Students of biomedical engineering 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 course in Hindi for the 2023 batch at Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS) has been canceled, marking the second consecutive defunct batch. All nine students from the 2023 batch have opted to transfer to the English-medium program. This change took place during the internal branch sliding option offered to second-year students as part of the college-level engineering admissions counseling based on merit. This transition has raised concerns about the sustainability of the Hindi-medium program, as the inaugural batch in 2022 with seven students had a similar fate when students discontinued the course. Introduced in 2022 with the approval from the All India Council for Technical Education to conduct engineering courses in Hindi, the Hindi-language Biomedical Engineering program at SGSITS struggled to attract students from the start. Initially with ten students in 2023, one withdrew early on, leaving only nine students continuing for a year before switching to the English-medium course, leaving the Hindi-medium program without any students for two consecutive years. Dr. Prashant Bansod, the head of the biomedical engineering department, mentioned that all students from the 2023 batch switched to the English program during internal branch sliding, even though the course material was prepared in Hindi for the second year. SGSITS remains the only institution in the country offering the Biomedical Engineering course in Hindi as an initiative to promote technical education in regional languages, although it faces a lack of demand in Madhya Pradesh. The college administration is concerned about the diminishing interest despite efforts to provide textbooks, course content translation, and the option for students to take exams in Hinglish.The urge to switch majors or deviate from the established path may arise from external influences such as peer pressure or parental expectations, especially when it comes to pursuing studies in English. In response to the lack of Hindi resources for Biomedical Engineering, the college faculty proactively translated course materials and created study materials to support students pursuing the BTech in Biomedical Engineering in Hindi. Despite initial challenges, the college administration is dedicated to encouraging and empowering the new cohort of 12 students in this field this year. The course was specifically developed with a focus on students from Hindi medium or rural backgrounds. There is a misperception that studying in Hindi could impede job placement opportunities, but the college is actively reassuring and supporting the students in securing placements. SGSITS director Dr. Vijay Rode emphasized the commitment to the success of the Hindi medium program.