Thiruvananthapuram: Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel has announced a comprehensive revamp of the B.Tech courses, including B.Voc, for students who failed in the courses. Students who join B.Tech can also avail of B. Tech honours by taking more credits and a minor degree along with B. Tech specialising in any subject.
He said that the state government planned to introduce online entrance examinations like in the JEE from next year. Such exams were successfully conducted for three-year LLB and five-year LLB.
The government has sanctioned new courses in engineering colleges in the state. Admissions to these courses will be held as and when the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University gives allotment sanction, said Mr Jaleel.
The engineering education is being revamped as per the model curriculum of the AICTE. The syllabus of the B. Tech courses is also being revised by the technological university in tune with the AICTE model curriculum, he said.
The total credits needed for completing the B.Tech courses in the state from 2019 admissions is fixed at 162 against the present 182. The additional time got from reducing the number of credits will be given for internship, entrepreneurship development, B.Tech honours programme, minor courses and remedial classes.
University examinations will be made compulsory for all practical courses. The credit for the last two semesters has been fixed at 31. This is to enable academically brilliant students to take up project, internship, startups and attend placements and prepare for examinations like GATE.
Academically backward students can take up remedial courses during the period. A four-month induction course will be given to first-year students. For that, the number of credits for first semester is 17, Mr Jaleel said.
The minimum pass percentage for a paper has been reduced from 45 to 40. The norm of minimum mark for internal assessment has been avoided, he said.
Students will be allowed to take break- off to start startups and complete internship. B. Tech honours are intended for students who could complete 12 credits in three subjects and eight credits online in the last two years. Minor degrees are intended for students who could complete 12 credits in three subjects and eight credits online in subjects other than engineering. Admissions for minor courses can be done from the third semester.
B. Voc courses are meant for students who could not find minimum credits needed for passing the engineering courses. These students can study other vocational courses and complete the B. Voc courses, said Mr Jaleel.
The four months in fifth and seventh semester will be set apart for internship. They can do internship at the ASAP programme of the higher education department and industries. A portal for ensuring internship in industries has been developed this year.
The maximum course for one semester is fixed at five theory courses and two lab courses. The maximum modules for a theory course are five.
Engineering colleges will be allowed to act as nodal agencies for local bodies to take up research, project planning, consultancies, student internships and projects. Entre preneurship cells will be started in colleges with the cooperation of startup mission. These startups will be allowed to take up works of local bodies, Mr Jaleel said.
