Biomedical Engineering Students at SGSITS Switch from Hindi to English
Indore: The 2023 batch of Biomedical Engineering course offered in Hindi at Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) has been dissolved, making the second consecutive batch...
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The Biomedical Engineering program offered in Hindi at Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) in Indore for the 2023 batch has been discontinued, marking the second consecutive year of the program becoming inactive. All nine students from the 2023 batch have transitioned to the English-language program during the internal branch sliding option provided to second-year students as part of the college-level engineering admissions counseling based on merit. This shift has raised concerns about the future sustainability of the Hindi-medium program, as the inaugural batch in 2022 faced a similar outcome when students opted out of the course. Introduced in 2022 at SGSITS with the approval of the All India Council for Technical Education, the Hindi-language Biomedical Engineering course struggled to attract students from the beginning. Despite enrolling ten students in 2023, one student withdrew early, leaving the remaining nine students to switch to the English-medium program after a year, resulting in no students remaining in the Hindi-medium program for two consecutive years. Dr. Prashant Bansod, head of the biomedical engineering department, confirmed that all students from the 2023 batch have shifted to the English program, despite the course material being prepared in Hindi for the second year. SGSITS is the only institution in the country offering Biomedical Engineering in Hindi, aiming to promote technical education in regional languages, but the lack of demand in Madhya Pradesh has resulted in dwindling interest. Despite efforts to provide textbooks and course content in Hindi, as well as allowing flexibility for exams in Hinglish, students seem to prefer the English-medium program.Experiencing discomfort or deviating from the expected path may happen due to societal influences like peer pressure or parental preferences for pursuing English studies. Despite the lack of Hindi resources for Biomedical Engineering, the college faculty translated study materials into Hindi and provided notes to support students in the Hindi medium BTech program. Despite initial challenges, the college is determined to encourage and empower the 12 new students in this branch. The program was tailored to cater to students from Hindi or rural backgrounds, debunking the misconception that studying in Hindi may hinder job prospects. The new students are being guided and reassured about their future job opportunities, as stated by SGSITS director Dr. Vijay Rode.