New Generation Engineering Colleges (NGECs)

During my half an hour journey to office in the mornings say from 7.40 to 8.10 am, I used to see lot of boys and girls in every bus stop waiting for their college bus.

Those are the students of “New Generation Engineering Colleges” (NGECs) neatly wrapped in their uniforms with a notebook in hand (opened one), big bag on the shoulders, reading the neat and legibly written notes while waiting for the bus. Off-way I should say that the count of boys with open books in hand even if not zero, is less compared to the girls, which by all rules of this society confirms to the universal law of boys and girls.

Every day this sight keeps me wondering what these girls and boys are studying so hard, that they can’t even spare the time while in roads.

Things were not like this 10 to 15 years ago. Engineering was taught in less than 15 colleges across the state. In place of open books, girls had their vanity bags / wallets and boys had cigarette stumps in their hand. Uniforms were to be worn only on workshops were the girls wear the ‘not-so-popular’ jeans and all boys especially those from mechanical branch line up near the workshops and electrical labs to see the so called beautiful girls in their tight jeans. That time engineering colleges didn’t had good looking / stylish girls and if somehow someone finds her place, she would be ushered by the seniors all the time and no one of her batch can freely ‘look’ or ‘talk’ to her. Everyone was free to bunk classes for a ‘smoke’, celebrate an event with a ‘drink’ or to be with the good looking junior girl who just joined the college.

Lessons were not taught but learned. Classes happened but with few students. Series exams meant arena were one assess his potential of solving an engineering problem using logic, without any idea of how the textbooks solved it. Density of oil was substantiated to be less than one, not by looking into the datasheets but by remembering the fact that oil always lies on top of water. Syllabus was brought only at the onset of study leave. Mess, hostel administration, cultural fest, technical symposiums, exhibitions etc were organized and conducted not by faculty but students. Assignments were written and submitted by junior girls on our behalf.

Brain was sharpened not by books and assignments but by 28, rummy and bridge. Life in college and hostel was full of joy and fun. Engineering degree came in ‘package’ which accords ones proficiency in technology, ability to think out of the box, be creative, analyze facts and solve problems.

Surely we mastered engineering but never studied it; coz we never believed in studying the technology that changed day by day but believed that mastering it will make us change it day by day.