Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
From International University of Sarajevo

For the first time, the Maharashtra State government will assist colleges to start placement-oriented courses in areas like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, product design among others. These interdisciplinary subjects can be offered as electives of autonomous colleges while others can include them as value-added courses in their curriculum.   

Moreover, in order to understand the merits of these courses on campus placements, an impact study will be carried out. The state government will attempt to understand campus placements by conducting a baseline study to understand average salaries drawn, kind of skill sets required by industries and other details. This data will then be compared with data collected next year after the courses have been introduced to gauge their impact, says Meeta Rajiv Lochan, the state’s project director for Rashtriya Uchchatar Shikshan Abhiyan (RUSA).

“Companies spend a lot in retraining fresh graduates. These courses will increase the efficiency of placements. AI and deep learning will be pervasive in the future. All job profiles will require deep learning and machine learning at some level. It is being used in humanities too,” said Priyanka Sharma from Nirma University. She also added that industries have started to teach conventional AI as well.

These tailor-made courses will offer 70-300 hours to second and third-year undergraduate students. In addition, the state will organise specialised and job-oriented workshops for engineering and pharmacy colleges, apart from arts, science and commerce colleges.

Students with a background in computer science will be taught AI courses spanning over 75-80 hours. However, to make courses effective for students from arts and commerce backgrounds, more than 75-80 hours will have to be included to train students in basics of applied mathematics.  

IIT-B is helping setting up robotics labs across the country under a central government initiative since the science and engineering colleges will require a little investment, told Kavi Arya, IIT-B. Another official added that colleges have the freedom to choose modules: “They can add or delete topics. Nasscom has designed qualification packs for 11 topics. Cybersecurity and network security will generate hundreds of jobs on campuses.”

Colleges like St Xavier’s plan to offer Robotics and Geographical Information System (GIS). Rajendra Shinde, principal-designate added that they may modify course content and offer these subjects as electives. They will also look at courses like ‘capital market’ for night-shift commerce students.

By malika

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