Higher Education Alternatives After B.Tech

All commendable B.Tech graduates in mechanical engineering, mainly those who secure decent percentile in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), have numerous higher-study options. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and some of the leading & esteemed engineering colleges that offer M.Tech (Mechanical) with specialization in industrial engineering and management; thermal sciences/ engineering; manufacturing technology; energy management; material science and technology and so on.

Admissions to the M.Tech degrees are done on the basis of GATE scores and after completing M.Tech, aspirants can apply to research programmes leading to Ph.D. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) offers national doctoral fellowships for research scholars. Additionally, Nanotechnology is one more option for pursuing higher studies. To pursue a two year M.Tech (Nanotechnology) degree, aspirant must be a graduate in engineering degree in mechanical, electrical, electronics and communication or computer science and engineering branches or M.Sc in physics, chemistry or biotechnology.

All those who have completed their graduation in engineering or are in final year BE/B.Tech are eligible for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) conducted by the IITs for admission to ME/MTech programmes and can secure scholarships. The Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED) is conducted for admission to the two year Master of Design (M.Des) programmes at IIT Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur and at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore. Commendable Engineering Graduates and students in engineering final year are also eligible to appear for CEED.

Some Esteemed Colleges offering M.Tech Programme:

IITs, NITs are some government engineering colleges that provide M.Tech study facilities for commendable mechanical engineering students with decent GATE percentile:

• IIT Madras (www.gate.iitm.ac.in)
• IIT Kanpur (www.iittk.ac.in)
• IIT Kharagpur (www.iitkgp.ernet.in/mtech)
• IIT Guwahati (www.iitg.erent.in)
• IIT Bombay (www.iitb.ac.in)
• IIT Delhi (http://www.iitd.ac.in/)
• IIT Roorkee (www.iitr.ac.in/)

Following are some institutes offering M.Tech in mechanical engineering

• NIT-Calicut (www.nitc.ac.in)
• NIT Tiruchirappalli (www.nitt.edu)
• The Amrita School of Engineering
• The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan (www.bits_pilani.ac.in)
• The Government College of Engineering, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram
• The TKM College of Engineering, Kollam
• The Government Engineering College, Thrissur
• The Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, Kothamangalam (www.mace.ac.in)
• The Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam

Additionally, there are some other courses offered by some government renowned colleges such as

• The National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Vihar Lake, P.O, Mumbai – 400087 (www.nitie.edu) – PG Diploma in Industrial Engineering on the basis of first class B.Tech degree along with GATE score.

The Central Institute of Tool Design, Hyderabad – 500007 (www.citdindia.org) - ME Mechanical- CAD/CAM, ME Tool Design for Mechanical Engineering with 55%.

Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering

GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) is conducted by one of the seven Indian Institutes of Technology in rotation, and is the yearly exam conducted for admission to M.Tech and MS programmes in most of the engineering institutes in India. GATE entrance test is often regarded as a benchmark examination for all those who are willing to pursue their masters in engineering or technology. Examination is conducted by a committee of institutes that includes Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology on behalf of the National Coordinating Board- GATE, Department of Education, and Government of India.

GATE is conducted through the constitution of eight zones, the zones and the corresponding administrative institutes are:

Zone 1 - Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
Zone 2 - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Zone 3 - Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Zone 4 - Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Zone 5 - Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Zone 6 - Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Zone 7 - Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Zone 8 - Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

The examination for GATE is coordinated by a committee that encompasses Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and other seven Indian Institutes of Technology on behalf of the National Coordinating Board, GATE, Department of Education, and Government of India. Admission forms for the same are available in last week of September till late October at almost all SBI branches. Students can appear in the exam as it has diverse disciplines according to their M.Tech interests.

