MANDI: The closure of electronics and communication engineering (ECE) diploma courses in certain institutes, as per a recent notification by the Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training Institute, has sparked concern among students and professionals in Himachal Pradesh.
The move has effectively left thousands of ECE graduates without employment opportunities in government sectors, further aggravating the unemployment crisis in the state.
Students who once saw a promising future in ECE now feel abandoned. “We chose this field with the hope of securing stable government jobs,” said Ravi Sharma, a recent graduate. “But the BSNL, which used to be our primary employer, is no longer in a position to recruit. Moreover, the Electricity Department, which once offered opportunities to ECE students, has also shut its doors on course graduates since 2015.”
Lack of opportunities despite growing digitisation
The government’s push for digitisation and paperless operations has ironically left ECE students behind. Departments aiming to digitise heavily rely on electronic systems, but these students, trained to operate and maintain such systems, find themselves jobless. “It’s frustrating,” said Pooja Thakur, another graduate. “We are fully qualified to manage and maintain electronic systems, but there are no job openings for us. The government’s policies don’t align with its actions.”
The decision to close ECE courses also leaves current students in a precarious position. Approximately 1,950 students graduate annually in Himachal Pradesh with ECE diplomas or degrees. These students now face a bleak future, with no recruitment exams or public sector jobs available in their field.
Focus on modern courses leaves ECE students in Cold
While the state government under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has introduced modern, job-oriented courses like drone technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, students of ECE feel ignored. “The new courses are great for the future, but what about us?” questioned Neha Verma, an ECE diploma holder. “We invested years of hard work and money into this field, only to realize we are now ineligible for most jobs.”
Adding to their woes is the stringent eligibility criteria for technical and industrial roles. For instance, the mandatory requirement of a Craft Instructor Training (CTI) certificate disqualifies many ECE graduates from applying for positions such as instructors or trainers in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
Industry experts and students are urging the government to take immediate action to address this crisis. “The government must make ECE graduates eligible for new roles in ITIs, polytechnics and technical universities,” said an academician from Sundernagar.
Students also demand the creation of specialised roles tailored to their expertise in electronics and communication. “The government talks about promoting virtual reality and other cutting-edge technologies,” said Ankit Rana, a BTech graduate. “But they cannot ignore the reality that students like us have invested significant resources in this field. It’s their responsibility to provide employment opportunities.”
