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Engg syllabi: Univ talks to industry heads
Hemali Chhapia I TNN

Mumbai: Imagine studying from texts developed by Bill Gates, N R Narayana Murthy and other industry captains. Following the recommendations of NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies), the faculty of the technology department in the University of Mumbai has decided to hand over the task of drawing up new syllabi to the industry. Most of it is likely to be practical work which is application-oriented.
University officials along with heads of engineering colleges have already held parleys with Microsoft, IBM and Larsen and Toubro among other companies. “Industry has been complaining about the poor employability rates of engineers. Now we are asking them to involve themselves in drawing up the curriculum and also training our teachers,’’ said dean of technology Sandeep Sahare.
Currently, there are 45 engineering colleges affiliated to the Mumbai varsity offering 17 branches. Average employability rate in these colleges stands at about 60-65%. Part of the problem is that the curriculum taught is neither application-oriented nor does it reflect the fast technology changes taking place in various sectors. Many students who graduate are thus rated below industry standards and have difficulty landing corporate jobs without further education.
The colleges’ heads believe the employability ratio will go up if industry is involved in drawing up curricula. Principals and heads from all the colleges who met the dean today said that though employability rates are not poor, most companies are forced to put new recruits through a six-month-training programme, pointed out M B Shah, director of Shah and Anchor Engineering College.
As per the reforms proposed, first year students will have compulsory practicals for basic electrical and electronics studies and engineering mechanics in the first semester and for engineering drawing and computer programming in the second semester. “About 40% marks will be set aside for practicals,’’ explained Surendra Kumar, principal of Terna Engineering College.
Currently, in the first year, marks are allotted on the basis of oral viva voce and journals, which, according to university officials, are not taken seriously. Henceforth, however, even maths, which is otherwise a classroom subject, will be taught in laboratories. Year after year, allotment of marks to practicals will be extended to higher classes, said Udhav Bhosle, principal of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology.
On the basis of preliminary talks that the colleges have held with industry, practicals will not just give hands-on training to students, but will also reduce dependence on coaching classes that are “ breeding grounds for rote learning’’.
With all this in place, the university will also set up a centralised recruitment centre on the Kalina campus. “While individual colleges will continue conducting their respective campus recruitments, those who are not selected will be trained by the recruitment centre before companies can come and absorb them,’’ added Sahare.