The examination pattern and GATE syllabus for the same is usually based on the student’s syllabus of Engineering or B.Tech degree. The minimum eligibility requirement for appearing in this exam is usually a B.Tech, BE, B.Arch or M.Sc and the exam is usually conducted on second Sunday of February. The stream or the discipline to choose is done at the time of filling up the form. Additionally, there are XE and XL papers which are general in nature. The current examination pattern of the GATE examination is-

Maximum marks- 150 (Objective Type Questions, 3 sections)
Group I- 20 question each carry one mark
Group II- 55 questions each carry two marks. Out of this, last 5 questions may be common data based questions.
Group III- 10 questions each carry two marks

Latest updates of Gate Entrance Test
Not only this, as per the latest buzz, the validity of GATE score card been reduced to one year. Also, it has been decided that the Pharmaceutical Sciences (PY) paper will be discontinued with effect from GATE 2010. Accompanying all this changes is one more that says, with effect from GATE 2009, Information Technology (IT) paper will be merged into Computer Science (CS) paper. There will be no separate GATE Paper for IT. The name and code of the merged paper will be Computer Science and Information Technology (CS).

Gate For Science Students

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is an all –India Examination conducted by the six Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, on behalf of the National Coordinating Board - GATE, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India.

The objective of the exam is to identify meritorious and inspired candidates for admission to Post Graduate Programmes in Engineering, Technology, Architecture and Pharmacy at the National level. In addition it serves as a benchmark for improvement of the Undergraduate Engineering Education in the country.
Now a days an ME or M.Tech degree is a desirable qualification for our young engineers seeking a rewarding professional career. Engineering students, while in the final year of their degree course, spend considerable time in seeking an opportunity to pursue higher studies in foreign universities, being oblivious of the fact that there are several institutions in the country, offering specialized postgraduate programmes in various disciplines.
Attractive scholarships, Assistantships for postgraduate courses in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Pharmacy in engineering colleges or institutes in the country are available to those who qualify through GATE. Many of the engineering colleges and institutes specify GATE as a mandatory qualification even for admission to their postgraduate programmes. Further GATE qualified candidates (in engineering subjects) are also eligible for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in CSIR Laboratories.
With India becoming the hub of research and development (R&D) activities where several companies abroad are outsourcing these activities to Indian research institutions like CSIR, M.Tech., students have a big chance to grab more opportunities in the research sector where a PG degree carries weight.
Many top-notch industries and business houses are using the GATE score as one of the performance indicators for making recruitments. Some industries and universities abroad have even shown their interest in obtaining particulars of GATE qualified candidates. So a student who has completed B.Tech. at a State engineering college can look forward to doing M.Tech. in a more reputed institute like an IIT or NIT by taking GATE and thus increase his value in the job market.
The GATE examination consists of a single paper of 3 hours duration and carries a maximum of 150 marks. The eligibility criteria for appearing in the Gate examination are as follows:

• Bachelor's degree holders in Engineering/ Technology/ Architecture/ Pharmacy and those who are in the final or pre final year of such programmes.
• Master's degree holders in any branch of Science/ Mathematics/ Statistics or equivalent and those who are in the final or pre-final year of such programmes. However, if the degree is in Master of Computer Applications, the candidate should have had courses in Mathematics at the Bachelor's or Master's level.

• Candidates in the second or higher year of the (Post B.Sc.) Four-Year Integrated Master's degree programme in Engineering/ Technology or in the third or higher year of the Five-year Integrated Master's degree/ Dual degree programme in Engineering/ Technology. Candidates with qualifications obtained through examination conducted by professional societies recognized by UPSC/ AICTE as equivalent to B.E./ B.Tech. Those who have completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses are also eligible.
Before applying for GATE 2008, candidates must assure themselves that they have chosen the right paper, which qualifies them to become eligible to seek admission to the specific programme they are interested in. The criteria for postgraduate admission with Scholarship/ Assistantship are different in various Institutes. The zones and the corresponding administrative institutes are:

Zone 1 - Indian Institute of Science Bangalore

Zone 2 - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Zone 3 - Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Zone 4 - Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Zone 5 - Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Zone 6 - Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Zone 7 - Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Zone 8 - Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
So if one wants to pursue M.Tech program in a leading institute of the country and get a good placement or if one wants to go for specialization in the area of interest, GATE is literally a gateway to higher education and a promising career in engineering.