“Any large State of India probably produces engineers equal in number to what is produced in entire Europe. So, number wise India is the highest engineer-producing country. But the answer to the question ‘Does India have technological impact at the global level in the same proportion’ is not positive,” Director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, Raghunath K. Shevgaonkar, said here on Wednesday.
Delivering the graduation day address at Coimbatore Institute of Technology, he said in today’s liberalised market, one could not remain contented with the best at the local level.
To compete internationally, it was essential for engineering education to undergo a thorough restructuring.
Referring to the humanities component in engineering courses of the IITs, he said this would make a difference to engineering education. The five-year integrated humanities programmes in the IITs were considered on a par with the engineering ones.
However, there were not many institutes in India that focussed on humanities.
“On the one side there is a need to start many more engineering / science institutions because the effective engineering Gross Enrolment Ration (GER) is just about 2 – 3 per cent, while on the other there is the challenge to maintain the standard of education on a par with global standards. Engineering curriculum, therefore, must promote innovative thinking / non-conventional thinking,” the Director said.
Though a section of India lived a life even better than that of a developed nation, there was a large part that did not have even their basic needs met.
Sustainability should be in inclusiveness. Development should be based on an India-centric model of growth, he added.
Mr. Shevgaonkar awarded degree certificates to 674 candidates at the function.
Correspondent S.R. K. Prasad presided over the ceremony, and Principal V. Selladurai spoke.
