Do we need more engineering seats?

May be a pleasant surprise for students but is quite unlikeable for the conventional arts and science colleges in the country, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal’s announcement of increase of 200,000 seats in engineering courses in India. Already some of the Engineering Colleges in TN and Karnataka are in the verge of collapse due to poor inflow of students and one wonders what prompted Sibal to sanction this much seats in Engineering sector. The huge infrastructure now available with Arts and Science Colleges are poorly utilised at present due to unattractiveness in pursuing conventional education and the present decision of the government would turn the issue worse.

The liberalised scheme now applied to Engineering colleges would not bring results as the minister expect. More focus on technical education would result in lack of interest in pure science study.

K A Solaman