Traditionally, engineering has dominated as the most sought after undergraduate course in India and successive figures published by the National Council of Advanced Economic Research have over the years confirmed the fact. Of the courses, Arts as an option lay the bottom of the heap. Last week’s findings, however, suggest that the tables have been turned. Student enrolment in B Tech and M Tech programmes has seen a dramatic fall, according to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). Students pursuing a master’s degree in technology have decreased by more than half in the last five years alone, while B Tech enrolment fell by 11% in the same period. Interestingly, the highest number of students – nearly double of science and commerce – are enrolled in Arts courses, with enrolment figures touching the 93.49-lakh mark.
However, some professional programmes like MBA, MBBS, B Ed and LLB continue to attract students. The government defines professional education as higher education programmes meant for students to acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies for a specific profession or a class of occupations. This slackening of interest in engineering comes at a time when student enrolment in higher education is at an all-time high. According to the survey, total enrolment in higher education has been estimated to be 3.74 crore, as opposed to 3.66 crore the year before. Little surprise then that over 50% seats in engineering colleges across India are vacant. The waning interest can be attributed to the job market. In Odisha, only 30% engineering students have got placement in the last five years. Of the 3.5 lakh applicants in the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board, around 9,000 come from an engineering background, with many M Tech degrees holders among them.
