Engineering colleges struggle as number of admissions decrease

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, JANUARY 15, 2019 00:00 IST

Dip in placements and faculty attrition plague institutions around the State

In the last five years, many engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University have seen their admission plummet from 10% to 50% or more.

While some colleges in rural areas have shut down, the seats of top ranked institutions get filled in the first few days of admission. Meanwhile, the middle-rung engineering colleges, where admission has fallen by about 30%, are trying to find ways to survive.

College administrators blame it on several factors, primarily on ranking of institutions by the Anna University, AICTE norms, faculty attrition and lack of interest from industries/companies to collaborate. K.S. Roopa, chief executive officer, Dhanalakshmi College of Engineering, said, “Students don’t flock to our college despite us improving on the placements. We placed 73 out of 200 employable students this year. Last year, only 38 students got jobs. But the ranking based on academic performance is telling on admission. This year we managed only 50% admission.” SKR Engineering College faces similar situation. “About 60-70% of the graduates get placement annually but admission has fallen to 350 against the intake of 500,” Divya Satish, a Computer Science professor, said.

‘Introspect, equip’

Experts say fortunes of these institutions can change only if they introspect and converse among themselves. TeamLease Digital’s business head Supaul Chanda cited the World Bank report that India lags in engineering education. “There are sufficient jobs for engineers provided they are equipped for it,” he said.

His suggestions are simple: involve the alumni in college activities; encourage teachers to publish papers and take up projects; and assess students’ aptitude periodically for the chosen branch of study. Rajendran Dandapani, Business Solutions Evangelist at Zoho Corporation, called attention to small details such as teachers maintaining communication channels among themselves.

Changes on the way

The same concept applies to college owners, feels P. Ravikumar of Digiterati. “Institution owners will benefit if they interact among themselves, communicate and converse, instead of living in denial,” he noted.

Some institution managers have begun reviewing their organisations though. R.S.K. Raguram, pro-chairman, PSNA College of Engineering and Technology, admits to a 10% dip in admission. He now plans assessment tests for students.

“Companies don’t want to waste time. They leave as the prospects are better elsewhere,” said A. Kanagaraj, chairman, Jaya group of institutions. He has realised that industry sees no point in collaborating and that faculty attrition has impacted campus placement.

Companies don’t want to waste time. They leave as the prospects are better elsewhere

A. Kanagaraj

Chairman, Jaya group of institutions