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DU has launched three new B. Tech courses under the Faculty of Technology from the upcoming academic session, 2023-24, added with several benefits and incentives from supernumerary seats for single girl child to reimbursements upon purchasing laptops.

The University of Delhi besides introducing three B. Tech courses- namely, B. Tech Computer Science and Engineering, B. Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering, and B. Tech Electrical Engineering- is also offering several incentives along with the programmes. Supernumerary seats for single girl child, scholarships for underprivileged students, and laptops for all are some of those incentives, as underlined by Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, the Vice-Chancellor also mentioned that the new academic session shall begin on August 16. Expanding more upon the B. Tech programmes, he went on to add that 360 students would be admitted to the engineering curriculum, with 120 seats in each course while a seat in each of these three programmes will be given to a single girl child in the form of a supernumerary seat. Moreover, every student enrolled in B. Tech will be reimbursed up to Rs. 50,000 on the purchase of a laptop.

He said that the University will also introduce a Financial Support Scheme (FSS) to extend the benefits of equity and access to quality education to economically weaker students seeking admission to BTech programmes. Under this, candidates whose parents’ income is Rs. 4 lakh or less will be given a 90 percent fee waiver at the time of admission while candidates whose parents’ income is more than Rs. 4 lahks and less than Rs. 8 lahks will get a 50 percent fee waiver at the time of admission. The University has also included a supernumerary quota for orphan students this year.

The B. Tech programmes would be designed in such a manner that there would be a minimum of 50 percent weightage given to the major subject area of study with a maximum of 65 percent weightage. The remaining weightage would be to the minor subject areas of study, the Vice-Chancellor added.

Not only that, students will have several exit options with the National Education Policy. Students who will have completed one year of study with requisite credits will be awarded a certificate, those with two years and requisite credits would be provided with a diploma, those with three years and requisite credits will be granted an advanced diploma while those completing all four years of study along with a proper number of credits will get a B. Tech degree.

Lastly, the Vice-Chancellor mentioned that the Faculty of Technology will be situated on the North Campus of DU for logistic support and proximity to other departments. Besides the B. Tech courses, the university will also be launching a five-year LLB programme along with ITEP courses from the upcoming academic year.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Read Also: DU to Conduct PhD Admissions via CUET from Academic Year 2023-24

Priyanka Mukherjee

[email protected]

In a meeting held by the executive council, the university is all set to introduce B. Tech courses for the
academic year 2023-24 from August. Three courses will be offered with an intake capacity of 120
students for each programme.

Starting in August, Delhi University (DU) will offer engineering courses for students to pursue for the
academic year 2023-24. The courses will range from B.Tech degrees in Computer Science and Engineering; Electronics and Communication Engineering; and Electrical Engineering. The total intake capacity of the students will be 360, consisting of 120 for each program. Admissions under the B.Tech course will be conducted on the basis of JEE scores Mains score. The course structure, credit distribution and syllabi for the first two semesters have been finalized by the executive council.

On Friday, 9 June 2023, in a meeting presented before the executive council, the new course structure received approval. Earlier in April, the Ministry of Education also approved the introduction of 72 teaching and 48 non-teaching posts for the new programmes in April.

In 2021, a committee had been deliberately set up by the University to introduce new courses.

“The committee held several meetings in the last one-and-half years and systematically deliberated upon various issues within its terms of reference to facilitate the initiation of the three BTech programmes under the Faculty of Technology in the emerging subject areas of computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering and electrical engineering,” an official stated in reference to the report submitted by the panel.

The committee suggested adequate infrastructural facilities for the classrooms and laboratories be
arranged until the Faculty of Technology building is fully functional.

“The committee authorized the vice-chancellor to decide upon the space and other essential physical
infrastructure for initiation of these B. Tech programmes,” the report stated.

The course structure is designed in such a manner that a minimum 50% weightage will be applicable to the major area of study with a maximum of 65% weighable. The rest will be applicable towards the minor area of study. In accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP), students will be provided with multiple exit options. A student who has successfully completed one year of study and earned the requisite credits will receive a certificate. Two years of successful completion of the required credits will earn the student a diploma and three years of successful completion along with the required credits will earn an advanced diploma. Students who have successfully completed the required credits for four years will be awarded a Bachelor’s in Technology degree.

In line with the introduction of new programmes, the executive council approved the introduction of the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) for the academic session 2023-24. The ITEP will replace the current Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) programme.

Read Also: https://dubeat.com/2023/06/06/du-to-introduce-three-b-tech-courses-from-this-academic-year/

Featured Image Credits: Devesh for DU Beat

Sri Sidhvi Dindi
[email protected]

“Do you know that the majority of the people who attended the programme were IITians?” asked one of my friends, a humanities student from the University of Delhi who recently returned from a winter school at a premier business institution of the country. I was left wondering whether the presence of engineers from premier engineering colleges was something from which the programme drew its value or vice versa.

