Engineering colleges under GTU to undergo massive changes from 2025 academic year; focus shifts to making students job-ready post studies
Engineering colleges under the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) are set to undergo a massive change in the curriculum, credit score bifurcation, flexibility of mode of learning and getting wider industry exposure through longer periods of Internship, likely to be implemented from the 2025 academic year.
Expected to be implemented for diploma and degree engineering courses, the curriculum revamp is being done with the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) and focuses on making it industry-oriented, skills-oriented, exposure oriented. This will help students to be more employable at the end of the four-year course.
The revamp will bring change for an estimated 4 lakh students enrolled in GIU’s government, grant-in-aid and affiliated private colleges.
Essence of Indian Knowledge System
Officials in the Gujarat education department said that engineering students will not only study engineering subjects, but the beginning of the first-year academic session will start with a three-week-long orientation program with the essence of the Indian Knowledge System.
Officials highlighted that against the current system of physical classes, up to 20% of course credits will be for online or MOOC courses.
“SWAYAM-NPTEL MOOCs basket will be offered against the regular syllabus’s Professional/Open Electives categories in the 5th, 6th, and 7th semesters. In these semesters, the MOOC basket will be offered (option) against one professional or open elective course having credits of a maximum of 4 in three semesters mentioned,” said an official.
Six-month Internships
One of the most important changes is to have an entire semester for internship.
“A six-month-long internship in the 8th semester, a full-time internship in the relevant industry, company, central-state funded project will also be implemented. This is planned to give hands-on experience in the industry to make students more employable,” said the official. The students can also explore entrepreneurship potentials during this period, while working with start-ups and new-age entrepreneurs.
Non-engineering subjects
To make students multi-disciplinary, the Gujarat education department has also introduced non-engineering subjects as part of the curriculum.
“For example, students will study 8 credit courses on humanities and social science including management courses, 2 weeks or 60 hours for skill-based training offered by Skill India, the Ministry of Skill Development and entrepreneurship.
They will be able to take up 2 credit courses in universal human values, 4 credits for probability and statistics, 3 credits for professional ethics and the Indian Constitution as well,” the official added.
Focus on Semicon sector
With Gujarat being projected as the next semiconductor industry, the new curriculum is also set to have 3 credit courses on Fundamentals of Semiconductor Package Manufacturing and Test. Commissioner, technical education in the Gujarat education department, Banchhanidhi Pani said, “The curriculum with the IIT-Gn team is being revamped keeping in mind reforms under National Education Policy-2020, to be able to make students more industry-ready and employable, keeping in mind the rapidly changing industry landscape.”