Telangana: Students joining BTech have inadequate grasp of practicals

Hyderabad: Eamcet rankers joining first year B.Tech, are found wanting in laboratory work much to the surprise of the lecturers in engineering colleges. This lack of practical knowledge is mostly observed in Intermediate students who passed out from some Corporate colleges and the reasons are obvious, according to educationists.

“The only priority of these colleges is to get ranks in IIT, Eamcet and other entrance tests. Hence, focus is on theoretical learning while less or zero efforts are put in on teaching practicals in private colleges. Students are explained about laboratory terminology for chemistry and physics only before the practical exam in February, but colleges make sure they get marks to the fullest,”

Telangana Lecturers Forum honorary president Kathi Venkataswamy said.
According to a chemistry lecturer from a corporate college, practical classes should be held in both junior and senior intermediate, but rarely this schedule is followed.

“Physics and chemistry practicals come into the picture only a few weeks before the exam. All the terms like test tube, burette, pipette, conical flask, volumetric analysis and qualitative analysis, calibration, Vernier calipers, screwgauge, bar pendulum are taught in a hurry. While meritorious students can easily grasp, for others it will be a little difficult," he said.

The disadvantage of less exposure to practical work in laboratories at plus two level is reflected when these students join first year engineering. Due to lack of basics, students are learning things in engineering first year, which they ought to have mastered at plus two level.

According to Mr Giridhar Reddy, head of the chemistry department at CBIT, students from CBSE or government colleges background at plus two level are a little ahead when compared to those coming from corporate colleges.

“Meritorious students, when explained about these things, grasp it quickly and get accustomed to them within a few weeks if not days. But for others it will take  longer. At CBIT, there is not much of a problem. However, my colleagues from other colleges said they faced a tough time in teaching practicals to the freshers,” he said.