Student participation was enthusiastic at The Hindu Education Plus Eamcet counselling session held on Thursday. A wide range of questions, covering all aspects of engineering education were posed to the panel of experts. Given below is a summary of questions asked and answers thereof.
Should preference be given to a course or college?
Students should first select the course as per their interest. Parents must give weightage to their children’s choice because it is their career. Students then have to select a college that is at least four years old — enough duration to develop good infrastructure facilities. Discussions with faculty members and senior students can give more information about the college along with placement opportunities.
Q. How is Electronics and Communication different from Computer Science Engineering?
A. ECE branch has more derivative subjects, while CSE is more logic and programming driven.
Q. Can girls pursue architecture course?
A. Certainly. Architecture is nothing but arts, science and technology mixed together. As a discipline, Architecture is fast picking up. Many girls are pursuing it due to increasing demand. While earlier, a few companies did not select girls because it would be difficult for them to attend field work, the trend has been changing. Several firms are now evincing interest in recruiting girls.
Q. Briefly explain about electronics and instrumentation engineering?
A. Instrumentation is part of electronics. It’s an allied branch and the prospects in this field are good. But students should preferably choose conventional branches at under-graduation level and later go for specialised branches at the post-graduation level.
Q. What are the prospects for courses in Pharmacy?
A. Pharmacy is now one of the best courses. Several employees working in IT sector lost their jobs during recession but those in the pharmacy were not affected. Both mathematics and biology stream students can pursue the course.
Q. What is the difference between B. Pharm and Pharm.D?
A. B.Pharm. is of four years duration, and Pharm.D. of six years. Pharm.D. is more oriented towards clinical trials, while B.Pharm. is about drug manufacture. If one is keen to stay in India, B.Pharm. is good enough, but for a career abroad, Pharm.D. is required.
Q. What is the scope of research in engineering?
A. Engineering allows for multi-disciplinary research. One can go up to the post-doctoral level. Most students opt for jobs, or education abroad. That leaves very few researchers. So opportunities are in plenty.
Q. Where does entertainment field accommodate engineers?
A. Many engineers must have worked in the production of technology-based movies such as ‘Eega’, ‘Robo’, ‘Magadheera’ etc. There are lot of opportunities for dynamic and creative engineers in gaming and production of cartoon films.
Q. Is mechanical engineering suitable for girls?
A. Absolutely. Contrary to popular perception, there is no hard labour in ME. They only have to handle lathe machines, plumbing and carpentry trades.
Q. Which stream is preferable for average students?
A. There are no such preferences. One must pursue one’s own interests.
In any stream, one should ensure 60 to 70 per cent score without backlogs. The first year is transition period, during which one must pay a lot of attention. Bad performance during your first year will haunt you throughout the course.
Q. What is the difference between IT and CSE streams?
A. For those aiming to work for companies making IT products, computer science is a good option. IT is preferable for those who want to enter companies offering services for developed IT products.
Q. What is the difference between aeronautical and aerospace engineering?
A. Aeronautical engineering pertains to aircraft within Earth’s atmosphere such as aeroplanes, while aerospace engineering deals with those outside, such as rockets and satellites.
Q. Which stream is preferable for engineering candidates opting to attempt the civil services?
A. As a matter of fact, there is no need to pursue engineering if one is eyeing the civil services. Nobody opts for engineering subjects in UPSC exams, as they are low-scoring subjects.
Q. How is production engineering different from mechanical engineering?
A. The mechanical stream has thermal, design, production and industrial engineering, while production engineering places emphasis only on the last two topics. One can pursue an undergraduate degree in ME and then opt for production engineering at the PG level.
Q. What is the scope of research in Architecture?
A. B.Arch. is a five-year course, after which, one may specialise in topics such as architectural design, conservation architecture, landscape architecture, sustainability architecture, and others.
Q. What infrastructure should students look for in colleges offering aeronautical and aerospace courses?
A. Model aeroplanes, wind tunnels and even cockpits to help students learn more about the course visually.
Q. Can you explain about Biotechnology course?
A. The future belongs to this stream. But it has not taken off in India, and at present, candidates are not getting proper jobs here. So, they should be ready to pursue higher education or jobs abroad.
Q. Is there any future for food technology?
A. Gestation period is more for this course. It is a specialised course and opportunities are narrow. It is always advisable to take up specialised courses only after completing the four-year engineering course. Prospects for food technology will be more once the Centre implements the Food Security Bill.
Q. Are computer science students eligible to take up jobs in public sector undertakings (PSUs)?
A. Yes. Information and network security engineers can work in PSUs. Many from this field work at the Cyberabad police commissionerate.
Q.What prospects does the animation industry offer?
A. It deals with visual communication, apart from gaming. Students can hope for a bright future as several filmmakers are making movies with visual-effects.
Q. Can you explain about bio-medical engineering?
A. The course is a combination of medicine and engineering. Osmania University offers the course.
Thirty seats are filled through Eamcet. At present, jobs are difficult to get with this specialisation.
