Revitalizing Mechanical Engineering in India: Balancing Core Fundamentals with Technological Advancements
Sunil Pandey
Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical-Mechatronics LNMIIT, Jaipur-302031, Rajasthan, India.
The field of mechanical engineering in India faces pressing challenges that require immediate attention. The curriculum must be overhauled to incorporate the rapid advancements in automation and digital technologies across all subjects and chapters. The current exclusion of these critical topics has contributed to the obsolescence of traditional mechanical engineering approaches. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for affordable, extensive mid-career training programs to equip engineers with modern technological skills. The industry is also navigating a transformative phase due to the ‘Make in India’ initiative by multinational companies, which demands industry-ready engineers who can quickly adapt to new requirements and innovations. Proactively addressing these issues is essential for ensuring the long-term success and relevance of the mechanical engineering sector.
However, it is crucial to recognize that teaching automation and digital technologies without a solid foundation in core mechanical engineering principles can further exacerbate the field’s challenges. The integration of cutting-edge technologies must be balanced with a robust grounding in fundamental concepts to prevent the accelerated decline of mechanical engineering. This dual focus will prepare engineers not only to meet current industry standards but also to innovate and lead in the development of new solutions. Ensuring that the foundational knowledge remains at the heart of mechanical engineering education is key to revitalizing the discipline and equipping engineers for future success.
Retd. Principal I/c Lakhimpur Polytechnic, and HoD i/c M E Deptt and i/c TPO at Nowgong Polytechnic, Nagaon, ASSAM , INDIA
8 个月Exactly sir. We are lagging far behind. But it is essential to remove some old and introduce new topics which can enhance the skilled part.
Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur. Author: "Build and Sustain a Career in Engineering."
8 个月Thank you for this note. Let me humbly add that while we introduce new hard technical topics without removing the old hard fundamentals, we must do this with also more courses on soft skills, also more individual projects, in increasingly bigger class sizes, without increasing the total credit load, with students who are exhausted from coaching classes, with students who are unhappy that learning is required before getting a job, with students who prefer finance or consulting jobs over actual engineering jobs, with students whose communication skills are often poor because they bypassed proper schooling in favour of coaching, and with students whose thinking is pre-oriented towards MCQs rather than on presenting well thought out solutions for longer problems. And while we do this, we as teachers must also write more research papers, fetch more research projects, build more research labs, guide more research students, and have less career stability. Thank you.
Co-Founder at SIMPAL Portal PtyLtd
8 个月Namaste Sir.It is not only Mechanical Engineering. It is an epidemic that has taken over every skill set requiring knowledge,skills and most importantly application. The acute shortage of teachers , who now mostly thrive on academics and paper publishing is a major cause.Guess that gives them increments. COLONIALISM created human coolies.We are creating digital coolies .The super hyped promotion of innovation is mere eyewash of PR agencies,politicians and business houses. It is an absolute disgrace that the very idea of knowledge is being sold ,with the usual hype of Institution rankings. The NEP is atrocious in the way it has dealt with the so called New India knowledge bank. My time as an engineer in the field is over.I lament to see this great Nation opting for an eyewash in the name of education and skills. Imagine when rouge AI bug takes on the gullible Indian novices.The Nation is in for a big surprise with no disaster management plan in place.Goes for all the so called developmental initiatives . It is really scary !