TECHNICAL EDUCATION
The post-independence period witnessed a significant expansion in the field of Technical Education, as is evident from the increase of student enrolment and the setting up of a large number of technical institutions. In order to augment the facilities for post-graduate studies in Engineering and Technology in the country, the Government established a chain of 5 higher technological institutions known as the Indian Institutes of Technology, located at Khargpur, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur and Delhi. Besides a number of engineering colleges (including Regional Engineering Colleges), polytechnics etc. were, also opened at various places in the country. Financial investment in technical education after independence has also correspondingly increased many fold. At the end of the first Plan, investment in technical education was of the order of Rs. 20.2 crore. During the second Plan the investment was of the order of Rs. 49.0 crore and in the third Plan Rs. 142.0 crore.
2. Admission Targets.-The targets fixed under the third Five Year Plan for admission into the technical institutions were revised from 20,000 in the first degree and 40,000 in the diploma courses to 25,000 and 50,000 respectively. Against these revised targets, the admission in 1965-66 were of the order of 23,000 in the degree courses and 43,000 in diploma courses. During the year, about 10,100 graduates and about 17,500 diploma holders passed out of the technical institutions.
3. Part-time Courses.-Under the scheme of part-time diploma courses in engineering, 18 centres, against 25 originally approved, have been set up to conduct part-time courses for diploma in engineering for the benefit of persons working in industry and other technical establishments. A scheme for the provision of part-time degree courses for diploma holders working in industry and establishments has also been approved. Under this scheme, it is proposed to set up about 30 centres spread all over the country. It has also been suggested to the State Governments that in case they are not able to start part-time degree courses, they may start part-time courses for A.M.I.E. examination. So far 11 engineering colleges have been selected for the purpose, out of which two have already started conducting part-time courses--one at Jadavpur University for part-time degree course and the other at Regional Engineering College, Rourkela, mainly providing facilities for A.M.I.E. course. In addition, the College of Engineering, Osmania University and College of Engineering, Delhi have been conducting the part-time degree courses.
A. ENGINEERING COLLEGES AND POLYTECHNICS 4. Engineering Colleges.-The revised third Five Year Plan for techniCal education provides for the establishment of 23 new engineering colleges
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(including Regional Engineering Colleges) and 94 polytechnics. 18 engineering colleges were started in the, first four years of the Plan period. During 1965-66, three, more colleges were started at Agartala (Tripura), Hyderabad (A.P) and Salem (Madras). The remaining two engineering colleges i.e. Regional Engineering College in Assam and Engineering College in Goa are expected to start during the first phase of the fourth Five Year Plan. The total number of colleges functioning in 1965-66 was 133.
4.1. Polytechnics.-As regards polytechnics, 68 were started in the first four years of the Plan period. During 1965-66, 7 more polytechnics were set up at Amritsar, Gonda, Basti, Asansol, Bulsar, Damoh and Sanawad bringing the total number of such institutions to 274. Although all the 94 polytechnics envisaged in the third Five Year Plan have not been started, the physical target for admissions could be achieved by expansion of the facilities in the existing polytechnics.
4.2. The State Plans also provide for establishment of 24 polytechnics for women, out of which 17 have started functioning.
4.3. In addition to the engineering colleges and polytechnics, 17 Junior Technical Schools were started in different parts of the country during 1965-66. The total number of Junior Technical Schools at present functioning is 103.
B. HIGHER TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTES 5. Indian Institutes of Technology.-The Indian Institutes of Technology have been established with the object of training high grade engineers and technologists required for the industrial development of the country. The five Institutes are governed by the provisions of a common Act of Parliament and their work is coordinated through a Council of the Indian Institutes of Technology. The Council has recently recommended that these institutions should concentrate their efforts on post-graduate courses and research and provide facilities for a much larger number. At the undergraduate level, their aim should be to improve the quality and standard of education. In 1965-66, 1,551 students were admitted to the five Institutes of Technology in the first year class of the degree courses in engineering and technology. The distribution of the admission at various Technological Institutes located at different places was- Kharagpur : 386, Bombay : 340, Madras : 240, Kanpur : 310 and Delhi : 275. The total student enrolment at the five Institutes was 7,984. The progress of the Institutes during 1965-66 is given below :
5.1. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.-During the year the total student enrolment at the Institute was 2,363. 395 students qualified for Bachelor's degree and 169 students for Master's degree and post-graduate diplomas. 14 candidates were awarded Doctorate degrees. In addition to regular post-graduate courses in various fields of engineering and technology, the Institute continued to conduct short-term courses in modern foundry practice.
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5.2. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.-The total student enrolment was 1,897 in 1965-66. 185 candidates qualified for the Bachelor's degree, 101 for Master's degree and 6 for post-graduate diplomas. Four were also awarded Doctorate degrees.
5.2.1. The Institute received, during the year under report, a transistorised Computer from the USSR under the Unesco Programme and a Computer centre is in the process of establishment.
5.2.2. Eight Unesco experts are working at present at the Institute, in addition to 6 technicians made available by the Government of the USSR under the bilateral agreement. Eleven teachers of the Institute under various foreign aid programmes are abroad for advanced studies or training.
5.3. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.-The student enrolment at the Institute was 1,440. 115 graduates passed out during the year under report. The Institute started a new five-year degree course in aeronautical engineering.
5.3.1. Under the Agreement with the Government of Federal Republic of Germany, the Institute has received equipment worth Rs. 1.7 crore. 8 German experts and 5 German technicians were working at the Institute.
