Points:

1. Why there are many problems in Indian Higher (Engineering) Education System despite being many best organizations, best teachers and best students?
2. Why there is no research culture or it is only on paper?
3. Why there are less numbers of inventions in India?
4. Why students are not fit for working in industry after their graduation?
5. Why and How India is producing unskilled engineers?
6. Why unemployment problem in India?
7. What all problems organizations, teachers and students are facing?
8. Why teachers (most of them) don’t teach effectively?
9. Why students (most of them) don’t learn effectively?
10. Who all are responsible for all these problems?
11. Where government is making mistake?

Challenges in Brief:

1. System
2. Students
3. Parents
4. Teachers 

System:

• Syllabus: Outdated
• Documentation: Cancer to Education System.  

Students:

The top problems with most of the students in India are:

They don’t attend lectures and practicals. Even if they attend, they don’t concentrate. They are not serious, not worried about future. They don’t have goal. They don’t know the destination. They don’t know the success path by which they are supposed to travel. Some of them are addicted to drugs/tobacco/social medias/movies/sleep/love etc. Some of them are here to fulfill their parents dream. If we are able to solve above problems, we will be the super powers.

Parents:

Students are making above mistakes. Parents are busy in their business/career, in paying EMIs. Parents believe their children blindly. These children cheat their parents by all possible ways. Parents come to know about their child’s mistakes and cheating only after completion of their child’s education. By that time they can’t do anything.

Teachers:

Teachers know all these things. But they can’t do anything. Because they need to perform following tasks and need to deal with lot of problems.

1. Tasks@College (Refer Appendix 1)
2. Problems (Refer Appendix 2)

So teachers are busy in performing above tasks and dealing with their own problems. They don’t get time even to teach, then how come they will be able to solve student’s problems?

Solutions..

System:

1. Syllabus:It is time to change Engineering Syllabus to suit industry needs. AICTE needs to take call on this on priority basis. Now the autonomy status trend is going on everywhere. Teachers are facing lots of problems in designing curriculum and syllabus. They need special training on this. Practically it is not possible. AICTE will create domain wise updated curriculum and syllabus. Other autonomous colleges and various universities will take it as a reference and customize it as per their requirements.

2. Documentation:All Government Bodies and Committees (UGC/AICTE/NAAC/NBA/Local UGC/Local Bodies etc.) rely on documents. College Management needs documentation work to be perfect on priority basis. We (Teachers) spend most of the time in preparing documentation part (90% of them are fake documents) to impress various Government Bodies and Committees and to get grant from them. We Indians are very smart. We make fake documents as per the requirements. Government bodies believe the documents. We teachers are busy in generating fake documents. So we don’t get time to teach. This approach needs to be stopped. Govt. Bodies should not ask for any documentation parts for accreditation purpose. They should rely on things which can be seen through bare eyes. In some cases, if documentation is very much necessary then non-teaching staffs should do the same. Various committees need to suddenly visit colleges/universities. Discuss with students/faculties/management. This generation students give proper feedback (as they are very smart in such activities) of any system. Prepare reports and take actions (Accreditation/Approval/Non Approval/Granted/Not Granted etc.). Never ever rely on documents prepared by we Indians.

3. Universities:For each state can we have a single university (instead of many) for each domain for proper functioning. Is it possible to have at least two (or three in very big states) IITs in each state? ERPs for Universities:Need to become stable. It should be more effective. Still many universities are working with papers. Very soon they need to become paperless. Invest money on ERP for effective functioning.

4. Cloud Based College ERP:Very few organizations are using ERP system. Reason: The price. Most of the managements are not ready to invest on ERP. Teachers need to do all works manually. It will take lot of time. Solution:A group of experienced people will develop required Open Source Cloud Based College ERP. Someone (Government or some IT Organizations) needs to take initiation. Computer Science and Engineering department’s Professor’s will make required customization and host the application on Cloud. It saves lot of teacher’s time. The saved time can be utilized for teaching and focusing on student’s development. It takes less than Rs. 2500 for each college for world class ERP System. How? Reach us to know more.

