GATE 2020: Is CSE & ECE losing against other Engineering Streams?

Want to know about the most preferred branches of students in GATE 2020? Read the article below.

With GATE 2020 to be over on February 9, it is boggling to observe that the Computer Science Engineering (CSE) is witnessing the lesser number of registrations from that of the last year. The same is true for Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE).

On the other hand, there are some branches (especially the core ones) that have witnessed a steady growth or have the approximately same number of registrations every year. As the upcoming era is of digitisation and computers, it is very important to understand that why students are preferring other engineering streams over CSE and ECE? The table below compiles similar data in this regard.

Before understanding why core engineering branches are gaining over, everyone must note that the article is not about categorising branches into good, better, and best. Every stream holds its importance in respective areas, so, one cannot simply compare them. As a matter of choice, one may select one over the other but that doesn’t make any of them the better.

Coming to the question, though it depends upon a candidate’s taste for an engineering stream, CSE as a matter of fact, has a quick initial growth in comparison to the core fields. But with so many people opting for it, saturation has been seen in this field. While the growth graph of fields like mechanical, civil, etc have been seen to follow a constant pattern. The graph below shows the same.

It is also evident that the candidates are losing interest in these two streams. As per the GATE registration data, in 2012, over 1.5 lakh registered for CSE and that reached over 2.2 lakh in 2013 but in 2018 the number dropped to nearly 96,878 (Not even one lakh).

Similarly, if we look at ECE registrations under GATE, 2013 was the year with the most number of registrations (2,56,135). But after six years i.e. in 2019, the number of registrations reached less than half (1,25,870) to that of in 2013.

While looking at other engineering branches like Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical, it can be said that students have shown more interest in these streams which is visible through more registrations in GATE under these streams.

In 2012, a considerably lesser number of candidates registered for Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Electrical Engineering (EE) than that of CSE for GATE. While only 1,12,320 candidates registered for ME, the number of registrations EE was also almost equal i.e. 1,10,125. But if we compare registrations in 2019, ME has over 2.34 lakh registrations, EE has over 1.46 lakh registration, whereas CSE has only 96,878 registrations.

In addition to that, registration in GATE 2020 under the EE branch is not varying much except in 2015 when only around 1.25 lakh candidates registered for the exam. Otherwise, the number is near to 1.45 lakh.

Another branch that can be considered as the students’ favourite is Civil Engineering. The branch was introduced as a paper in GATE in 2014 with only about 90 thousand registration. With the branch’s demand gradually increasing, the CE has witnessed over 1.5 lakh registrations in 2019.

Looking at the information above, it can be said that the core branches are attracting more students than the branches like CSE or ECE. Some of the major reasons for the same are:

Core engineering is the driving force in the industry

Think of any industry without engines, machines, infrastructure, and electricity! Even in this digital age, it is impossible to run any industry without these core things. Without electricity and electronics, machines can’t be in action. Most of our infrastructural requirements such as bridges, buildings, or water drainage systems are only possible due to Civil Engineering. In a nutshell, any kind of industry is standing on the pillars of core engineering sciences and its application.

Core engineering streams are as much in demand as specialised engineering subjects

With newer and specialised engineering streams that seem to be taking over, the importance of core engineering streams cannot be neglected. We must not forget that specialised engineering subjects are the ramifications of the core streams. Even today, interdisciplinary knowledge is required to resolve only 10% of the technological challenges whereas the majority of the technical issues can be solved with the help of the core engineering disciplines.

Another benefit with the engineers equipped with core subjects is that they can opt for much broader and advanced dimensions of application in design, development, analysis, and execution of projects in any given field in the future.

Job opportunities in the core engineering sector

It is partially true that compared to the employability boom in IT, Software and Electronics fields, the core engineering study is gradually becoming an outdated concept to the students. But with the schemes like the Government’s “Make in India”, it is estimated around will 100 million jobs will be generated by 2022.

Engineers with core engineering knowledge and skill are expected to bridge the gap and spearhead the country’s future growth. Emphasis on basics and core subjects is the need of the hour. We need engineers who are passionate about designing, building and producing new things with the basic concepts of mechanics, electronics, civil and chemical. There is a gold mine of opportunities waiting for the core engineers, but if there are no takers, it will seriously impede the growth of this country.