Nisarga Chand, Author at Adamas University

A professional career program always begins with a question, “What shall I become after graduation?” Well, this question has several answers and depends upon the choice of the program. Students will be ready to step in to the professional world with transformative educational experience after completing their B. Tech Degree. In order to project into the same, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Adamas university has started multiple rationalized programs to cater to present requirement of society in a wider sense. Let’s find out how a student since the inception carries out his/her journey with an ECE program.

Importance of ECE Engineering: First, I like to say, Electronics & Communication Engineering is a branch of studies which deals with the science of electrons that covers a wide range of applications like Television, Radio, computers, telecommunication etc. which make our life easier and enjoyable. ECE is backbone of modern communication system which rules rocket science to telecommunication everything. Present-day scenario, modern applications like Internet of things (IOT), Robotics, and Embedded Systems are highly dependent on the knowledge of ECE. Now a day, we are unable to think our daily life without the elements or devices connecting with electronics and communication engineering. As an example, it is very difficult to spend even a single day without mobile phone or television.

For understanding purpose, I give you one small example that how Electronics & Communication Engineering relates with the current scenario:

Nanotechnology is helping to create high speed switching devices, the evolution from Intel Pentium 1 processor to recent core i7 processor only because of the requirement of high speed, and micro architecture, so these are the part of electronics, and these electronics parts when utilized to make the various computing devices like: smart watch, laptops, smart phones and they are interconnected each other to send the information via wireless medium, then the communication process is done.

So, all these things keep in mind, we are trying to create our curriculum of the B Tech program that can be directly link to the emerging technologies leading to Industry 4.0

Department has provided collaborative environment open to the free exchange of ideas, where research, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish, and ensured students achieve their full potential.

I have mentioned the roadmap of the ECE students where students have the multiple options to customize their courses.

Story Board of ECE Department

The student can choose a regular B. Tech degree (in ECE with duration of 4 years). In addition, Department also offers B Tech (Hons.) programs designed with specialization subjects in different areas along with Project Based Learning in big ticket areas like Autonomous Electrical Vehicles, Aerial Robotics, Smart City, subject like Emotional Quotient, Design Thinking and students’ social responsibility project like ‘Adamas Foundation’.

Now the question is why these specialization programs are required:

ECE Engineers are very much responsible to provide innovative solutions to meet the needs of our modern world. For that purpose, student need to develop their skills and knowledge to get a head start in an engineering career that requires specialist skills and adaptability. This four-year program is designed to give the student an overall education in ECE as well as specialist knowledge in fields such as Internet of Things, Embedded Systems and Robotics. You’ll graduate with comprehensive knowledge of engineering and a range of practical skills that mean you’ll be experienced and ready to work.

We all know that the rapid growth of the “Internet of Things” is changing the modern era where embedded system plays an important role due to its unique features such as real time computing, low power consumption, low maintenance and high availability. In today’s world, when we are looking for smart cities, environmental monitoring system, smart home appliances and smart health care system where internet of things are applied.

Robotics is another very important area which deals with the design and application of robots. Today, robots are used in various fields like: industrial manufacturing process, nuclear science, defence system, service for communication and many more. In fact, during this lock down situation, where social distancing is required, demanding the use of robots for sanitization, city monitoring and to help the doctors.

If I give one small example: like Amazon built a Voice-Controlled Robot named as “Alexa”, now a days very popular in daily life. Using this device through the mobile Alexa app, we connect the other home appliances using Internet of Things technology.

In today’s scenario, the graduate with knowledge of IoT or robotics having a tremendous market demand.

So, all these things keep in mind, department of ECE has introduced two B. Tech+ courses (new generation programs) in addition with the regular course.

B. Tech in ECE with specialization in IOT and Embedded System
B. Tech in ECE with specialization in Robotics

In this context, a third-year student can choose one specialization among 2 different paths. This specialization is also optional. But it is highly recommended to study in one specialized path to place him/herself in a frontline position.

