A Review of Competency Based Engineering Education as Suggested by Accreditation Agencies vis-à-vis to Indian Scenario

This paper focuses on the recommendations about Core Competencies required for Engineering Graduates proposed by Engineering Professor's Council (EPC), National Academy of Engineers (NAE). It further emphasises on recommendations made by contemporary prescriptions of Accreditation Agencies in US, UK, Australia, Japan and other Developed Countries and also the proposal proposed by ACM, IEEE and other professional bodies with special reference to various Engineering related disciplines. NAE, IEEE, ACM, other Accreditations Agencies and researchers of same field have identified a number of Hard as well as Soft Competencies needed for instructing or graduating Engineers. These suggestions and recommendations are now being used for enhancing and updating the quality of Engineering Education in India and may also be utilised in other developing countries. However, in order to further enhance the standard of Engineering Education, it is proposed to update the students in their field of expertise and their ability to generate wealth, selfsufficiency, develop their problem solving skill, ability to assist others through philanthropic donation, ability to work in a teams, ability to handle multidimensional projects, ability to lead the multi-directional teams, ability to judge and decide, ability to motivate the team to achieve predefined goal. Researcher may also add the list of recommended competencies, especially at the master's level. The paper then focuses on the current accreditation criteria practiced by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), also suggestions proposed by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an Accreditation Agencies of UGC of India. But the criteria proposed by these Indian agencies was based on the traditional resource-based approach, may not fit in today's Globalised World. National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and the Indian Government Task Force set up certain criteria to examine the human resource challenges for Computer Science and Engineering Graduates and IT Graduates, have been slightly focused. Both of these agencies have underrated only few Soft as well as Hard Competencies such as communication skills (written and oral English communication), presentation skill, creativity, innovation, problem solving and team spirit and have made them optional rather than compulsory. The accreditation criteria of NBA, NASSCOM, NAAC and the Indian Government task force are not in alignment on Global issue, vast competency gap has been observed. Engineering is not only an applied science; it is as much more as about process, procedures and methods as it is about technical knowledge and scientific theory. World class Universities have become increasingly aware of the need to be able to demonstrate in a quantifiable manner to the skills, knowledge and attributes that their graduates are imbued with during their learning experience (Bullen, Waters, Bullen, & de la Barra, 2004).

The growth of Indian Engineering Education System has become a great interest to the International Engineering Community. India is one of largest producer of Engineering Graduate around the Globe and approx 70% of fresh Indian Engineering Graduates are currently joining the Computer and IT industry irrespective of their specialization. The Indian Engineering Industries, however, could not achieve preferred destination for Engineering Education. Indian Engineering Institutions face a new challenge of preparing their students to the sufficient levels of competency in the first six semesters and equip them with the required level of Soft as well as Hard competencies. Reforms in Engineering Education have a vast but slow history not in India but globally.