Assessment of Prospects & Possibilities of Outcome

Based Education (OBE) in Coastal Andhra (INDIA)

Engineering education system today is facing doldrums and needs a paradigm shift in
quality, reach & impact of technical education. In view of Liberalization, Privatization &
Globalization (LPG), our students are unable to compete with world class institutions due
to the reasons that our curriculum balance between theory & practical courses which are
not supporting the current practices of the industry.
As academia is too far from industry, our students need to be placed as trainee for nearly
12 to 24 months and then fit for a job into the company at some level, this is only due to the
fact that the engineering & technological institutions are unable to support & update
themselves in tune to the industry development and latest state of art technology upgradations. As long as institutions want to be conservative by not understanding the
intentions of entrepreneurs, the institutions may not be able to reconfigure the capabilities
of both institution & student. If institutions themselves step back by looking into the
stringent quality guidelines, students become scapegoats. It is so absurd practice, some of
the Tier-I institutions not willing to give opportunity to their post-graduate (M.Tech.)
students to be the faculty of their own institution, it is nothing but insult to both student &
institution.
In a hypothetical case, when an institution itself ready to reject their brain-child, who else
will provide placement to their students. It is evident for the standard of that institution, is
it not shameful!!!. This situation is nothing but insulting our alumni, how institution can
expect that this alumni would give good feedback in the enterprise where he employed and
how institution can also expect some sort of reciprocal relation both from alumni and their
employer. It is noticed many times even by Indian Government & MHRD the quality of
engineering students are not even meeting 5% requirements of the industry. When our
products do not fit for Indian Enterprises, how any institution can dream of MNC
Placements.
In light of Washington DC Accord to become the signatory for world class education
system and to provide equal opportunities both for education & employment across the
world, it is the need of the hour to think of revolution in education system by adopting OBE
is way of life and path a head to any institution for that matter. Now, this is the right time
to open-up all the engineering institutes to rectify themselves and come for a forward
balance in their curriculum in line with OBE & OBA. There are some engineering
education institutions looking for ABET accreditation to provide direct employment
without any further study at abroad and providing global student solution.

Author: Mr. Ch S S S Kumar Research Scholar Department of Commerce &

Management Studies,
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530003