HAMIRPUR: Prof. R.Natarajan, the former chairman of AICTE has stressed upon the need to Re-engineer the engineering education of the country to face the challenges of twenty-first century. He said,” Time has come when engineering education is given a new look to compete with the World level challenges and the new scenario”.
Addressing passed out engineers, students and staff of the National Institute of technology on occasion of its second annual convocation, here today, he said,”  There is a need to recognize the changing and emerging role of Leadership; Governance; Faculty and support services in wake of taking the engineering education for the Twenty-first century”.
Prof. Natrajan said,” The redefined goals of engineering education should focus on: Quality, Excellence, World class; international competitiveness; national relevance, appropriate engineering education, identifying of stakeholders and fulfillment of their requirements.
He said that the NSF task force on TQM proposed that “Quality engineering education demanded a process of continuous improvement.
Prof. Natarajan said,” There seems to be universal agreement that the current system has many flaws which need to be removed. The emerging scenario places several new demands on the engineering graduates, which are largely un-addressed by our technical institutions. Two of these demands are: knowledge, skills and attitude that confer employability in the present and a foundation that enables them to function effectively and productively in future which has not yet unfolded, and whose contours will be designed by them.
In his address, Justice M.L.Verma, the former Judge of Delhi High Court said, “The life outside an educational institution is different. It is less cushioned, less protected and more challenging. Students (future engineers) will have come to the end of a journey and will start a new journey by venturing out in a new World which is not a very kind place but it is not a bad place either”.
He told the engineers not to compromise with the principles and professional excellence. It should not be understood to become rigid and unbending but be honest without being rigid, he told them amid clapping.
He said,” Engineers build the country. No progress is made without engineers. In every sector, the role of engineers is important. They must play the role and discharge their functions with a sense of devotion and commitment that is expected of those who embark upon nation-building.
He, however, said,” Unfortunately, owing to corruption which is one of the major curses in India , the roads are built only on files and once heavy rain is good enough to wash them out. Excess use of sand and not a proper use of cement in the right proportion, make the building crumble, killing human beings, making children orphans, men and women widowers and widows. These things are sad but unfortunately one reads about them so often. Mahatma Gandhi had often said that the means are an important as the end. Unfortunately, the real Gandhi, the father of nation, is often forgotten or not remembered often enough.
On this occasion, the chief guest awarded 378 degrees to B.tech students, 48 to B.Architect students and 26 M.tech students of the institution.
The Director of the Institution, Dr. I.K.Bhat on this occasion read out the annual report of the institution and claimed that this institution was rated amongst best twenty engineering institutes of India.