5.4. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.-The student enrolment during the year under report was 1,100. The first batch of 66 candidates was awarded degrees of the Institute. Equipment worth Rs. 112 lakh and books worth Rs. 8 lakh have so far been received by the Institute under the USAID Programme. 30 US experts are working at the Institute and 4 staff members have been sent abroad for training.
5.5. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.-The student enrolment during the year was 1,184. Under, the Colombo Plan, 8 professors and 4 expert-technicians were working at the Institute. 12 members of staff of the Institute were sent for advanced study/training to the U.K. The Institute also received Rs. 42.51 lakh worth of equipment and books.
C. OTHER ALL-INDIA INSTITUTES 6. School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.-During 1965- 66, the School admitted 103 students to different courses. Total student enrolment was 475.
7. Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.-The total student enrolment at the School during 1965-66 was of the order of 580. Recently, one Russian expert has joined the School to assist in organising the Petroleum Engineering Department. The School is doing useful research work specially in the field of Geology and Geo-Physics. The School offers courses at degree level in : (1) Mining Engineering; (2) Applied Geology; (3) Geo-Physics; and (4) Petroleum Engineering.
8. National Institute of Training In Industrial Engineering.-The National Institute of Training in Industrial Engineering has been established to provide facilities for training in different aspects of industrial engineering
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such as work study and measurement, production planning and control etc. for the benefit of supervisors and engineers working in the industry. The Institute has already conducted 32 courses ranging from 2 to 10 weeks in different aspects of Industrial Engineering. 416 persons have taken advantage of these courses.
8.1. The Institute is receiving substantial assistance from the UN Special Fund.
9. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.-The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has at present a student strength of 894. A number of members of the staff visited foreign countries to deliver lectures, attend international symposia etc. 26 foreign scientists visited the Institute, on invitation, to give technical and scientific talks.
10. All India Institutes of Management, Calcutta and Ahmedabad.- In view of the importance of management studies for increased productivity, two All India Institutes of Management at Calcutta and Ahmedabad have been set up in collaboration with the State Governments concerned, industry and Ford Foundation. The entire foreign exchange component of this scheme is met out of the Ford Foundation grants.
10.1. The Ahmedabad and Calcutta Institutes have admitted 125 and 108 candidates for the various courses in management respectively. The Institutes are also doing very useful research work in the field of management.
11. Administrative Stay College of India, Hyderabad.-The College is continuing its normal 12-week residential courses in general management for Senior Executives. The College has so far trained about 1,325 persons. Provision is being made for short-term functional courses and for consultancy and research.
D. TECHNICAL TEACHERS TRAINING PROGRAMME 12. The programme for training of teachers for engineering colleges initiated in 1959 was continued during 1965-66 with additional provisions made for training centres. The Centres offering facilities during the year were the five Indian Institutes of Technology, Roorkee University, M. S. University of Baroda, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, College of Engineering Poona, College of Engineering, Guindy, Bengal Engineering College, Howrah and the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. Out of the 266 candidates selected for training during the year only 122 joined. During 1965- 66, 52 candidates completed their training and were assigned to different engineering colleges for regular appointment. The total number of teachers so far trained under the programme is 306. It is proposed to continue the activities at the same level during 1966-67. A provision has been made for training of about 1,300 additional teachers for degree institutions during fourth Five Year Plan.
12.1. In view of the acute shortage of teachers in the polytechnics, the All India Council for Technical Education recommended the establishment
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of 4 Regional Centres for training of teachers for polytechnics. These four Centres will be located at Bhopal, Chandigarh, Calcutta and Madras. The four institutions are expected to start functioning during 1966-67 with an admission capacity of about 60 each. It is envisaged that these institutions should provide two types of courses, one of 18 months' duration for those having degree in engineering and the other of about 2 1/2 years duration for those having diploma qualifications. It is further proposed that these institutions may be managed as autonomous organisations under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
12.2. In addition to the provision made under the Teachers Training Programmes, it is proposed to encourage the State Governments and other technical institutions to depute their existing teachers to take up advanced and higher courses for improving their qualifications.
E. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS FOR SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL TRAINING
13. Provision has been made for fellowships, scholarships and stipends for scientific research and practical training, the details of which are given under the Chapter on Scholarships.
F. GENERAL 14. Re-publication of Standard Works on Engineering/ Technological Subjects.-At present the students studying in technical institutions are facing difficulties in procuring suitable textbooks at reasonable prices. In order to assist the students, the Government has launched a scheme in collaboration with foreign Governments like the USA, the USSR and the UK to produce cheap textbooks for the benefit of Indian students.
15. All India Council for Technical Education.-Regional Committees, Boards of Studies and other Expert Committees of the All India Council for Technical Education held a number of meetings during the year under report and formulated detailed plans for improvement and development of existing institutions, establishment of new institutions, courses of studies etc.
16. Grants and Loans.-During 1965-66, in addition to the grants normally payable to the five Institutes of Technology, a grant of Rs. 8.5 crore is expected to be sanctioned to State Governments and technical institutions for various schemes of technical education under the Five Year Plan. It is also expected that loans amounting to about Rs. 2.07 crore will be sanctioned for construction of students hostels.
G. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
Provision for 1965-66 Provision for
Scheme 1966-67
Original Revised
(Figures Rs. in lakh)
Technical Education Schemes 2,432.26 2,208.35 2,299.51