Coimbatore: Curriculum upgrade, revamping of the question paper pattern, faculty orientation programme and induction programme for students will be implemented in select engineering colleges from this academic year, according to the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Mr Anil D Sahasrabudhe.
Interacting with media here on Monday, Mr. Sahasrabudhe said, “Students come from various backgrounds to study in engineering colleges. In order to make them comfortable and break the ice between students and faculty, we will introduce an orientation programme in about 50 autonomous engineering colleges from this July. For six weeks, there will be no academic classes. Instead, students will discuss issues of national importance to help them think critically.”
He was confident that such sessions would strengthen the faculty-student bond and bring down incidents of ragging and students suicide.
Commenting on the introduction of a pan-India common entrance test forengineering, Mr. Sahasrabudhe said, “a common entrance test will improve chances of deserving students to seek admission into reputed institutions like the IIMs and IITs.
If all falls in place, an all India common entrance test (for engineering) will be mandatory from the academic year 2019- 20.”
Last year, surprise inspections were carried out in three per cent of engineering colleges. Mr. Sahasrabudhe confirmed that such surprise inspections would be carried out in five per cent engineering colleges this year.
Ahead of the media interaction, Mr. Sahasrabudhe participated as chief guest in the 15th graduation day of Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology (SKCET), Coimbatore. He distributed degree certificates to 1,350 candidates including 35 rank holders, 13 researchers who have completed their Ph.D., 337 students who completed their post-graduation and 1,000 undergraduates.
