MAKAUT plans minor degrees for BTech students to ‘keep core engineering relevant’

The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) is one of West Bengal’s largest affiliating universities, overseeing more than 200 engineering and professional colleges across the state. The university caters not only to students from West Bengal but also to many from Bihar and the Northeast. In a conversation with Careers360, its vice chancellor Tapas Chakraborty shares insights into the university’s curriculum reforms, focus on industry readiness, and efforts to enhance national rankings. Edited excerpts:

The higher education sector in West Bengal has seen its share of challenges in recent years. How do you see the current situation and its impact on students and teachers?

Yes, it’s true. And students are being affected. At times, we even feel helpless.

But we continue to remain hopeful. West Bengal, historically, has been known for its academic culture and intellectual pursuits. It should have been one of the leading states in terms of excellence in higher education. We have that legacy, we have the right mindset, and a large number of students are still genuinely interested in academic careers.

The problem isn't the lack of talent — we have many high-quality teachers. But unfortunately, they don’t want to stay here. Everyone is looking for a more stable environment, and right now, we are not in a position to offer that stability for various reasons.

What is your view on the current state of technical education in West Bengal?

Technical education in West Bengal is evolving. MAKAUT has around 200 affiliated colleges in engineering, management, and pharmacy — many located in sub-divisional towns — making higher education accessible to all, including those from rural and semi-urban areas.

Also, we offer multiple entry pathways. For engineering courses, students primarily take the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE). Additionally, MAKAUT conducts its own Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to non-AICTE professional programmes, such as media science, hospital management, and various emerging fields.

With low-cost government colleges, private institutions, and financial support like the student credit card scheme, the university continues to create meaningful opportunities for students.

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Are the colleges distributed well across the state?

Our affiliated colleges are well-distributed across West Bengal. Many are located in Kolkata, a significant number in towns, and several in suburban areas as well. This spread ensures that students from different regions can access professional education without having to relocate too far. Hostel facilities are also available in many of these institutions.

Importantly, MAKAUT also attracts a significant number of students from the Northeastern states and Bihar, both to our affiliated colleges and our in-house departments.

Among the professional courses, hospitality management is gaining popularity. While it may not offer very high starting salaries, the placement rate is impressive. Graduates find jobs across sectors — hotels, airlines, and other service industries.

While private colleges usually have their own placement cells, MAKAUT runs a central placement cell, and we also support government colleges in strengthening their placement activities.

While many states are struggling to fill engineering seats, what has been MAKAUT’s experience? Which branches are growing or declining?

In West Bengal, the situation is relatively better. When I interact with most of our affiliated private colleges, they tell me their seats are full – especially in urban and semi-urban areas. A few colleges in very remote regions may be facing some issues, but overall, seat vacancy is not a major concern at the moment.

As for trends, core engineering branches like civil and mechanical engineering are seeing a decline in interest, which is a national trend. At the same time, computer science, IT, and allied fields remain highly popular.

To address this imbalance and keep core branches relevant, we are set to introduce a minor degree system. This means a student enrolled in, say, mechanical engineering, can also pursue a minor in computer science or IT. This not only enhances employability but also keeps career transition options open — for example, applying for an MTech in a different field later on.

This new academic structure is ready, and once it’s approved by our executive council, it will likely be implemented from the upcoming academic year.

We’re also focusing on practical industry exposure. From the eighth semester onward, students will be required to undertake compulsory internships, with flexibility to complete academic coursework online. The idea is to let students gain real-world experience during their final semester, increasing their chances of employment immediately after graduation.

Do you have enough teachers?

Recruiting teachers isn’t the main challenge — it’s about finding quality teachers. As per AICTE guidelines, every technical college must maintain a minimum number of faculty, and this is strictly monitored during the annual affiliation renewal process. So, in terms of numbers, most colleges comply. However, ensuring quality teaching is much harder. That’s the real gap we’re working to address.

Also read Core engineering placements surge 25% with AL, ML minor degrees

How is the university supporting skill development and entrepreneurship among students?

Skill development in its true sense requires an industrial environment. While our laboratories focus on foundational engineering education, advanced skills can only be honed through hands-on exposure in real-world settings.

We emphasise internships in industry, especially during the eighth semester, which we’re making compulsory. This allows students to immerse themselves in industry, sometimes even leading to job offers.

As for entrepreneurship support, we do have one incubator, but with over 200 affiliated colleges, this isn’t adequate.

Are any branches shutting down due to low demand?

We haven’t closed any branches in the past couple of years. In fact, we are working to introduce new-age specialisations. For example, responding to national priorities, we are initiating programmes in microelectronics and VLSI design.

Also, where traditional branches like electrical engineering have seen lower enrollments, we are adapting by revamping the curriculum, combining electrical engineering with computer science elements to create hybrid or interdisciplinary branches.

MAKAUT is currently in the 101–150 band in the NIRF rankings. How are you working to improve it?

We are actively working to improve it. NIRF [National Institutional Ranking Framework] evaluates institutions on multiple parameters and we recognise that we need to strengthen several areas. For instance, our alumni engagement is not as strong as it should be, and we are also lagging in internship opportunities and incubation support at the university level.

Some of these challenges stem from administrative issues, but we are now focusing on addressing them systematically.

Improving our position in the NIRF rankings requires a focused push across multiple areas, and we have identified collaboration as key. We are actively working to strengthen partnerships between industry and academia, facilitated through support from the higher education department and the government. These collaborations can help improve research output, internships, placements, and innovation — all of which are critical to NIRF metrics.

At the same time, I would like to highlight that in the Innovation Index released by the Ministry of Education this year, MAKAUT was ranked fourth, on par with Jadavpur University. This is a strong indicator that we are moving in the right direction.

What about funding? Are you facing challenges?

Yes, funding is certainly a challenge, particularly when it comes to infrastructure development. While salaries in government colleges are managed, the additional funding required to build and upgrade infrastructure is where we feel the gap most.

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I believe the only sustainable way to improve funding is through strong collaboration between academia and industry. Such partnerships can help mobilise resources, enhance research capabilities, and drive meaningful improvements in infrastructure across our institutions.