Increasingly Industry- Institute Linkages are being promoted for campus placements along with updated curriculum to keep pace with the need of the hour. But the industry does not receive the favour from institutes with many students not involved in solving or assisting in patent conversion into products.
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The AICTE-CII Survey of Industry-Linked Technical Institutes 2013 highlights this fact showing ?just 1% of technical institutes doing consultancy work or research projects for industry. Colleges are rated by the survey on five factors on the level of industry collaboration – governance, placements, infrastructure, curriculum, faculty and research. ?The comfort levels are also minimal with institutes struggling with industry-faculty interface or faculty providing training for industry. The dismal picture is such that none of the 825 institutes studied scored top marks in this area.
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The survey points out that that the institutes and industry have the strongest links in governance with many industry representatives on board of governors of the institutes as well as inputs into the curriculum and placements. Only 26% out of the 825 colleges have achieved the highest rating in this respect showing a fallout of the mandate that emphasizes on accreditation of the higher educational institutions with the presence of industry personnel on the board of governors as a criteria.
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In the area of placements, 19% of the institutes figured in the top ratings while 11% came on top for incorporating industry inputs into the curriculum. It is increasingly understood that industry links strengthen campus placements and that industry inputs into the curriculum aid in this as students then are taught as per the needs of the industry. Industry-institute ties are known to be stronger in autonomous institutes which have the freedom of setting up their own curriculum.
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Research area lags behind in the industry and institute relationship. It is well known that companies rarely contract institutes for research projects. Technology transfers are also not encouraged. The survey clearly shows that the involvement of industry and institutes in research activities is extremely low.
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Some colleges like College of Engineering in Pune, Institute of Chemical Technology are examples of how industry can be engaged in consultancy or sponsored research. Though consultancy and research support are the most important factors looked at by the industry in any institute, the ground reality is different. The reason is the strict deadlines for research activities set by the industry and the need for application research as compared to basic academic research in the institutes at a slow pace.Unless this mindset changes and the two join forces, the lack of co-ordination will always be existent.