Elaborating further on the course is Dr Sarit Kumar Das, professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras. “Twenty years ago, mechanical engineering was one of the most preferred courses,” he says, “From the nineties onwards, there was a preference for information technology and during the last ten years, practically every branch of engineering has been in demand. However, the last three years have witnessed a demand for mechanical engineering again.”
Das continues, “Being a versatile core engineering course, students who pursue it (mechanical engineering) fit in any field. The varied backgrounds that students are exposed to, enables them to adapt easily to several industries and this makes them invaluable assets to organisations.”
M Gopal, mechanical engineering professor, SRM University, agrees, “Students who complete the course have sound fundamental knowledge and can perform better.” He says, “They find jobs in the automobile industry where they work on engine design and the manufacture of automobile components.” Other areas of employment include heavy industries such as iron and steel, engineering development and public sector industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Indian Engineering Services (IES), Indian Railways, and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
“When it comes to management, students specialise in areas like logistics and supply chain management, inventory management,” says Kumar, “While the technical side of the programme exposes them to interdisciplinary studies.” For those who want to pursue higher studies after graduation, students have the option of doing an ME (Master of Engineering) in engineering design, CAD/ CAM, product development and commerce, thermal engineering and refrigeration and air conditioning.”
“Mechanical engineering means dealing with machines. Apart from the design and manufacturing aspects, even the provision of fuel and energy comes under the umbrella of this field,” says Dr T Sundararajan, department head, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, “Applications find place in the aerospace industry, ship and naval architecture, robotics, and so on. Students even find employment in power plants, turbines, heavy vehicle and light vehicle industries, and in the manufacture of defence equipment and vehicles.”
Dr Das adds, “These days, there are more Master’s and PhD students graduating from IIT than students pursuing Bachelor’s degrees. Many PhD students are moving on to pursue corporate research or corporate R&D, as a lot of companies like General Motors and Intel are shifting their research centres to India owing to increased costs in the West. The current scope in this field is immense.”
Mechanical Engineering graduates, especially those who score high in the
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), have many higher study
options. To score a high percentile in GATE, go deep into the subject,
which will help you get good marks in the B.Tech. examinations as well.
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the National Institutes
of Technology (NITs) are among the top premier institutes that offer the
M.Tech. course in Mechanical engineering. After taking a postgraduate
degree, a student can join a research programme leading to a Ph.D. The
All India Council for Technical Education offers fellowships for
research scholars.
The IITs, Madras (www.iitm.ac.in), Kanpur (www.iitk.ac.in), Kharagpur
(www.iitkgp.ernet.in) and Guwahati (www.iitg.ernet.in), offer the
M.Tech. course. An M.Tech. course in Aerospace or Aeronautical
Engineering is a higher study option for Mechanical Engineering
graduates with a GATE score. The IIT, Kanpur, offers M.Tech. and Ph.D.
programmes in Aerospace Engineering.
The NIT, Calicut, offers an M.Tech. course in Mechanical Engineering
with specialisation in Industrial Engineering and Management; Thermal
Science; Manufacturing Technology; Energy Management; and Material
Science and Technology. A GATE score is required for admission
(www.nitc.ac.in).
The NIT, Tiruchirapalli, offers an M.Tech. course in design and
production of thermal power equipment with specialisation in industrial
safety engineering; manufacturing technology; welding engineering;
material science; industrial engineering; energy engineering; and so on.
A B.Tech. degree in Mechanical Engineering with minimum 60 per cent
marks is required for admission. Selection will be through an entrance
test (www.nitt.edu).
Delhi Technological University, Delhi, conducts M.Tech. programmes in
Thermal Engineering and Production Engineering (www.dce.edu).
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) offers an ME course
in Mechanical Engineering on its Pilani campus and another with
specialisation in Thermal Engineering on its Hyderabad campus
(www.bitsadmission.com).
In Kerala
The College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, run by the State
government, offers an M.Tech. course in Mechanical Engineering with
specialisation in Thermal Science, Machine Design, Propulsion
Engineering and Industrial Engineering.
The TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, offers the course with
specialisation in Industrial Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering.
The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam, offers it with specialisation in Industrial Engineering and Management
At the Government Engineering College, Thrissur, the specialisations are
in Production Engineering and Internal Combustion Engines and Turbo
Machinery.
