AICTE Survey: Engineering Students Struggle with Math, Once India’s Pride

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PARAKH, a survey conducted by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) between September 2021 and June 2022, discovered that first-year engineering students across the country fail arithmetic more than any other compulsory subject included in their curriculum. It has advocated restructuring in civil engineering, which trails behind other specialties. This crisis has highlighted the need for introspection, reforms, and reworking of engineering education in India.

The problems in the Indian education system are multifaceted, and it is not easy to pick one solution; however, the engineering education crisis is a problem to undertake.

Participants and Survey Subjects

1.29 lakh students of 2,003 AICTE-approved colleges took the AICTE Survey. In addition to an acumen-based exam at all tiers, first-year participants were evaluated in Physics, Chemistry, and Math, while second, third, and fourth-year students on proficiency in their specialty. The aggregate grades for third and fourth-year students included their achievement in developing fields, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Survey Findings

AICTE discovered that for most students, the basic learning level in primary classrooms remained neglected in the schooling system. Examining 22,725 first-year graduates' Math, Physics, and Chemistry ability levels revealed that "greater attention is necessary for Math studies in the domain".

As per AICTE's findings, Math is the most difficult core topic for first-year engineering students across all fields.

Mathematics: Civil engineers were the "worst performers" in "basic topics". In Math, they received an average of 37.48 %, mechanical engineering pursuers received 39.48 %, electronics and communication engineering (ECE) majors received 38.9 %, electrical engineering students received 40.02 %, and computer science engineering (CSE) students received 40.12 %.

Electrical engineering pupils performed best in physics, with an average score of 52.5 %, trailed by CSE students at 51 % and mechanical engineering pursuers at 50%.

In Chemistry, electrical engineering pursuers performed best, with an aggregate rating of 53.1 %, trailed by CSE students (53%), and civil engineering students (51.3 %).

Aptitude exam result: Students rapidly lose concentration on inborn talent issues such as conceptual understanding and logical thinking, which firms consider when recruiting.

Overall: Second-year students performed the best, but third and fourth-year students showed a marked decline.

Closing note

To tackle the issue, the administration plans to significantly include additional practical and industry-oriented features in the curriculum, where students are continuously exposed to the latest trend in the domain. With so many new colleges struggling to capture students' attention, engineering institutes in India need a change.

With the launch of the internet cell in schools, equipped with internet-enabled classrooms and libraries, education is advancing rapidly. Technology-centered programs are introduced to inculcate current practices in bringing education to students at ease in the form of convenient and cheaper education. Further, with the introduction of an online curriculum, the power of analyzing powerful engineering technology, international quality parameters, and teaching techniques will become an integral part of the Indian education system.