The Engineering Fever

The Engineering fever

Hola!!! Folks this time I have a cliched topic. Even I myself have written earlier still this following piece of writing is based on a real-life incident. This happened to me the last Friday and I felt that it has to be shared.

Blog no : 22

That Friday was totally hectic!!! With no other options left I decided to stay back at my office to complete the tasks. The work can be postponed but I don't want a busy start Monday. As a result, I missed my cab - thanks to my sincerity. Now I have to wait till 7.30 PM to get the second slot cab or I must take MTC to reach home. Already I wasted my precious weekend hours for the righteousness and I'm not ready to loose anymore. So with no further delay, I decided to take MTC 95. The bus had the Friday's evening attire, there was roughly 5 to 6 inches gap between any two inside. Fabulously started the weekend.

"Aaluma doluma isalakadi maluma..." amidst the crunching crowd I was enjoying the song and thala's performance from my phone ( I ain't Ajith fan!!! just an admirer :P ). The songs of similar kind filled my playlist. Though I was tired literally these songs kept me awake and maintained the josh of the weekend. All my thoughts focused the same thing "weekend weekend weekend"

After a while, I managed to get a seat for me. Next to me was an old man in his early sixties. As soon as I sat he started starring at me. He noticed me thoroughly, from the hair to sneakers. A minute passed by, suddenly he shook my shoulder. My headphone slipped from my ears and I was scared for a moment At once I faced him he started speaking. He introduced himself to be a farmer from a village in Thiruvallur district. He told that the people in his village started moving out in search of jobs and living circumstances. And there were only very few like him still doing agriculture there. He said that he actually came here to see his son and then to get urea for his farm. I felt why he has to say these things to me ? But I didn't showed him that intend.

Man: Are you studying ? Me: Nono. I just finished my studies. Man: (In a confident tone) Engineering ah ?? Me: (smiling at him) yes mechanical. How do u know ? Man: (let me say this in tamil so that the impact doesn't gets lost) omr roadல, பஸுல, காதுல இந்த speaker போட்டுகிட்டு சுத்தி இருக்கிற யாரையும் நினைக்காம ஜாலியா வரீங்களே அத வச்சி தான் சொல்ரேன். நீங்க எந்த company தம்பி HCL ah ?? Me: *speechless* (He told himself to be a farmer right?? I was taken aback on his knowledge) Man: I too made my younger son to study engineering. He did ECE from Tagore Engineering College. 2014 passed out. Currently, he is staying in chromepet searching for a job. Me: Oh ok sir. Hope he will get one soon. Man: I don't have that belief son. He's here for the past 2 years. He joined an IT company this January but then they laid him off stating various reasons. The problem is he has to start reimbursing the educational loan by this year else he would have to deal with the Himalayan interest. So I've asked him to come back if he couldn't find another job before Diwali. So that he could at least assist me in farming. Me: Did he had arrears ? Man: He basically hailed from Tamil medium so he had the trouble initially. He had 6 arrears at the end of 1st year. But then he coped with the system. He cleared all his arrears in the second year. I have seen him working days and nights to get cleared son. (He told in a soft disappointed voice) Me: what's your elder son doing ? Man: He's working with Arokiya dairy products. He works as a mediator between cow owners and the company. He is in-charge for collecting milk from donors and tender them accordingly. I'm not worried about him because he has his job rather I'm completely depressed over my younger son. I know he worked hard to get pass marks but he ain't got paid for his hardship. I believe he would get some work before Diwali if not I would ask him to join me in doing agriculture. அவன கடனாளியா ஆக்கிடனேனு வருத்தமா இருக்கு தம்பி. அவன மீட்டு எடுக்க எனக்கு வேற வழியும் தெரியல. என் தங்கச்சி வேற மகன engineer ஆக்கனும்னு சொல்லிட்டு இருக்கா. நான் வேணாம்னு சொல்லி வச்சிருக்கேன். என்ன ஆக போகுதோ!!!! Saying this he stepped down from the bus.

My weekend josh flunked hearing this.

Again another man in his forties sat next to me.

Man: student ah ?? St. Joseph ah ?? Me: (evlo peru da idhaye kepenga) No sir. Just completed my studies. Not St Joseph, Meenakshi kodambakkam. Man: ohh okok!!! Meenakshi one of the reputed institute right? How about placements there?? Me: ( He was the only person who recognized my college to be reputed one so I tried to maintain that in front of him ) Yes sir. We have a good placement cell. Last year we had 90% placements. Me: Ohh super. If my daughter would had got another 2 marks she would have got Meenakshi. Now she's doing her EEE from Andal azhagar engineering college. The placements there is not so bad, yet not equivalent to Meenakshi. Man: Is your daughter interested in engineering? Man: If she had got 5 more marks she would have got BDS admit. She missed it so I asked her to do engineering. Me: Oh fine sir!!!

See!!! The two cases above are one and the same. The former had no idea on today's education but has the engineering fever that made him opt loan to make his son as an engineer. The latter has a holistic idea over today's education and still has the same engineering fever. If not BDS, not arts not law not the kid's interested field, it's only engineering!!!! At the end of the day, they both are making another jobless engineer to the society by admitting their wards to some XYZ college of engineering which fails in offering placements. The victim here is not the colleges, not the schools,not the loan provider. I believe there is no necessity for me to disclose the victim here, clearly it's understood!!!

Now coming back to this joblessness or unemployment.

These could be the possible factors

1 The government couldn't raise the employability. 2 The number of engineering colleges 3 The quality of engineering college that reflects in the eligibility test results taken by the student who hailed from that college Last but not the least 4 Parents' domination in forcing children to join engineering.

Literally, only 30 to 35 out of 550+ engineering colleges in Tamilnadu under Anna university offers campus placements. Of which only 15 colleges are getting more than 5 companies (BPO's excluded) visiting their campuses. Almost every college out of Chennai region has the placement records in single digit and some are even in decimals. The rest of the students are settling down in impertinent fields as a driver, as a server, as a store keeper etc.

Dear parents I would like to end up saying this 1) check for the kid's interest in engineering - if no leave them for their choice If yes- please make them ready to take AIEEE,JEE exams and get them admitted from IIT's NIT's or few (some 5 or 6) reputed colleges under Anna university not from some Suppandi kuppandi college of engineering in vadugapatti!!! That will never make them a complete engineer nor you would feel contented on their future.

The main reason for taking this subject is to make a clear note on this!!! Unless the government takes a firm decision over these engineering colleges, their quantity and their quality the lives of future generation will definitely remain unassured. The government must take some initiative for increasing the employability.

If AICTE is too generous in giving approval for opening these many engineering colleges, why not the government be with the same generosity shall create equivalent number of jobs ???

See ya soon!!!

#sayo_nara

#engineering #fever