IT’s come a full circle. After more than a decade of being the stream of choice for engineering students, information technology (IT) studies may be losing out to traditional courses, at least in private colleges.
Six private engineering colleges have applied to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for shutting down their information technology (IT) departments.
Mallabhum Institute of Technology in Bankura, Sanaka Educational Trust’s Group of Institutions in Durgapur, OmDayal College of Engineering and Architecture, Uluberia, Camellia Institute of Technology and Management in Hooghly, Bengal Institute of Technology and Management in Santiniketan and the Institute of Science and Technology in West Midnapore are instead keen on introducing or expanding core engineering courses.
Engineering teachers say students are showing a growing preference for core streams such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering over IT in search of better job prospects.
“A core engineering course gives a student more options while looking for a job, from engineering assignments to IT firms. Many recruiters feel a wider perspective in engineering helps make a sharper IT professional,” a placement cell official said, adding that companies prefer bright students from other disciplines over average students from IT.
The total number of IT seats on offer at the 100-odd private engineering colleges across Bengal would go down from 3,560 to 3,200 if the petition is approved. Each of the six colleges has 60 IT seats.
According to figures provided by the West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT), the affiliating body for private engineering colleges in the state, at least 2,000 IT seats had remained vacant in private engineering colleges last year.
“We have applied for closure of the IT course as it had not been attracting students over the past two years. Instead, we have proposed for increasing intake in mechanical engineering from 60 to 120,” said Dhurjati Banerjee, the director of Mallabhum Institute of Technology and spokesperson for the Association of Professional Academic Institutes, a representative body of private engineering colleges.
Amit Saha, a spokesperson for the OmDayal group, echoed Banerjee. “We have applied for starting a civil engineering department, hoping it would draw more students.”
Bengal Institute of Technology and Management has appealed for doubling its 60 civil engineering seats. Camellia institute has sought more seats in electronics and communication engineering and computer science and technology.
“Some colleges have applied for closure of streams to tackle losses from vacant seats in IT. The AICTE will announce its stand ahead of the counselling for admission for BE in July,” said Sabyasachi Sengupta, WBUT vice-chancellor and chairman of AICTE’s eastern regional council.
