| Engineering and Technical education in India have been | | | | main branches of engineering. Two other |
| developing faster than anywhere else in the world | | | | comparatively older branches are Mechanical and |
| since the early eighties, due to rapid industrialization and | | | | Electrical Engineering. As a result of scientific and |
| economic growth. Indian now has the second largest | | | | technology breakthroughs, today new fields of |
| number of engineering students in the world. English is | | | | engineering and technology are continually emerging. At |
| the only medium if instructions in all engineering | | | | the same time, boundaries between various branches |
| institutions. In a recent assessment by the United | | | | are becoming less and less clear-cut. |
| Nations, the Indian economy was rated as the sixth | | | | Levels of Engineering Education. |
| largest in the world and is expected to move into the | | | | Engineering and technical education is available at five |
| fourth place by the end of this century Recent | | | | levels. At the lowest level is the training in different |
| advances in scientific, industrial and technological areas, | | | | traded offered by a large number of Industrial Training |
| particularly in space, nuclear and missile technology, | | | | Institutes (it is) across the country. The duration and |
| computer engineering and information science have | | | | eligibility requirements vary depends upon the nature of |
| earned India world recognition as an emerging global | | | | the trade. At the next higher level are the three year |
| power. | | | | diploma courses in different branches of engineering |
| The word "engineering" derived from the Latin word | | | | and technology available in polytechnics. The eligibility |
| "ingeniare" means "to design" or "to create". | | | | requirements for admission to diploma course is a |
| Engineering can be defined as "the branch of science | | | | pass in class 10 examination. In some states |
| and technology concerned with the design, building, and | | | | polytechnic offered post 10+2 diploma and post |
| use of engines, machines and structures" and | | | | diploma course also. The first degree programmes |
| "technology" as the "application of scientific knowledge | | | | leading to B E / B.tech degree are four year duration |
| for practical purpose, especially in industry". Engineering | | | | except Architecture (B.Arch) which needs five years |
| education in India has a long tradition, the beginning of | | | | to complete. The eligibility requirements for B.E (B.Tech) |
| which goes back to the year 1847. In that year was | | | | and B.Arch course is a pass in 10+2 examination in the |
| established the Thomason College of Civil Engineering | | | | science stream with mathematics as one of the |
| at Roorkee, later to become the Roorkee University | | | | combinations. The post graduate programmes leading |
| (1949), the first engineering university in the country. | | | | to award of M.E/M.Tech and M.Arch degree are of 18 |
| The development of technical education has been one | | | | months duration (Three semesters). Candidates are |
| of the major achievements of the post-Independence | | | | required to take up a specialized topic in the branch of |
| period. The creation of the All-India Council of Technical | | | | their study at the first degree level. |
| Education in 1945, and the Report of the Scientific | | | | IIT Mumbai, IIT New Delhi and IIT Chennai offer |
| Manpower Committee (1947) has a far reaching | | | | integrated M.Tech courses of five year duration. IIT |
| influence in this development. | | | | Chennai, IIT New Delhi and IIT Mumbai also offer duel |
| The growth of educational facilities has been | | | | degree programmes of 5 year duration in several |
| phenomenal during the last decade. The outturn of | | | | branches. A small number of universities offer B.Tech |
| graduates in engineering doubled within a span of 10 | | | | course of three year duration mostly in branches of |
| years from about 30,000 in 1987 to 60,000 in 1996. | | | | technology open only to B.Sc degree holders. In many |
| During the same period, the outturn of polytechnic | | | | universities, polytechnic diploma holders are permitted |
| diploma holders increased from 56,560 to 95,283. In | | | | lateral entry to the second year of regular B.E / |
| view of the large-scale proliferation of institutions, the | | | | B.Tech programmes through separate entrance tests |
| AICTE is keen to ensure that the quality of | | | | e.g Lateral Entry Engineering Test (LEET). There is |
| programmes offered by them is not compromised | | | | also provision for Certificate holders to enter the |
| with. It has, therefore, setup the National Board of | | | | Diploma programmes and the Diploma holders to |
| Accreditation (NBA) which has introduced a system of | | | | Degree programmes. Admission to B.tech degree |
| accreditation of each program offered by the | | | | course, however, is made on the basis of an All India |
| recognized institutions. | | | | Entrance Test. |
| Civil engineering is considered to be the oldest of the | | | | |