On the Supreme Court order, AICTE started admission for working professionals in engineering colleges. The last date is October 30. The irony is that it seems that the exercise failed miserably due to a lack of interest by both the students and engineering colleges. Also, it seems that the programme is implemented half-heartedly as bureaucrats always do. Thomas Sowell, an American economist rightly said, "You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that — for bureaucrats, procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.” AICTE is even not interested in outcome! There AC room planners are enjoying sadistic pleasure of teasing The Institution of Engineers (India) and lacs of AMIE aspirants.
Mr. Rajiv Kumar, member secretary said earlier IEI ran such courses through AMIE exams. His exact words were - "Previously, most working professionals appeared for the Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers (AMIE) certification exam conducted by the Institution of Engineers (India). These certifications were government-approved and were equivalent to either an Engineering diploma or degree."
So why this program is hijacked from IEI which was running great? Perhaps AICTE wanted to have complete control over technical education overestimated its resources and underestimated IEIs.
AICTE is acting like a lion that lounges on the grass—neither eating it itself nor letting others have it. They seem uninterested in supporting this program for working professionals and are putting in little effort to ensure its success. At the same time, they’re blocking IEI, a seasoned player in this domain since 1920, from moving forward with it. This is just how bureaucracy tends to function in our country.
American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand rightly stated , "If a bureaucrat makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you." So now after the failure of this idiotic BTech programme for working professionals, the loss is being suffered by both IEI and AMIE aspirants.
Let us discuss the main causes of failure of BTech programme by AICTE for working professionals:
Many engineering colleges listed by AICTE seem either indifferent or unaware of this program. Their standard excuse is that they haven’t received any communication from AICTE about it. This reflects sheer incompetence on AICTE’s part—they should have sent clear directives to these colleges and provided a helpline for students to report issues. Instead, it feels like AICTE is more focused on undermining IEI and creating hurdles for diploma holders aiming to advance their careers. Moreover, the colleges that do offer this program should actively advertise admissions for their BTech courses tailored to working professionals.
Following are a few specialized courses in defense/railway establishments which are recognised by The Institution of Engineers (India) as equivalent to Diploma for admission in AMIE:
- Aircraft Apprenticeship Courses in Airframe Fitter, Electrical Fitter, Engine Fitter, Instrument Fitter, Radar Fitter, Radio Fitter, Weapon Fitter etc.
- Conversion Course to Group I: Tradesman in Radar Fitter, Missile Fitter etc.
- Engine Room Artificers, 5th Class
- Engine Room Artificer Apprentice (ICE/Steam/GT)
- Engine Room ‘Mechanician' (Steam)
- Apprentice from Railway System Technical School
and many such courses.
The IEI acknowledges these courses for AMIE admission, though they lack AICTE recognition. Without access to BTech programs designed for working professionals, what impact would this have on the career progression of military and railway personnel? Even if AICTE approved such courses for admission, security concerns would likely prevent military organizations from allowing personnel to study off-campus. Given this situation, the AMIE program offered by IEI stands out as the most suitable option for career advancement for these individuals.
The ideal solution would be a partnership between AICTE and The Institution of Engineers (India) to launch a practical program tailored for working professionals in India. Leveraging the expertise of both esteemed organizations, this initiative could operate seamlessly and achieve tremendous success.
However, if this collaboration doesn’t materialize, IEI should proceed with its robust Chartered Engineers certification program and expand AMIE admissions by conducting Section A and B exams. While AICTE’s BTech program has fallen short, IEI’s AMIE course, with its affordable fees and accessibility to a wide range of diploma and special course pass personnel, is poised for remarkable success.
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