This is our first post on this blog and we start with a very interesting topic, in that, it deals with a common problem which is increasingly causing a dilemma in the minds of top WBJEE rankers every year. Which stream to choose? Computer Science and Engineering (popularly known as CSE) or Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering (lovingly termed ETCE)? It would be noteworthy to mention here that there are always those few students who have a set stream in mind, but for most, it is a difficult decision to take. These two streams have dominated the cream of WBJEE talent for a long time now.
One is the shining beacon of a new age. The other, to many, is a fading twilight of another, long bygone. We like binary comparisons. To us, there always needs to be a demarcation, however subtle, between Satyajit Ray and Ritwick Ghatak, between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Pele and Maradona, Sachin and Sourav. We crave expediency. And in pursuit of that, we often lose sight of the fact that there cannot always be binary comparisons. What if the world is big enough for all to coexist? What if A is good doesn't necessarily indicate B is not good? If you're not from Computer Science and Engineering, you're not an engineer. Or are you?
But then, this is a growing problem and future WBJEE aspirants will have to face it. If we look at the closing rank trends of these two streams over the last few years, it gives us an interesting viewpoint as to what really causes a student to choose a particular branch out of these two. And even so, which branch should he choose if he has the option? If he does not get CSE, should (s)he take ETCE or should (s)he take CSE in another college? In this article, we try to answer these questions.
Closing ranks of ETCE and CSE in Jadavpur University (past 5 years)
Year
|
ETCE
|
CSE
|
2010
|
133
|
366
|
2011
|
140
|
414
|
2012
|
288
|
397
|
2013
|
268
|
321
|
2014
|
488
|
276
|
The closing rank data shows a very interesting trend. Even a year back from now, ETCE was the dominant of the two, despite the closing ranks deteriorating every year. CSE, on the other hand, has seen a brisk rise, culminating in a great show in 2014. So, what has contributed to the apparent decline of one, and the rapid ascent of another?
Both internal and external factors are at play here but Market is probably the elemental reason for this shift. In an industry dominated by coders and major technology concerns like Google and Facebook, perhaps, the electronics engineer doesn’t enjoy the same demand he used to enjoy, at least in India. Also, the paradigm shift which we are talking about here coincided with the booming rise of the E-Commerce industry in India. But, how big an influence are the internal factors of the university in this trend? That is a question which is worth addressing. Here we take up various factors which have all combined to change the mindset of the average Indian Engineering Aspirant.
- Market and rising start-up culture
As we mentioned before, software giants have provided the basis for Computer Science and Information Technology in India. Also, a rising number of start-ups, all of which require programmers with a significant knowledge of programming, have led people to believe that studying Computer Science and Engineering is the only pathway to bucket loads of cash. People know that if they can become good programmers, it will help them build up a good fortune. And recent trends support their bias. Multi National Corporations like Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, Adobe and many others are visiting Jadavpur University every year to recruit the best programming minds. Needless to say, the pay package offered by them is high, which is supported by the huge jump in average salaries between Computer Science and Engineering and the other departments.
- Increasing Success in Other Engineering Examinations and the new-found importance of Board Examinations
Increasingly, more and more students are looking beyond the boundaries of their home state and moving to other states for pursuing their Engineering. Increased success rate in IITJEE (now JEE Advanced) is one of the reasons. Also, more students from Bengal are doing well in AIEEE (now JEE Main) now that Board Examinations are playing a significant role in determining the allotment of NIT s and IIIT s.
- Preference of Stream over College
It happens so very often that a student manages to get an Engineering seat in a good college but not in his preferred stream. During our parents’ time, almost no one had such a luxury. You got Stream A meant you had to study Stream A. Now, there is no dearth of opportunities. Entrance into the Indian Engineering Market by Private players has allowed young people to pursue their loved stream.
- Lack of Knowledge about Computer Science and Engineering
This is probably one of the better points which are under discussion here. (CSE==Programming&&Programming==High_paying_job) returns true for most people but (un)fortunately, it is not so. Computer Science is a lot more than just Programming and Programming is only a subset of CSE.
- Good placements of Jadavpur University Computer Science and Engineering department
CSE placements in Jadavpur University are good and they are improving every year. So a student, who loves programming and wants to be rich, (s)he is perfectly justified in leaving ETCE for CSE.
- ETCE means higher studies which never guarantees a high-paying job
This is another of those biased notions. A good ETCE Engineer is supposed to know programming besides having extensive knowledge regarding his core field. (S)he can always move to Software related fields if (s)he wishes to. Also, there is no dearth of well-paying jobs after completing higher studies. Numerous students from ETCE excel in CAT, GRE and GATE, and are spread over a large list of top US universities, from Maryland to MIT. We have a 100 percentile achiever in CAT this year from the ETCE department.
