Engineers by Aptitude

Context: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) 's recent move to remove the mandatory requirement of Physics and Maths for eligibility in technical Education provides flexibility.

Background: A Working Group under the chairmanship of KK Aggarwal was constituted in 2019 to relook at the entry-level subject criteria and include subjects other than physics, chemistry and mathematics for the entrance exams to undergraduate courses in engineering and technology.

• Extended scope includes-
  • To specify the subjects mandatorily required for different categories of engineering studies and to suggest mandatory subjects at Class XII level for different groups.
  • To ascertain the level of preparation necessary in the mandatory subjects through testing in an entrance exam, if these are not formally taken in the board exam.
  • To complete these courses before starting engineering degree courses.

Positive aspects of the move:

• Offers bridge courses: There is neither dilution nor escape from doing enough mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology before graduating.
  • The student shall be required to take the additional prerequisite course(s) either on a MOOC before joining the degree programme.
• Provides flexibility: Diploma students increased from 10% to 20%, and they not only completed their degree in three years, some even topped the university.
  • For e.g. another such model followed by the IITs is the concept of a preparatory course for those from disadvantaged sections of society who go through a year in an IIT and study PCM before formally entering the first year of engineering.
• In line with the New Education Policy (NEP): In the last phase of four years (5+3+3+4 system), there is no distinction in terms of the arts, commerce or science stream.
  • Thus, if someone could not decide the right combination of subjects as early as class VIII would have the doors of engineering closed to them.
  • Multiple points of exit and entry, transfer of credits, academic bank of credits provides a learner enough avenues.

Conclusion: AICTE rules thus, does not undermine the importance of PCM and does not undermine the importance of entrance exams or the autonomy of universities in the selection procedure. Rather,  the new concept for admissions should be to test aptitude rather than subject knowledge.