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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In Indore, the 2023 batch of the Biomedical Engineering program offered in Hindi at Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) has been disbanded, marking the second consecutive defunct batch. All nine students from the 2023 batch have transitioned to the English-medium program. This branch switch took place during the internal branch sliding option provided to second-year students as part of the college-level engineering admissions counseling based on merit. Concerns have been raised regarding the future sustainability of the Hindi-medium program as the inaugural batch in 2022 faced a similar fate when students opted out. The Hindi-language Biomedical Engineering course was introduced in 2022 at SGSITS with approval from the All India Council for Technical Education, but it struggled to attract students from the beginning. In 2023, ten students enrolled but one withdrew early on, leaving the remaining nine to shift to the English-medium course after a year of studying in the Hindi program, resulting in no students in the Hindi-medium course for two consecutive years. Dr. Prashant Bansod, head of the biomedical engineering department, confirmed that all students from the 2023 batch shifted to the English program during the internal branch sliding, despite course materials being prepared in Hindi for the second year. SGSITS is currently the only institution in the country offering the Biomedical Engineering course in Hindi, with the aim of promoting technical education in regional languages, but it has faced a lack of demand in Madhya Pradesh. College officials are concerned about the declining interest in the program, despite efforts to provide textbooks in Hindi, translate course content, and offer flexibility for exams in a mix of Hindi and English.It is possible for branches to feel neglected or diverge from their intended path when faced with external pressures like peer influence or parental expectations to choose English studies. Despite the absence of Biomedical Engineering textbooks in Hindi, the college faculty took the initiative to translate course materials and create study resources in Hindi for students pursuing the BTech in Biomedical Engineering program. Despite encountering some initial challenges, the college administration remains committed to supporting and empowering the 12 new students who enrolled in the branch this year. Dr. Vijay Rode, the director of SGSITS, emphasized that the course was specifically designed to benefit students from Hindi-medium or rural backgrounds, dispelling the myth that studying in Hindi reduces job placement opportunities. The new batch of students is being encouraged and assured of future job prospects.