With all new infrastructure projects now follow the Public Private partnership (PPP) models on Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis and many with international funding, civil engineers today need to come equipped with a new set of skills.

Says R P Arora, General Secretary, Builders Association of India: “We do not find soundly trained people, especially newly trained people. At engineering colleges, the syllabus is yet to reflect the new trends and technology being used. Colleges are not equipped with faculty good enough to teach these.”

Jagpal Singh, Consultant, Punj Llyod Ltd, and a board member of the Construction Industry Development Company (CIDC) agrees with Arora. “We are facing a shortage of good engineers. Those being churned out are either not up-to-date or not committed.”

Engineering teachers say this has a lot to do with AICTE-approved engineering colleges. “Most of the private colleges are governed by the very rigid AICTE curriculum in which updating is a very tedious process. So while it is difficult to get changes through in the first place, the faculty in these colleges is also opposed to changes in curriculum because many are not suited to teaching upgraded versions,” says an IIT civil engineering professor.

Experts say that the only way to break the vicious circle is when campuses realise the shortage and industry brings in higher salaries comparable to other engineering disciplines. This is already happening, say engineering professors. “Given that civil engineering today is so dependent on new technology of materials and computer-aided design,” says an IIT civil engineering professor, “students don’t feel that they are somehow cut off from what’s the latest in engineering. The current shortage has to be addressed through a variety of ways but the most positive news is that today, there is a market and we know there will be one tomorrow as well.”