Engineering
Create and build
Technology is upgraded every six months. Infrastructure has to come up to global standards to keep pace with the pressures and demands of global business. All this will translate into demand for skilled engineers, who will provide the much-needed level playing field for India’s growth story. About a hundred exciting streams have opened up for aspiring engineers to choose from.
Gagandeep Kaur

MODEL CAREER: The engineering stream can be chosen in accordance with the aptitude Thinkstock photos/Getty Images

ONE of the most common questions that students encounter after completing their 12th standard exams is, "What will you do next?"

Though the answer to this question is preceded by a discussion before coming to a final decision, students are often seen regretting the choices they make. This probably happens due to the lack of professional guidance.

After plus two, students aim more for careers like engineering, medicine and Armed Forces. Unfortunately, the only consideration taken into account is, what their friends are going in for and what kind of pay package they will get at the beginning of their career. This certainly reflects a very casual approach as far as the choice of work one has to pursue for a life-time goes.

The problem of choice is further compounded by the fact that most of the young have no clue of what they want to do with their lives, except perhaps that they want a to pursue a programme that will lead to a job with a multi-national company with a nice "package". Much of the discussion among prospective candidates is focused around "placements." Most of the league tables compiled by various publications are heavily biased by placement data (if not by advertising space bought by the college). Candidates look for the colleges with good placement records and seek admission in courses which are perceived to be in demand rather than opting for what is close to their heart, or, well-suited to their aptitude.

Considering the scenario and current statistics, it’s imperative for students to make career choices on the basis of well-informed decisions based on the match between today’s job market, personal abilities, interests and motivation.

No doubt, engineering is one of the most sought after careers for students with high scores, but scoring high grades in physics, chemistry and maths alone may not necessarily ensure a great career in engineering.

While you’re opting for engineering, inform yourself about the nature of the job you are looking for. Engineering involves two kinds of work, whether it is civil or electronics. One is the supervisory work, which requires planning and execution and the other involves development of product and processes and improvements in them. Jobs of the first kind require general awareness, habit of caring about details, and good communication skills. The jobs of the second type require deeper technical skills, understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them creatively. Also, keep in mind, most colleges prepare you for the first kind of jobs. To be a technocrat and innovator, you need to aspire to enter a prestigious institution like IIT.

There are numerous options available for an engineering aspirant. In a growing economy like India, where infrastructure is going to grow phenomenally, challenging opportunities are going to open for decades to come. As an aerospace engineer you may have the opportunity to develop cryogenics technology, earnestly needed for the country to make advances in the space research, as a civil engineer you have the opportunity to develop earth- quake resistant houses and as an electrical engineer the challenge lies in developing superconductors. The list is endless.

In engineering, a myriad options are available that you can choose from as per your interest. In addition to the conventional three streams — civil, electrical and mechanical engineering — avenues have opened for those who are interested in courses in computer science, electronics, aerospace, biotechnology, biomedical, information technology and many more hybrid branches. There is a good scope of work in every branch of engineering.

Why engineering?

The field of engineering provides a variety of career opportunities as job options are wide, and all the engineering jobs are inter-related. An electronics engineer can well work on computer engineering projects and so on. From designing planes, ships, jets to that of heart valves, nano- robots, boring holes in earth for petrochemicals, creating software and hardware to make our life fast and easy, engineers and engineering play a vital role. Thirdly, it is a challenging work. It involves creativity and utilisation of intelligence. Engineering contributes a lot to the society in building a great nation. A mechanical engineer develops engines for vehicles which are eco-friendly, thus contributing in saving the environment. A software engineer can develop cheap and useful software for the disabled. A career in engineering offers financial security too. In addition to the above, as an engineer you will work in a professional environment where creativity and intellect are top priorities. And in this pursuit, one also earns respect in society.

Emerging streams in engineering: A large number of students take the Engineering Entrance Examination but only a few are aware of the various career options that engineering as a profession offers. Available options are: aeronautical engineering, architecture, automobile engineering, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, ceramic technology, chemical engineers, civil engineering, computer engineering, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, genetic engineering, industrial & production engineering, instrumentation engineering, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, petroleum engineering, plastic technology, polymer engineering, rubber technology, space technology, textile engineering etc.

The roadmap

Admission to any engineering course in India demands 10+2 qualification with a non-medical stream. One is supposed to clear the entrance examination conducted at an all- India level to gain entry in any of the premier engineering institutes of India. The Joint Engineering Examination (JEE) and the All-India Entrance Examination (AIEEE) are the gateways to IITs and the NITs and the IIITs ( International Institute of Information Technology), respectively. Going by the ratio of the number of aspirants and the total number of seats offered by the premier institutes across the country, one has to put in a lot of hard work from Class XI onwards. The aspirant should have a thorough understanding of the syllabus and the nature of the questions asked in the entrance examination.

India has a large number of engineering institutions covering different engineering streams. These institutes are spread all over the country and are governed either by the state governments or by the central bodies. The admission to these engineering education and training institutions is largely done on the basis of entrance examinations conducted by the board of the state, country or the respective institutes.. responsible for conducting the examination. The responsibility of successfully conducting these entrance examinations at different levels is jointly carried out by polytechnics, engineering colleges and universities in close cooperation with department of technical education and the designated government or other agencies.

There are 16 Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) viz, Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee, Bangalore, Roop Nagar, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Mandi, Indore and Patna, and 30 National Institute of Technologies (NITs), and three IIITs at Hyderabad, Banglore and Allahabad, and several private institutes are engaged in the task of grooming engineers.

— Gagandeep Kaur is Assistant Professor, Dept. of Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering, Thapar University, Patiala