Bengaluru: As the official notification and schedule is out for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2018, candidates are one step closer to reaching out to their aspirations - higher education for some, better placements for the others.
However, the harsh reality is that only 15-16% clear the test, out of lakhs of candidates appearing each year.
GATE expert and trainer M.V. Reddy believes that lack of proper preparation is a major reason. “Rather than solely understanding the subject, the pace of solving problems is the major deciding factor,” he said, adding, “Attending proper mock tests during the phase of preparation is essential.”
GATE acts as a basic filtering process for admissions to various postgraduate (PG) courses, governmental scholarships and assistantships in the disciplines of science, engineering, technology and architecture at a national level. The PG seats at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER). Reddy said the facilities provided at these institutes make them much aspired for.
“A dedicated faculty, placement support system and high-end equipment made available for the students make them much demanded for,” he said. Speaking on the importance given to research activities he said, “Fifty per cent of these aspirants seek to further their academics towards PhD, for whom getting research papers published in acclaimed journals is essential with opportunities for that too provided at top institutions,” Reddy added.
For Samanvay Kumar who has taken a break from work to prepare for the exam, experience in the industry has helped him understand concepts and himself better. “With the exposure provided in elite institutions that I aspire to get in, I’m sure my right potential will be revealed, helping me chose industry or research in future,” he said. Samanvay banks on online videos and available text to prepare for his daily dose of coaching from an institute in the city.
The GATE score is also a deciding factor considered by leading Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) for recruiting personnel. Over 40 PSUs, including Bharath Petroleum Corporation Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Airports Authority of India and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited acquire GATE qualifiers to their engineering designations. “BSNL had recruited 2,510 engineers from GATE 2017 and these numbers speak a lot,” Reddy said.
At the same time, Rajorshi Lahiri, another engineer looks forward to getting placed in a PSU by cracking the GATE code. “The hectic time we toil ourselves out in the private sector is never worth as the returns are not that great. The job security, fixed working hours and guaranteed benefits at a PSU makes life settled,” he said.
GATE 2018 will be conducted in February 2018 by IIT Guwahati on behalf of the National Co-ordination Board for the Test under the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