6. Trimester/Semester VS Yearwise:In semester patterns: Start to End.. Everyone will be in Hurry Hurry.. Nobody will worry worry.. Can we go for our traditional year wise pattern instead of this semester/trimester pattern? Need to think very seriously on this issue. We (80’s people) had seen/underwent both the patterns (year wise and semester wise). In semester pattern most of the students pass the exams by studying in one night. After exams they forget everything. We (teachers) will not be able to take any actions against defaulter students as time is limited and workload is very heavy. In year wise pattern we get lot of time to teach and study. It is having lots of benefits. No Hurry, No Worry. We (teachers) can keep complete track of each and every individual student. Students can participate in events/activities/hackathon/competition with proper preparation and peace of mind. There will be continuous assessment throughout the year. At the end they need to appear for final exams (100 marks, 3 Hours, Offline). There will be no any online or MCQ exams. Passing percentage: 50%. In year wise pattern students are going to learn perfectly by all means.
7. Allow MNCs to open new colleges or to takeover about to quit colleges. Close all continuously low performing colleges and convert them into Arts/ Science/ Commerce/ or any other appropriate Alternate Options. Click here for Some Options.

Teachers:

2. Teachers just need to teach : Strictly they should not be given any documentation work. Non-Teaching staffs (clerks) should do all required documentation work (if required). We are teachers. We do lot of works. We just follow our higher authority’s words. We are not teachers, we are cheaters cum clerks. We cheat our students by not teaching them properly. We cheat society by not doing our work sincerely. We need to do lot of clerical work (Refer appendix-I). We give top priority to our clerical work. If we get some free time, then we will prepare for lecture. Some of us will go to lecture without preparation and however for name shake we deliver lectures inappropriately based on some past knowledge. But if you don’t give me other clerical work and pay my salary on time, I will prepare for my lecture seriously. I will deliver my lecture effectively. I will motivate and guide my students to complete their projects on time. I make sure that my students are going to learn from me.
3. Teachers should be rewarded properly (pay scale as per government rules and on time regular salary) without cheating. State Government pays student’s scholarships to organizations. This practice needs to be stopped. Instead of paying to organization, directly pay to teachers as salary.

Students: 

Students need teachers as well as true motivators (professional counselors).

Explanation:

We need to lift our students from confusion, misery, melancholy, and failure, and guide them to their true place, solve their difficulties, serve them from emotional bondage, and place them on the royal road to freedom, happiness, peace of mind, achievements.

Bosom Buddy Concept: Bosom buddy is a counselor. They know and practice psychology. Every college need to recruit enough number of trained Bosom Buddies. Their work is to just motivate students and nothing else. Recruit them in hostels also. They are going to interact with all students. Students will share all their problems (related to college, department, teaching, learning, family, personal, placement etc.) to bosom buddy. They know each and every student personally. They create sentimental attachments with students. Students start feeling that bosom buddy is our true friend and someone is there to share everything. With time they start sharing everything with them. Bosom buddy counsel them properly. He teaches them how to go for smart study, how to achieve mile stones, how to handle failures, how to get success, how to do successful projects etc.

Parents: 

Parents need to take proper follow up of their ward on regular basis with teachers and bosom buddy crews.

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Others Points:

1. Final Year Projects and Ph.D: In the final year (UG/PG/PhD/Post-Doctoral) engineering students (usually in a group of 4) need to complete one major project. They need to choose domain and topics as per their interests. One internal guide will be allocated for them. More than 75% engineering students in India purchases final year projects. They go to some project institutes; pay money (varies from project to project and city to city, usually 2.5K to 75K) and get readymade projects. Project institutes provide running code/module, ready to print report and colorful PPT. Students just need to prepare for demo and PPT (it takes at most 3-4 hours) and present it in front of their guide and external examiner. “Students should be given highest possible marks in Projects” is the unwritten rule in many of the Indian Universities. They receive degree from university. They go outside for hunting job. They keep on blaming other people (parents /friends /family /college /university /nation /society /government / etc.) for their unemployment. They never agree that their unemployment is because of their own inabilities.