Last year, the Ministry of Human Resource Development approved six new IITs. This was in spite of the fact that the existing IITs face a 40% shortage of faculty members. Earlier in 2014, when the BJP-led NDA government came to power, it declared the formation of new IITs. The same declaration was followed before the elections in Jammu in 2016. The parents, teachers, politicians, and the entire country seem to have fallen in love with IITs. So much so that students start preparing for the entrance from Class 8th and even below. Every year, the placement reports of students bagging packages in crores, national media coverage of toppers, and several other factors play their roles in creating this beautiful picture of IITs as the institutions which would make your life all set once you enter them.

But the inside picture is something no one pays attention to. Recently, another student committed suicide in one of the premier institutions of the country. From the towns that have virtually turned into factories in the name of coaching centres to the placements after entering premier institutions, this entire journey of a student is filled with pressure and stress which becomes too difficult to handle.

Every year India produces engineers who are as many in number as the entire population of Singapore. However, only 7% of them are employable. These engineers often start their journey as science students after Class 10th because they are perceived to be ‘good students’ and then the journey never ends.

This year a total number of 11, 98,989 people applied for the JEE mains exams across the country. The huge number implies that this is no less than a national dream.

But is it?

The number of IITians cracking the UPSC, IIMs, and other jobs has increased in the last five years. This shows that IITians are looking for alternative career options than engineering. A few days back during a casual chat with one of my hostelmates who studies at DSE, he mentioned that the number of engineers getting into economics after engineering has increased over the years. Similar pictures can also be drawn for the Faculty of Law.

Every student dreams to be recognised, get a good job, achieve greatness, contribute back to the country, or simply make his parents happy. Satisfaction in life plays a huge role in determining the quality of life that we live and share with everyone around us.

This is another year when in the coming days 1.5 lakh students from the 12 lakhs who applied for the JEE mains would be sitting for the JEE advanced paper. As students from IITs break into the 100 percentile clubs of CAT, go ahead into environment conservation, crack the UPSC, or explore humanities, all I wonder is that if these jobs were appealing career options in the first place, then why spend four precious years doing engineering.

Herd Mentality at play
Herd mentality at play

Maybe these engineers realised this in the later part of their engineering courses. Or maybe they never thought about it in their earlier years because they didn’t see it as an option. Or maybe the picture above is the answer. I don’t know.

 

Feature Image Credits: CollegeDekho
Image Credits: Pinterest

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

Will the B. Tech Degree offered by Delhi University be the same as the one offered by the regular engineering colleges? The Four-Year Undergraduate Programme has observed an academic metamorphosis of six courses, namely psychological sciences, electronics, instrumentation, computer science, food technology and polymer science from their early B.A or B.Sc form to B.Tech. The officials from Delhi University have claimed that the B.Tech degree would make one eligible for M.Tech courses in institutions such as IITs and NITs. The new B.Tech courses have attracted many students, the reason for which might hinge on the aforementioned claim. However, IIT officials deem it appropriate to doubt the veracity of the statement since the University has not communicated with them about this aspect. The officials are of the view that a thorough inspection of the four-year curricula and the merit of students is in order before they give their final word. While on one hand, there are optimistic affirmations that the engineering institutes might, after all, grant Delhi University graduates admission in M. Tech courses immediately after their graduation, on the other hand, the composition of B.Tech courses of Delhi University has come under scrutiny. Ordinarily, a B. Tech course in other institutions consists of 6-7 theory papers in the subject along with 4-5 practical/technical papers each in the first two semesters. Whereas under FYUP, each semester in the first year comprises of two papers, 4 foundation courses and one course on Gandhian Philosophy: Integrated Mind, Body and Heart. Another noteworthy impediment is the fact that a fresh staff, with technical background, required for the new technical courses has not been introduced. Yet another factor that adds to the inconclusiveness of the new pattern is its technical base that has been said to be drawn without any approval from All India Council for Technical Education. While most teachers refused to clarify this ambiguity, a teacher, closely associated with the formulation of the FYUP structure, responded, “I don’t think DU has got any approval from the AICTE.  We mentioned this to our Head of the Department, but received no reply.” Similar belief has been reaffirmed by other publications, while the University has not thrown much light on the matter. What further needs to be noted is that admissions to the newly introduced Delhi University B.Tech courses require no entrance examination contrary to the system followed in other engineering colleges. The admission on the basis of cut-off hence acts as an attraction to students who didn’t make it in the competitive entrance and at the same time the quality of students who will pursue the course is put to question. The eligibility criteria in regular engineering colleges comes with the requirement of a science background in class 12. With the DU course however, even a humanities student can pursue a B.Tech degree. Students have also been apprehensive about the kind of placements that the course would offer without the AICTE approval and the lack of reputation as B.Tech training grounds in the market. Nonetheless, the University has made efforts to display the liaison of its new courses with those of engineering. For instance, the newly introduced electronics course has been “termed” as a close compatriot of the one taught at Delhi Technical University. Suryansh Chaudhary, a recent class 12 pass-out says, “Well it is cheap, a government institute and in Delhi! And unfortunately, other things don’t really matter.” The affordability factor is certainly one to think about. While other government engineering colleges might also offer a subsidised fee, the limited number of seats in these institutions certainly happens to be a problem. With the increase in demand for the B.Tech tag, the more the merrier seems to be the apt phrase here. Many students believe that they would prefer pursuing B.Tech at a regular engineering college because the curriculum is more ‘engineering-like’, is AICTE approved and promises better job prospects. There is no significant difference between the previous B.Sc. Computer Science and the new B.Tech Computer Science syllabus at Delhi University. Except the ‘B.Tech tag’, not many elements seem to have been changed. With a degree that is not AICTE approved and will be taught (similar to a B.Sc course) by the same staff that previously taught B.Sc and B.A. courses, whether it will actually make you an engineer is something to think about. As of now, we have can only study the progress of this much popularised Four-Year Undergraduate Programme to see whether it stands the test of time. Editor adds: The story is aimed at the new B.Tech courses at DU and not the B.Tech in Innovation programme started by Cluster Innovation Centre in 2011. We understand that the technical and practical approach in CIC’s methodology is unquestionable and well recognised. (Also see: Courses to Look out for: B.Tech under CIC)]]>

