Now, take lateral route to engg

NEW DELHI: India’s inexhaustible supply of engineers, who provide developed world skills, seems to be endangered. In a bid to increase the supply of competent and employable engineers, the apex body for all engineering institutions, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), is now allowing engineering diploma holders and science graduates to make a lateral entry into engineering.

Diploma holders and science graduates, with 60% aggregate marks, will be able to pursue an engineering degree and for their primary qualification, they will get a year’s credit.

AICTE has issued regulations that will allow engineering diploma holders and BSc graduates to seek admission into the second year of engineering and technology programmes through lateral entry. The employability of a sizeable number of India’s engineering and science graduates has become a matter of concern. Infosys for example found that of the 1.3 million applicants only 2% were employable.

The move it is hoped will also encourage larger number of students to opt for science at the college level. “In order to provide science students avenues for proper employment after completing graduation, science graduates may be permitted to join engineering courses at second year along with diploma holders through lateral entry,” the regulation states.