Yes, the engineering syllabus is outdated, but what are you going to do about it? Computer engineering student Akshay Lakhi suggests you take up independent projects, internships and freelance coding assignments to make yourself more employable

“Internships give you an insight into what the current industry standards are. This goes a long way in shaping your knowledge and idea of the profession. Internships, or some form of work experience, should be made compulsory.” VIVEK GUPTA, ENGINEERING STUDENT AT IIT-BOMBAY AND FOUNDER OF AN E-LEARNING START-UP CALLED PLANCESS

‘I’ve studied engineering for three years and I don’t even know what I have learnt so far. How am I going to get a job?’ This thought confounds many-an-engineering-student, and their concern may well be justified. The fact that most companies run training and orientation programmes that can last up to a year for fresh engineering graduates only gives credence to the claim.
For instance, Siddhant Shetty, a final-year mechanical engineering student, is unsure whether his degree is testament to his jobreadiness. “Instead of studying the engines of contemporary automobiles, we are provided with an engine that was used 25 years ago,” he says. “Students aren’t sufficiently trained to deal with the practical application of the classroom concepts.”
Several senior professors agree that while the syllabus is designed with the right intent, the engineering curriculum is not taught in a way that encourages independent thinking. “Before entering an engineering lab, the theory should be clear in the student’s mind,” says Kalim Khan, director, Rizvi Education Society. “However, one major problem is that with the number of engineering colleges increasing every year, there is a dire shortage of qualified faculty. If people who have never practically applied the theory themselves are teaching, how can we expect the students to have a sound understanding of concepts?”
Recruiters, too, worry that fresh graduates are ill-equipped to handle industry rigours. “Most professional courses such as medicine and CA include mandatory industry exposure through apprenticeships,” says Narayanan Ramaswamy, head of education practice, KPMG India. “Having students undergo a degenerate engineering syllabus, then, is unfair, and defeats the purpose of a professional education. The negligible industry-academia interaction, coupled with an outdated, theoretical syllabus has led to a decline in the quality of engineers.”

So, what next?
While students can’t individually bring major changes in the syllabus or in the way it’s taught, here are some ways they can make themselves more employable, thus taking charge of their own success routes.
Avinash Divecha, third-year mechanical engineering student from KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, for instance, is part of team Orion, which has designed a formula-style racecar for a competition in Germany with other engineering students from 44 countries. The team used 3D imagery photo-typing technology to design the car, a relatively new concept in India. “Our car goes from zero to 100 in 4.4 seconds,” says Divecha. “Working on this project has encouraged me to take concepts from the classroom and apply my technical skills to real-world elements. I would recommend taking up an independent project to all engineering students to gain a full understanding of class concepts.”
Internships, too, give students a brush with industry requirements, and an opportunity to develop their expertise. “They give you an insight into what the current industry standards are,” says Vivek Gupta, engineering student at IITBombay and founder of an e-learning start-up company called Plancess. “This goes a long way in shaping your idea of the profession and knowledge. Internships, or some form of work experience, should be made compulsory.”
Students should also be alert about various technical competitions, on both a national and international level, which will encourage them to create technology or code worthy of contest.