ECE students can choose their career in different areas:

Option1: A student while admissions can choose B. Tech in ECE (Regular Program) with Diploma in Management (offered by School of Business and Economics) and get a B. Tech degree with a Diploma in Management. After the successful completion of this program, job opportunities for a student will be opened in service industries as well as in FMCG, Logistic, Manufacturing, Automobile industries. In addition, if students choose two years MBA program, they will get an edge over other students having vanilla (regular) B. Tech and also, management knowledge extrapolate if someone wants to initiate Start-ups.

Option 2: A student while admissions can choose to study B. Tech regular program with Minors (from other relevant departments/domains).

This has three possible areas (anyone can choose):

Minor in CSE (Offered by Computer Science and Engineering Dept.): After the successful completion of this program, students are eager to join in various industrial sectors such as consulting, software development, database manager, data scientist etc.

Minor in Biotechnology (Offered by School of Life Science and Biotechnology): Students enjoy huge demand in various industrial sectors such as food and beverage, biological products, medicines, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, animal husbandry, nutrition, tissue culture and environmental conservation. Career opportunities in the field are numerous and include positions like medical researcher, database manager or software developer.

Minor in Production Management (Offered by Mechanical Engineering Dept.): Minor Program in Production Management prepare for ECE students to apply the concept of Production & Management. The Program offers ample scope to apply into action a mix of Engineering knowledge and Managerial skills. There are various sectors in which a Production Management graduate can get jobs i.e- Heavy Machinery, Refineries, Paper Industry, Automobile Industry etc.

Optional Add-On courses: Apart from that, an ECE student can choose some Add-On courses like Beautiful Mind Program /Club Activities etc. along with their core program.

Beautiful Mind Program: It is a parallel learning system where students have to register for any one learning path out of six learning paths or domains given below:
- Application Software Development
- System Software Development
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Cloud Based Software Development
- Mobile and Web Application Development
- Internet of Things

Process:

After registering various problems will be given stage wise.
After clearing one stage the next stage will be activated.
Clearing every stage will generate certificate.
Final stage will generate “master” certificate.
Duration for every learning path is at least one year.

Various Club Activities: There are several clubs in our University like Robotics Club, Entrepreneurship club, Dramatics Club, Music Club etc. where students can engage themselves and do some creative works in different areas as per their own interest.

Finally, I can say to build a great and diverse career after higher secondary, B. Tech in ECE is one of the most promising option where student may opt for multidisciplinary careers. But the most important thing is time management. So, all these things keep in mind, we have designed the B. Tech+ courses in such a manner that it will be completed within 4 years.

N.B. An additional certificate along with Regular B.Tech. Program will be awarded to those students who will choose any one of these Specializations, Minors or Diploma program.

Nisarga Chand¹,
Assistant Professor¹

Shouvik Chowdhury¹3^rd Year Student¹

Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering School of Engineering & Technology, Adamas University

The world is at shut down mode every country is forced to accept lockdown, the threat has forced to maintain strict social distancing and adaption of distance learning. And habituating people to adapt Virtual learning (untested and unproven protocol) and it really works.

Continuous spreading of the threat has led educational institutions to shut down and mostly impacted the (final year & pre final year) graduates about the placements, internship, publications and their future goals, even they are in confusion and cannot decide to put the efforts on getting placed or to continue the Higher education. Students plans on studying abroad has also affected.

Though it has impacted and will be impacting but history tells us to be remembered

“The more you know, the less it is” – ARISTOTLE

EDUCATION PROFILE UPDATE:

The school and colleges which used to the hub for learning and engaging with others is now no more, the ecosystem has been impacted significantly the higher education and the graduates. In maximum cases, those students are studying in abroad and those are planned to go, they are facing in trouble.

Based on the statistics from UNESCO, we have found that schools are closed in 188 countries, affecting more than 1.5 billion students and 63 million primary and secondary teachers worldwide.

