BHUBANESWAR: Keeping in mind the requirement of quality teachers for technical education in future, the Employment and Technical Education and Training (ETET) Department has directed the technical universities to prepare a road map for the next three years to increase enrolment in MTech and PhD programmes.
The decision was taken in the wake of dismal enrolment figures of MTech courses in the State.
Currently, the student strength in MTech courses in Government engineering colleges is only 20 per cent against BTech courses. Whereas in private engineering colleges, MTech courses comprise only five per cent of the total student strength against BTech courses.
Out of total sanctioned strength of 996 students in MTech and MPharm programmes in private engineering colleges, only 557 students passed in academic session 2013-14.
Similarly, out of total 646 students in MTech and MPharm programmes, only 226 students passed in the last academic session.
ETET Department secretary CS Kumar said the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has prioritised enhancement of intake in MTech courses in next five years so that enrolment in PhD courses would increase. MTech and PhD students form the source of supply for teachers in engineering colleges.
We have to look 10 years ahead and begin preparation of a pool of quality teachers for engineering courses which is possible only if intake in MTech courses is increased, he added.
Technical universities have also been asked to open new MTech courses which might gain popularity among students in future.
Currently, the State is facing a dearth of quality teachers in technical education. To tide over the crisis, ETET Department has targeted to enhance student intake of MTech courses to at least 50 per cent against the total BTech strength in three years time.
The technical universities will have to prepare a three-year road map which will take in all these requirements into account. Even though there is no dearth of classrooms, the engineering colleges will have to ramp up their efforts to set up high-end laboratories in accordance with new MTech courses.
Kumar said the universities need to encourage students for taking admission into MTech courses. Adequate facilities will be provided for PhD programmes to attract more students, he said.