Core subjects score over new-age tools

MITA MUKHERJEE

The downturn is pushing computer-related subjects down the priority list of budding engineers, who are now preferring more core subjects such as civil, electrical, mechanical and chemical. The counselling for JEE rank-holders, which began on July 5, has revealed a sharp drop in interest among students in information technology, computer science and engineering and electronics and telecommunication. Officials in the JEE board attributed the trend to a dearth of jobs in the IT sector because of the downturn and increased opportunities in the “safer” sectors of infrastructure and manufacturing. “Even till last year, those who ranked within 200 would opt for computer science or electronics. But the trend has reversed, with toppers showing a preference for civil, electrical, mechanical and chemical and construction engineering,” said Siddhartha Dutta, the chairman of the JEE board and pro vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University. At JU, the student who had been admitted to the last seat in computer science last year had ranked a little below 200. The corresponding rank this year is 424.The first student to opt for civil engineering in 2008 in JU had ranked close to 600. This year, a student who had ranked within 100 was admitted to the first seat in the department. The first seat in construction engineering had gone to a student who had ranked 1,400 in 2008. This year, the opening rank was 94. The trend is similar at Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur. Besu registrar Biman Bandopadhyay said: “We were surprised to see that the last seat in our computer science course has been taken by a student whose rank is more than 1,000 on the JEE merit list. Last year, the department was out of bounds for those who had ranked 600-plus.” The IT scene is “gloomy”, said a student who opted for construction engineering in JU. In contrast, a lot of attractive avenues are opening up in the civil and construction engineering sectors. “No wonder good students are flocking to traditional courses,” he said. JEE board chairman Dutta, however, fears the trend might affect private engineering colleges, since their subject bouquets comprise mostly computer and related subjects. The core subjects are mostly taught in state-run institutions like JU and the Shibpur varsity. All private institutes are not worried though. “We have appointed competent teachers and set up quality infrastructure to attract good students to computer and IT-related subjects,” said B.N. Biswas, the chairman of the education division of the Supreme Knowledge Foundation Group of Institutions, which has recently set up a technical college in Hooghly. There are nearly 25,000 engineering seats in Bengal, of which around 3,500 are in government institutes.Of the 60,000-odd students on the JEE merit list, the counselling of nearly 15,000 is complete. Around 6,500 seats, including 3,000 in state-run institutes, have been filled up.