Lack of quality education cause of underemployment in engineering says Punjab Engineering College Director

The Director of Punjab Engineering College, Dheeraj Sanghi talks about the educational quality among institutes and the reforms to be brought about in PEC, various aspects that linger on the engineering field, the job opportunities, and the causes of underemployment in engineering.

Reforms to be brought about in Punjab Engineering College

Unlike other universities which have a law or Act in place, Chandigarh does not have an assembly which means that the law has o be approved by the parliament. The institute has been trying to get recognized under the Institutes of Technology Act by the parliament since the last 55 years. The director of Punjab Engineering College, Dheeraj Sanghi said, that when he joined the university he was not in favour of writing a letter to the ministry and requesting it to declare the institute under IIT.  The director pointed out that it is easy for them to request the parliament to declare the university under the National Institutes of Technology Act, Chandigarh but the university has its own history which they wish to retain.

Lack of initiative among graduates to set up companies in India

The director is of the opinion that engineering graduates not working in India is an exaggeration. He says that if  10 Lakh students graduate as engineering every year, 5 to 7 percent of them are very good and at least 10,000-20,000 will head out of the country. He points out that companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS, and other such companies are all run by Indians and yet they are not talked about. If the top 20 IT companies in India are considered, only 2 or 3 will be MNC’s and all of them will have Indian CEO’s.  

Growing Trend of engineers opting for MBA

There is a trend in the number of students taking up MBA after engineering. The director points out that this trend is common because most of the students who took up engineering did not want to become engineers but were forced to. He says that by the time they realise it it is too late. The director also added that the society has to really look into this factor and view  its aspects. The whole concept of a single examination for admissions is not at all relevant in today’s context her added. There are very  few examinations for admissions into so many courses. The institutions really need to come up with an admission strategy which encourages those students who are actually interested in pursuing engineering. 

Underemployment among engineering graduates

Dheeraj Sanghi points out that the reason behind the underemployment in the engineering sector is not the fault of the engineering graduates but the lack of quality education provided in the instructions. Out of 10 lakh engineering students, only 2 lakh get real engineering jobs even though there are more job opportunities available. He said that the focus must be on how to improve the quality of education in the institutions.

He advises students to be stress-free and keep their minds healthy. He says, that the only difference between the students who do extremely well while others don't in spite of the hard work they put in is a healthy mind. He adds that hard work and practice is an important factor as it keeps the mind stress free and prevents students from performing under pressure.