New Delhi: Thousands of students every year enrol for diploma programmes in engineering and technology streams for better employment opportunities. But securing gainful employment is a challenge in itself as the industry continues to reinvent itself to remain competitive with the adoption of new technology. The demand is more on skill hands who can match new-age requirements.
Keeping this in mind, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Wednesday announced model curriculum for the diploma courses which has been prepared by the academia and industry experts.
Salient features of the model curriculum:
Well defined learning objectives and outcome for each course.
Two mandatory internships to equip the students with practical knowledge and provide them with exposure to real-time industrial environments.
In one of the internships, the option is provided to do internship in social sectors and government-run schemes.
Seven to 10 weeks summer internships will be mandatory in the new curriculum to equip the students with practical understanding and training about industry practices.
Course to be introduced on entrepreneurship and startups to encourage entrepreneurial skills.
To the extent possible, the weightage of theory and practical ( contact hours) has been balanced.
A list of experiments, with the objective, clearly spelt out for each lab course.
Provision of organising at least one expert lecture per semester for each branch by inviting resource persons from domain-specific industry.
Reduced number of credits.
Two-week mandatory induction programme for students at the beginning of the course.
Introduction of credit course on sports and yoga in the first semester to inculcate the habit of physical and mental fitness right at the start.
Inclusion of courses on socially relevant topics. Course on Indian constitution, environmental science and essence of Indian knowledge and tradition embedded in the curriculum as an audit course.