use again, like finding the velocity of a monkey climbing a rope while holding a banana (because, apparently, that’s crucial information for building software). We’ve created a generation of teenagers who can solve complex calculus problems but can’t change a light bulb.
Moreover, knowledge in recent trends of science, particularly AI, is not only important for exponential growth in STEM itself. They play an important role in other factors as well. Blockchain, as well as cybersecurity technologies in particular, are crucial to the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector for secure transactions, fraud detection, and identity management.
As per a recent update, it is reported that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and data science, as a whole, are projected to generate around 1 million jobs by 2030, citing a report by Quess IT Staffing, a tech staffing solutions provider. Apart from jobs, these emerging technologies are also expected to contribute over $150 billion to India’s economy by 2030, according to the Technology Skills Report, December 2024.
So lavishly, we have come halfway in this new decade. But can we dare to think that in the next handful of years, our science graduates will be proficient and can take these jobs and move our country ahead in the STEM direction? Well, only time will tell this; fingers crossed!
Another issue- The Quality of research going down.
India has some 255 researchers/million inhabitants even as our country produces more than 40,000 PhDs annually, Mr Ajay Sood, principal scientific adviser to the government mentioned at an event at the Indian Science Congress on 3.1.2023. The US, in contrast, has over 4,300 researchers/million inhabitants, Mr Sood pointed out. Unhappily, he added “The number of publications in India has increased, but I am not happy about the quality.”
Why are there Cracks in the foundation of India’s research landscape?
Inappropriate, conventional testing methods, seems not helping the candidates!
In its 2024 election manifesto, the BJP promised, or rather gave a ‘Modi ki guarantee’ to provide quality education in India. This includes establishing new institutions, using technology, providing skill training and issuing One Nation, One Student IDs. And going ahead with its ‘one nation‘ leitmotif, the government is also pushing for a One Nation, One Entrance Test for PhD students.
In the December 2024 NET exam, nearly 6 lakh + candidates appeared, which is a pavement to do PhD degrees or become assistant professors. However, there comes under the limelight a fundamental question: ‘Is NET an appropriate measure of a student’s research skills?’ This question arises because the exam primarily consists of MCQs, which eventually raises eyebrows about the exam’s efficacy in evaluating research skills. Why? Because of the Multiple Choice questions, the MCQs tend to be straightforward and often test rote learning rather than critical thinking!
We will only copy costumes from the west, and not their competencies.
Unlike doctoral programmes in the West that focus on research proposals and statements of purpose, concentrating on critical thinking, the UGC’s new guidelines appear to overlook the significance of strong academic writing skills, crucial for assessing students’ dedication in their field.
The state of PhD students sounds challenging.
In September 2024, A PhD scholar and street food vendor in Chennai, Tarul Rayan, gained viral attention after an American vlogger shared his inspiring story of balancing academia and entrepreneurship, showcasing the determination of local youth to pursue education while working. At first, it may sound inspiring that the person is managing studies and work, but in hindsight, this shows the dire situation of PhD candidates in India.
India has shown significant progress in research and development, says the Economic Survey 2023-24. Despite these great heights, the country’s R&D investment is left comparatively low when measured against global leaders. Despite these positive developments, the survey indicates that India’s R&D investment as a % of GDP is at just 0.64%. This figure is devastatingly lower compared to China (2.41%), the US (3.47%), and Israel (5.71%). Can one think in this way: will we become the next trillion-dollar economy? With such a low research and development budget and a lack of STEM skills taught in schools and colleges, can we think that Indian youth will be able to take jobs that will be created in the future? God knows.
Also, I dare not to talk about the safety of PhD students! Recall the devastating incident from November 2024, when a PhD student from IIT-Delhi died as an excavation pit collapsed over her near Harappan site in Gujarat. Who would have thought that a brilliant mind would be lost this way in the search for something new? But as everyone knows, nothing still happened, and the distressing parents are left alone in search of justice!
The Brain Drain Irony
The ultimate irony? Many of our brightest minds who couldn’t get into IITs end up at top universities abroad, while IIT seats go vacant. It’s like having a five-star restaurant in your neighborhood but ordering takeout from across the city. The grass is always greener on the other side, especially when that side has better research funding and fewer relatives asking “beta, engineering complete hui?”
Also, these minds often leave the country due to reservation quotas, which favours certain students with lesser academic marks over the ones who got more. Isn’t it ironic that the reservation system that was started to remove inequality is now a breeding ground of inequality?
And if this is also rectified, still the possibility of Brain Drain is not reduced as the quality of life in India, after paying such high taxes, is questionable! The problem may not be with the taxes but with the output of taxes. In a place where we are taxed more for caramelised popcorn, if we get our national capital airport’s terminal collapsed, then people will definitely think of getting out. Again, the problem may not be with the accident if the government has taken accountability, but in India, rather than taking accountability for the event and correcting it, the government enjoys playing the ever-famous ‘blame game’!
So, is there any Solution?
As we stand at this curious crossroads of vacant premier institution seats and a Nobel Prize drought, perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves: Did we create an education system that’s as practical as using a fork to eat soup? Are we so busy creating engineers that we forget to create scientists and researchers? But hey, look on the bright side – at least we’re world leaders in one thing: creating engineers who end up becoming bank managers.
Jokes apart, it’s high time we analyse our education system, or it will be too late!
