AICTE PG scholars drop out midway due to compelling jobs offers

AICTE PG scholars drop out midway due to compelling jobs offers

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to stop the PG scholarship of students who leave their courses midway. The Council has asked institutions to provide details of the students if they have not done so in the past. Prof. Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE, says this trend is leading to loss of fellowship money, which will be recovered from the institutes if they do not furnish accurate information about students' attendance in the PG portal.

No meagre amount

Students who have qualified GATE, GPAT, and CEED and are admitted to AICTE approved regular PG programs, receive Rs 12,400 per month for 24 months or for the duration of the course as part of the AICTE PG scholarship programme. "This by no means a small amount as it takes care of their tuition fees, mess and hostel charges, and should not be a reason for students to quit their program mes halfway through.
Since the attrition is around 5-10%, it will not impact the quality of pass-outs or Ph.D. researchers," Sahasrabud says. Most students quit due to lucrative job offers, but unless private or government entities introduce flexible norms of joining and insist on PG degree completion, students will take up jobs in search of what they see as 'greener pastures, he adds.

T Nagarajan, professor, and head of, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Chennai, says a more lucrative opportunity outside the country remains one of the major reasons for students to quit PG courses midway. The pressure to contribute towards the family's financial needs, which cannot be met by the stipend amount alone is also a key factor he adds. "As for the PG programs, which are considered to be specializations, many of these are outdated, compared to the advancements in industry and requirements in the job sector. This compels students to join the workforce without completing their formal education," he adds.

Flexible choices

At the UG level, the FYUP with its flexible entry-exit options could be a game-changer, and when judiciously used, will actually enable the student to gather more credits across disciplines of his choice. This can motivate the student to further his academic interests in the form of an appropriate interdisciplinary master's program as well, resulting in better placement in the industry of his/her choice. But the flip side is that it can provide the student with a premature exit choice, not fulfilling the needs of skill acquirement towards a better placement. This will have a cascading effect on limiting the choices for further studies or employment, Nagara Jan says.

Key solutions

He suggests a flurry of measures to stem the tide of quitters. "Introduction of state-of-the-art interdisciplinary PG programs, with adequate industry collaborations, internships, and placement opportunities are a must. Students also need to be part of incubation and entrepreneurial activities to create better awareness of the needs and structure of the industry and society. Ensuring project and internship opportunities with relevant industries so that students experience hands-on learning within live industry projects will prevent their premature exit at the PG level," he says.

From- The Times of India

Published on - 1st November 2021