Remarks:

1. For each project group there is a guide. But guide is very busy. Guide is a human being. How many works guide need to do? As mentioned in above sections guides (i.e teachers) are busy in doing documentation work. They need to prepare documents for various government and non-government committees (NBA /NAAC /UGC /AICTE /DTE /University /LIC /Autonomy Shikshan Shulk Samiti/ State Govt’s Welfare Department/ ABET /Third Parties /Medias etc).
2. Solution for above is: Open Source College ERP, Government Bodies will not ask for a single page of documentation. If some documentation work is required, then non-teaching staffs should do such works. Teachers only need to teach the students.
3. There are many project institutes in India. Majority of them are at Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai etc. These people are running project institutes under the name of Training. Giving training is not a bad practice. But they should not provide readymade projects to students. It is harmful for students and hence to our nation. This approach needs to be stopped. Completely ban such institutes (those who are selling projects).
4. Interested MNCs will float projects. All the details (topic, ppts, pdfs, eBooks, videos, animations, links, soft wares, ReadMe, StepByStep procedures, Blogs etc,) will be made available (online: through a common platform). Students will choose any of the interested projects. They refer the materials available at common platform. Their internal guides will guide them. They complete the project and submit it to university and hosted MNC. They will review and take required proper actions.
5. Rules/Procedure for admission to Ph.D needs to be reviewed on priority basis. In some universities Ph.D degrees are for sale. In some universities for some cases earning Ph.D degree is matter of time, money, valuable gifts to guides, good relationship with some top people, outsourcing project work etc. Many people are earning Ph.D’s just for promotions and Increments. It is sad but true.
6. New Ph.D Admission Scheme in India:All interested people (say professors from government/ private/ deemed universities; scientists, experts, individuals, industry experts) need to apply for guide/co-guide posts in their respective areas with any of the nearest IITs, NITs, IISCs and Central Government Universities. As per the rules (qualification, experience, capabilities, previous works etc.) their application will be processed. They will be given designation and class. Designations: Guide and Co-Guide. Class: A, B, C, D, E, F. Each Co-Guide is associated with only one Guide. A guide can have many co-guides. Allocation is made after mutual discussion of guides and co-guides. Guides and Co-Guides ratio, Funds, Facilities, and Powers etc. are dependent on classes (A-F). NAT (National Aptitude Test):Everything is same as that of GATE exam but with all subjects (Arts, Science, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Medical, Pharmacy etc.). The separate board is going to conduct this exam. Set up is ready with IITs/IISc. The same set up needs to be extended. The same exam score can be used for admission to PG, Ph.D; Recruitments in Government/ Private/ PSU/ Bank/ sectors etc. Validity: 2 Years. I being Ph.D aspirant apply for NAT. Clear NAT exam. From any of the IITs or IISc website I find the list of available guides in India. As per my area of interest, locality and availability of seats I will shortlist some guides. I will approach/apply anyone with my all details (score cards, experience letters if any, previous works and projects etc.). Guide will schedule and conduct my interview along with some panel. They may select/reject me. If rejected I can’t approach/apply for same guide for the next one year. Anyhow I can approach other guides. If selected, I will be allocated one co-guide. Guide will inform to parent institute (where he registered as guide). I no need to approach parent institute. I will start working under my guide and co-guide. My work location will be same as that of guide’s work location. Co-guide may be at the same or nearby different location. I need to clear course work conducted by Parent University. On regular basis I give/submit presentations, progress reports to my guide and co-guide. They are going to review the same. After my project is done, I will submit my thesis to guide. Guide will forward the same to Parent University. They will forward the same to 5 different examiners. Parent University will schedule my open defense. I will successfully defend the same and receive my award.

Appendix – I:

More than 90 types of documentation works from first year admission process to distributing final year mark sheets.

Appendix – II:

1. No Salary as per government pay scale (in more than 90% of the private Engineering colleges: as per our views).
2. Salary is not paid on regular basis. Delay in making salaries. Some people need to return back some part of salaries through hard cash/cheques. etc.