However, many of the preconceived notions people have regarding these two streams are based on a lot of bias, an inherent tendency to follow the herd, and misinformation. The root of these problems lies in a heavily flawed education system, which has, since time immemorial, valued conformation over vision and leadership. Let’s start from the basics:
- The problem arising out of preconceived notions
One of the moot points here is that the Indian Education system never allows anyone to pursue something they are really good at. There’s always a herd mentality at play, and often, the person taking up engineering doesn’t take up engineering because he wants to. He takes it up because the other person is doing it as well. Maybe, this is due to the fact that Engineering opens the door to a well-paying job, which, true as it might seem, also results in a mad rush of students, thus churning out very poor quality Engineers in numerous cases. Hence, parameters like closing ranks, words like “decline” and “rise”- they become rather relative, and do not, always, portray the real picture. ETCE still has good students, very bright, intelligent, innovative minds pursuing a stream wonderful in many ways. Is a binary comparison necessary or isn’t this enough?
- CSE is the only stream which guarantees you richness on Campus
The dogma that CSE guarantees a high-paying job and ETCE does not is a half-truth. While it is very true that CSE has seen some excellent placement in recent years, it is also true, that, leaving out the cream of the batch, which do receive posh offers from top tech giants, the middle and the tail of both the batches are broadly similar in terms of placement statistics, CSE perhaps, having the upper hand, although by a wafer-thin margin. While Amazon and Microsoft did pick up 13 students this year between them with an enviable package, about 51 students of the same batch (about three fourths of the strength), on the other hand, did not have such an eye-dazzling package, with a middling average salary of about 5.4 lpa. And this again brings us back to a very pertinent question. Does getting into CSE, by default, mean a great job is guaranteed, with a strikingly handsome salary?
That, quite clearly, is not the case, and there exists an immense gulf of difference, as is evident from the stats, between the cream of the batch, and the students who have not been able to perform as brilliantly as their topper friends. Is it because of the reasons mentioned in the first point? This, regrettably, has become a herd mentality, and we are letting the herd dictate our career choices, which, in result, is translating to a dip in quality and inequitable distribution of opportunities.
- Studying ETCE in Jadavpur University is not fruitful
The notion that ETCE doesn’t provide jobs, and is only good for studies is, to a good extent, unfounded. And, a quick glance at facts reveal that JU’s ETCE department, despite a slump in the 2013-14 session, hasn’t exactly been performing too badly over the years, if compared to the same department of other equivalent colleges. Let us take the combined salary statistics of National Institutes of Technology.
Combined Placement Statistics of National Institutes of Technology:
( http://techbits.co.in/forum/placements/nit-placements/?PHPSESSID=b2guveagprdbuasr1rp37086t2)
A quick glance at facts reveal that, in 2012-13, ETCE recorded a highest package of 15 lpa here, which is just a little less than the highest recorded by NIT Warangal, better than that of NIT Surathkal and NIT Trichy, and much better than that of NIT Durgapur. The average salary (4.7 lpa), even in the year of slump (2013-14), wasn’t too far from the average of the top NITs, which normally all hover around 6 lpa, as a dedicated market for the electronics industry is still in its chrysalis in this country, and especially, in this state. We should be hopeful though, as such a market is developing gradually, and the placement statistics in 2014-15 has been, comparatively, a lot better. The placement season is yet to conclude and the highest recorded this year is better than that of premier institutions like IIIT-H.
There is always room for improvement
Admittedly, there are internal problems, plenty of them. Many laboratory equipments are outdated, the quality of faculty has room for improvement, both in terms of quality and motivation, the placement cell still needs a complete revamp, and so does the general education culture which promotes mediocrity to a good extent and not creative prowess. But, there is no reason to think that such problems can’t be solved if we work together for a better JU. Ultimately, it boils down to one’s individual choice. If one has a passion for ETCE, which many studying in this department do to a great extent, (s)he should go for it all guns blazing without giving much importance to pre conceived dogmas. Most of it is baseless panic, which needs to be quelled. On the other hand, if one wants to go for CSE and really has a passion for the same, again, there should be no stopping him. It is a great department, with some excellent minds already studying and fantastic placements. But then, if you want to take up CSE only because you are comfortable with 4 years of Java programming learnt in school, think again. You never know what the future beholds for you!
Binary comparisons between the two are completely unsubstantiated and unfounded. JU is room enough for both to exist, and that’s how things should be. There’s no reason to believe that one’s ascent is at the cost of another’s decline.
(Jointly Written by Soumik Ghosh and Chandrashis Mazumdar, 1st year students of Jadavpur University ETCE department)
By the way, we do not believe in the principle of sour grapes.
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