The Engineering Council of India plans to register 12,000 people as Professional Engineers as part of its efforts to bring in self-regulation and register engineers across verticals in the country.
P.R. Swarup, Member Secretary of the council, said that since November last year, the council has received 4,000 applications and has short-listed about 2,040. Most of them are civil engineers though there are marine, electronic and IT engineers too. “Civil engineers are more in number as many of them are self-employed,” he said.
About 1.6 million engineers graduate every year in the country and there is no certainty on the capabilities of these candidates. Many of them also get into sectors such as banking and civil service. Those who have basic qualifications, have seven years to 25 years experience, and are practising, will register and undergo continuous professional development programmes (200 to 250 hours of education in five years).
The certification will be valid for five years. “There are prescribed ethics that the registered professionals will follow and the peer group decides on their registration. The whole exercise is also about consumer protection,” he says.
While the Engineering Bill is pending for Parliament approval, “We decided to put in a system, screen the engineers who apply, register them and bring in self-regulation,” he said.
Mr. Swarup pointed out that the council imparts training to construction workers and the Central Public Works Department now says that only trained and certified workers should be employed by contractors in its projects.
The council has decided that consultants will mention in their work documents that they will have certified workers and Professional Engineers. This will create awareness and encourage more engineers to register, he said.
According to S. Pichaiya, former head of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (India), inconsistencies in engineering practice can cause colossal loss of life and resources. The Professional Engineers is a self-regulation to ensure strong and ethical practice.
The council was formed by more than 20 professional societies and has more than 30 societies now. It prepared the draft Engineers Bill in 2002 and submitted it to the Union Government. With the bill pending, Professional Engineers certification is the only alternative to regulate the practising engineers. If the bill is passed, the ECI will come under the regulation as it already follows the systems and procedures followed worldwide by similar institutions, he said.