If you don’t pay right salary on regular basis, teachers will be in sad mood always. Because of this teachers won’t be able to concentrate on their prime work (i.e on teaching). They don’t get innovative ideas. They just keep on dealing with their own personal problems. Then how come they will be able to deal with students, society’s and nation’s problems?

Appendix – III: Tentative Academic Calendar: 

5 Days Working:
Teachers: 5Days*8Hours=40Hours 40-2=38Hours Working;
Students: Learning:30 (max) Sports:5(min) Library_Campaign:5 (min)

2 Days Holiday

10th June: Start of Academic Year
10th June – 9th August: Teaching & Learning
10-14 August: Unit Test – I (First 1/4th of Syllabus, All Subjects Theory/Lab, Pen & Paper/Practicals, 25Marks, 1/1.5Hour, No Online, No MCQs)
15th August: Flag Hosting, Blood Donation, Visiting Orphanage & Special Schools, Plantation, Swach Bharat, Social Services etc.
16th August – 10th October: 4 Slots of 2 Weeks each
2 Slots: Teaching and Learning
1 Slot: Extra Curricular Activities
1 Slot: Social Service
Colleges (After discussing with faculties and students) need to customize the days, slots and activities as per the need.
11th October – 25th October: Exam Preparation Leave
26th October – 10th November: Theory and Practical Exams: (Parallel: Correction of answer sheets by teachers) Mid Term Exams: (First Half of Syllabus, All Subjects
Theory/Lab, Pen & Paper/Practicals, 50/50Marks, 3/3Hour, No Online, No MCQs)

11th November – 30th November: Vacation (Teachers and Students)

1st December – 30th Jan: Teaching and Learning
26th January: Flag Hosting, Blood Donation, Visiting Orphanage & Special Schools, Plantation, Swach Bharat, Social Services etc.

1st February – 5th February : Unit Test – II (First 3/4th of Syllabus, All Subjects Theory/Lab, Pen & Paper/Practicals, 50/50Marks, 3/3Hour, No Online, No MCQs)

6th February – 15th February: Days Celebration, Social/Annual Gathering, Sports Activities
16th Feb16 – 15th April: 4 Slots of 2 Weeks each
2 Slots: Teaching and Learning
1 Slot: Extra Curricular Activities
1 Slot: Social Service
16th April – 30th April: Exam Preparation Leave
01st May – 20th May: Final Exams (Complete Syllabus, All Subjects: Theory/Lab, Pen & Paper/Practicals, 100/100 Marks, 3/3Hour, No Online, No MCQs) (Parallel: Correction of answer sheets by teachers)

21st May – 09th June: Vacation (Teachers and Students)

1st June: Results
Passing Marks: 50%
Fail in more than 25% of the subjects: Fresh Admission to Same Year.

Admission to Next Academic Year: By 7th June (Online: Through National and Corporate Portal)

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Participating in Hackathon
Participating in Various Sports
Participating in Project Exhibitions
Attending Technical Training Classes
Attending Personality Development Classes
Attending Hobby classes as per interest
Attending Any Relevant Online Courses
Attending Relevant Classes (in which particular student is weak)
Students will be given On Duty Leaves

After coming back to college, Students need to produce valid certificates.

Social Service:
ü 1 Slot: 2 Weeks: (Customize Yourself)
ü Students can choose any type of social service as per their interest/expertise.
ü Students will visit nearby village/area. They teach the villagers about handling computers and internet, digital transactions etc. They can go for plantation, Swach Bharat programs along with villagers. Give speeches, motivate them, mingle with them and win their hearts.
ü In the second term you can go for 7+7 days. 7 days social service. 7 days Industrial visit/educational trip/Goa Trip
ü Note: This is not compulsory. Interested students can join. Remaining students can opt for extra-curricular activities or study leaves.

 Outcome:

1. We will find improvements in teaching and learning
2. Teachers will be able to teach effectively
3. Students will be able to learn effectively
4. Research & Entrepreneur culture will grow.
5. Overall development in all fields.

Engineers create the world that has never been.