Mechanical Engineering graduates with minimum 60 per cent marks and a
GATE score are eligible for admission to these colleges. Only those from
Kerala without a GATE score will be considered for admission if a
sufficient number of applicants with the score are unavailable to fill
the seats.
The College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, handles the joint
admission process to government and government-aided engineering
colleges under the supervision of the Director of Technical Education.
The admission notification can be expected in May or June. The selection
list will be published on www.dtekerala.gov.in or www.cet.ac.in.
Students with a GATE score get a scholarship of Rs. 8,000 a month.
The Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, Kothamangalam
(www.mace.ac.in), offers a self-financing M.Tech. course with
specialisation in production and industrial engineering. A Mechanical
Engineering degree with 60 per cent marks and a GATE score are required
for admission.
The SCMS School of Engineering Technology, Aluva, offers the M.Tech.
course, admitting candidates with 60 per cent marks and above in the
B.Tech. course (www.scmsgroup.org).
The Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally, offers an M.Tech. course in machine design (www.amaljyothi.ac.in).
The Viswajyothi College of Engineering and Technology, Vazhakulam,
Muvattupuzha, offers an M.Tech. course in Industrial Engineering and
Management (www.vjcet.ac.in).
The MES College of Engineering, Kuttipuram, offers an M.Tech. programme
in Thermal Systems for Mechanical or Automobile Engineering graduates
(www.mesce.ac.in).
The Amrita School of Engineering, Ettimadai, Coimbatore, conducts an
M.Tech. course in Engineering Design and Manufacturing Engineering.
Those with at least 60 per cent marks in the B.Tech. course in
Mechanical Engineering are eligible to apply. Applicants with a GATE
score get preference in admission and if selected, in scholarships
(www.amrita.edu).
At IISc
The Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bangalore, offers a direct five-year Ph.D. course for
Mechanical Engineering graduates with a good academic record and
aptitude in research. Admission is based on the GATE score and an
interview. Students get monthly scholarships. The department also offers
an M.Sc. engineering course for engineering graduates interested in
research. Students should do course work followed by research. Admission
is based on the GATE score and an interview.
The IISc offers an ME programme covering a broad area of Mechanical
Engineering. The students can convert their registration to that of a
Ph.D. before taking the postgraduate degree. Admission is on the basis
of a GATE score. All students get monthly financial assistance. Those
with an ME or M.Tech. degree can opt for the Ph.D. programme. Admission
is based on an interview. The course duration is four-and-a-half years.
Students get monthly scholarships or fellowships.
Engineering graduates and final-year B.Tech. students may take GATE
conducted by the IITs. The Common Entrance Examination for Design
(CEED), also for engineering graduates and final-year engineering degree
students, is conducted for admission to the Master of Design (M.Des)
programme at the IITs, Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati and Kanpur, and the IISc.
Robotics
Another suitable higher study option for Mechanical Engineering
graduates is Robotics. Robotics is the scientific study of the design
and making of robots. Jadavpur University, Kolkata (ME Robotics); the
University of Hyderabad (M.Tech. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics);
the University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad
(M.Tech. Automation and Robotics); Thapar Institute of Engineering
Technology (Thapar University), Patiala (ME Robotics); PSG College of
Technology, Coimbatore (M.Tech. Mechanical Engineering with Robotics as
an elective subject); and SRM University, Kattamkulathur, Chennai
(M.Tech. Robotics); are some of the institutions offering higher study
facilities in Robotics.
Mechatronics combines Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science, incorporating the ideas of Mechanical and Electronics
Engineering into a whole and in particular covers those areas of
engineering concerned with the increasing integration of Mechanical,
Electronics and Software engineering into a production process. M.Tech.
programmes in Mechatronics are rare in India. VIT University, Vellore;
Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Thandalam, Chennai; and Karpagam
College of Engineering, Coimbatore, offer them.
Nanotechnology
It is another option for higher study for Mechanical Engineering
graduates. This engineering technology has high potential and involves
several disciplines. Its major applications lie in the manufacturing
sector. M.Tech. programmes in the discipline are offered in very few
institutions in India. They include Jadavpur University, Kolkata; the
NIT, Calicut; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham; the Amity Institute of
Nanotechnology; and the Birla Institution of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi.
Tool design
ME Mechanical Engineering (CAD/CAM) and tool design programmes are
suitable higher study options for graduates in Mechanical Engineering.
The Central Institute of Tool Design, Hyderabad, is a premier institute
offering these courses.
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