 

Education, literacy and entrance examinations have always been a subject of popular debate in our country, with thousands of students aspiring every year to get through some of the best educational institutes of the country, like the IITs, NITs, AIIMS, etc. The Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) has always been an elusive examination for most students, with lakhs of students preparing every year to attain the coveted tag of being an IITian, with only 1% getting through. The IIT JEE examination is considered the toughest engineering entrance examination inAsia, and those who crack it pride themselves in doing so.

In May 2012, the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Kapil Sibal announced a revamp of the IIT JEE examination, with the inclusion of all the major engineering entrance examinations of the country into one single examination- Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test  (ISEET). The new pattern consisted of two examinations- the ISEET Main and the ISEET Advanced. The top 40,000 students of the ISEET Main examination would be allowed to appear for the ISEET Advanced, which granted admission to the premier institutes of engineering like the IIT’s and NIT’s. However, ranks would be determined by taking 50% of the score of the advanced examination and 50% of the class 12 board examination results.

This proposal had earlier been pending in the Parliament, but was passed this May, causing uproar throughout the country. Students as well as parents protested against the inclusion of the class 12 board examination marks and the IIT senates immediately condemned this decision of the government. IIT Delhi moved the High court two weeks after the declaration of this decree. IITKanpurmoved a step ahead and announced its very own entrance test from 2013.

Amidst this entire confusion, there were hotly contested debates on various public forums, with writers like Chetan Bhagat and Directors of ‘prestigious’ coaching institutes condemning the decision to include the class 12 board marks and they labelled this move as an attempt to lower the standard of the IIT’s, which are the pride of India. The IIT senates felt extremely insulted by this impeachment on their autonomy. A student studying in a coaching centre in Mumbai said, “ I took a drop after my class 12 to prepare for IIT JEE, and I hadn’t fared very well in my boards as I was busy preparing for IIT JEE. Now that the pattern has changed, does the government expect me to go back and give my class 12 boards again? Before, cracking the JEE was important. Now, if class 12 marks determine our ranks, then where will students who have taken a gap year go?”

However, the Director of the Vidyalankar group of coaching classes felt that this decision was a wise move. With coaching classes branching out all over the country, IIT JEE had become an examination for conditioned mindsets, not academic brilliance. With the implementation of the ISEET, students would become more serious about attending school and performing well in the boards. The practice of integrated school- cum- coaching classes like Bansals and Narayana would soon disappear and students could again go back and enjoy their school days – something they deserved and which they should not be averse to. He also added that his coaching centre offers coaching for both class 12 and IIT JEE. Looks like business strategies are changing as fast as the education system.

With increasing dissent all over the country and a complete deadlock over the course of the future of thousands of children sitting for the entrance examination in 2013, Kapil Sibal organized a meeting with the IIT directors and finally came to a consensus about the pattern of the ISEET examination. The proposal for 50% weightage on class 12 board marks was scrapped and it was decided that students in the top 20% of their board would be allowed to sit for ISEET Advanced. The number of students eligible to sit for ISEET Advanced now increased to 1,50,000. The agitation slowly died down, as the decision makers came to a consensus without taking the views of the children into account, which is usually always the case when it comes to education. Take the implementation of the semester system inDelhiUniversityas an example.

With the ISEET implemented, the students still haven’t received any intimation in regard to the pattern of the new exam and are still in the loop about whether their board marks will be scaled down while assessing their ranks or not. We can now just wait and watch the outcome of this new exam- a political gimmick, most people say, before the 2014 elections. Whether it will be a huge disaster like the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medicine (NEET), which was a complete failure last year, or a success…only time will tell.