Pic collected from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COVID-19_school_closures.svg

But we are not stopped yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ‘revolutionizing point’ for reform of the Indian education system. The new education policy will forever transform INDIA and result into prosperous, challenging Indians to grow and under great leadership (CEO), no more requirement to go outside. Even India will able to create a Hub for international education.

THE NEW EDUCATION POLICY KEY POINTS:

A single regulator for higher education institutions.
Multiple entry and exit options in degree courses.
Discontinuation of MPhil programmes.
Low stakes board exams.
Common entrance exams for university.

CHANGES THAT THIS COVID 19 HAS MADE POSSIBLE:

Paradigm shift: Instead of acting being digital to actually being digital.

This way of digital implementation on education and learning is trouble, as it unproven and forced to adapt. So, this has resulted in new education policy by the Indian education leaders.

The new education policy (NEO) focuses on easier board exams, reduction in syllabus to retain “core essentials” and brainstorming with “experimental learning” and “critical thinking”. The NEP make the students until class 5 should be taught in regional language. It also acknowledges teachers will be encouraged to use bilingual approach, including bilingual teaching, students whose home language may be different from medium of school.

GRADUATES PROFILE UPDATE:

The ministry of human resources development recorded 16 lakh graduates from MBA and Engineering last year and the numbers are quite comparable for 2020, and now is such a pandemic situation, majority of the graduates will have to face huge difficulty. COVID 19 has not only threatened their employment rates but also backdated the skillets earned so far by students and it has also made graduates and business, government to be aware of a situation and of a country.

Due to lockdown IT firms are facing stagnation due to which hiring, promotions have slowed down. Manufacturing firms are busy in repurposing their manufacturing form cosmetics to sanitizers, masks so that which will affects less as possible and keep the manufacturing on its way. Many IT electronics firms have transformed in building in mass amounts ventilators and other essential medical equipment’s.

OPPURTUNITIES FOR GRADUATES DURING AND AFTER COVID 19:

The covid19 has also open opportunities for graduates and student pursuing higher education. Ample amount of time is granted with no disturbance except self-discipline. It’s the time now to develop and nurture skills and given themselves a chance on being aware and pursue their big goals and be hopeful, confident, competitive, Impatient and build a CV to stand out of the crowd, be a special case thrived from such a situation.

OUR MINDSET TO GET PLACED SHOULD BE:

We should not only find a job, but we should search for a job that potential employers are seeking during and after the pandemic. Skilled up yourself through best online courses, project-based learning, critical thinking etc.

OUTCOMES FOR A GRADUATE:

Under this circumstance, social network like Facebook or Professional network like LinkedIn are so much active compare to previous. Many students with their technical skills, got a chance for internship or placed in top level companies after applying in various professional networks through online. Virtual interviews are taking a part so that students grab their jobs easily while sitting at home. Many companies provide training through online and they are using virtual labs also to give an idea of real time applications.

STARTUPS PROFILE UPDATE

Due to increase in unemployment and government unable to manage employments, peoples choose a career to start their own business and give employment to others, hence which reduces unemployment rates and leads to increase in country economic.

But the situation is different now and quite critical the business itself has got into stagnation. Planning and busy in description of their business on how they can favor their potential customers and market and get their business with fresh start. Indian government is also not behind the government also started with project “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat campaign”. This project aims in creating an ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive and make every India to adopt Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat campaign to transform “Local” India into “Global” India.

Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

The App innovation challenge has two aspects which are promotion of existing apps and development of new apps. It also states it for those people who have such a working product or if they feel they have the vision and the expertise to create one.

Insight on Aatma Nirbhar Bharat by Ashok Gulati, Infosys chair professor for agriculture

Ashok gulati says india is a bulk exporter for agri-products. Gulati looks at the data and finds that the biggest item is edible oils – worth about $10 billion, and states” This is where there is a need to create ‘aatma nirbharta”.

CONCLUSION:

Though the novel coronavirus may be claiming victims all across the globe and keeping people sealed indoors due to the fear and mass confusion, but it can’t stop the innovative minds also the work ability. So last we can say “Stars can’t shine without darkness”

Author: Nisarga Chand

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