Engineering profession needs new ecosystem: Experts

The Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE), an organisation comprising of India’s most distinguished engineers, honoured two eminent engineers with life-time achievement awards at a function here on Friday.

INAE gave away the awards to Prof S S Chakraborty, CMD  Consulting Engineering Services  and V S Arunachalam, former Scientific Advisor to the Defense Minister.

Talking to Deccan Herald, Chakraborty, a practicing civil and structural engineer and 
Fellow of ICE (UK), called for major changes in the engineering curriculum in the country to achieve world class infrastructure, a sector that requires a massive investment of $1 trillion in the coming five-year plan. “Colleges are churning out engineering graduates, who are not employable as they lack practical knowledge. We need good engineers to shoulder the massive responsibility of nation-building.” he said.  

He said that the National Academy of Engineers has submitted a report to the government recommending a curriculum where in students undergo 2 years of class room work that includes strong mathematics and ICT, followed by two years of on-the-job training in sectors such as railways, highways, agriculture and irrigation.  The engineering  is one of the largest segments in the industrial sector and is recognised as a key driver for the development of an economy.

In  India, high industrial growth, infrastructure development and favourable policies, have helped Indian engineering sector achieve prominence.

“But engineers are the most marginalised breed in the country and they are never rewarded for their good job,” Chakraborty said. To attract and retain talent in the engineering profession, an ecosystem must be created for recognition and reward, he said.