The engineering dream appears to be losing steam.
The number of candidates taking the joint entrance examination (JEE) for engineering institutes has dipped over the past two consecutive years, a first in the history of what is considered one of India’s toughest tests.
The candidates who took the JEE dropped by 27,000 this April from last year, and by 56,000 in 2015 when compared to the preceding year.
More than a million students take the two-part test every year and the number of aspirants has risen by 20,000 to 30,000 every year since 2008.
But academics say the real story is not in the absolute numbers – which form a small chunk of the total IIT aspirants – but in the broader trend that mirrors a shift in social attitudes.
Younger generations are unwilling to follow their parent’s example and enrol in an engineering course, long considered a safe bet for an aspiring middle class, they say. Fewer cushy engineering jobs have dissuaded students further.
“More parents and students are now willing to experiment rather than take the traditional route,” said Lata Vaidyanathan, former principal of Delhi’s Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
The sliding numbers have alarmed the human resource development ministry, which is set to discuss the matter at a meeting with the IIT council next month, officials said.