AICTE Chairman Prof. T.G. Sitharam addressed the 22nd Convocation of Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology in Coimbatore, highlighting Tamil Nadu's leadership in higher education enrollment rates.
Coimbatore: Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology (SKCET) in Kuniyamuthur, Coimbatore, celebrated its 22nd Graduation Day ceremony on October 12, 2024. The event was presided over by S. Malarvizhi, Chairperson and Managing Trustee of Sri Krishna Institutions.
Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Government of India, New Delhi, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
He presented degree certificates to the successful candidates and delivered the graduation day address.
In his speech, Prof. Sitharam congratulated the graduates and highlighted the disruptive roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI in today's world. He cautioned that these technologies would change the way we function and urged graduates to adapt to this new world order.
"AI and Generative AI will take away many conventional job roles. The disruption they are creating is real," Prof. Sitharam stated. He emphasized the need for graduates to become experts in digital skills, particularly in AI and Generative AI, regardless of their stream. "Otherwise, you will not be relevant," he warned, encouraging them to skill up and develop compassion and empathy.
The ceremony saw 1235 graduates receiving their degrees, including 1099 undergraduates and 126 postgraduates. Additionally, 34 rank holders were honored during the event.
Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Prof. Sitharam outlined AICTE's initiatives to enhance the quality of engineering and management education. He mentioned the introduction of the AICTE Placement Portal and AICTE Career Portal to improve student employability.
"Our focus is on skilling the students while they are in college," Prof. Sitharam said. He also highlighted the AICTE Internship Portal, which has 75,000 registered companies, providing additional advantages to students beyond their college placement cells.
Prof. Sitharam discussed the introduction of Idea Labs equipped with advanced equipment like 3D printers, with plans to roll out 150 such labs. He also mentioned the Working Professional Program, allowing ITI degree holders to pursue diplomas and diploma students to pursue B.Tech degrees through physical classes.
Addressing concerns about Computer Science courses overshadowing Core Engineering courses, Prof. Sitharam provided statistics on student enrollment across various engineering disciplines. He assured that while computer-based courses are currently popular due to market needs, core engineering integrated with emerging technologies would gain prominence in the coming years.
The graduation ceremony was attended by K. Adithya, Managing Trustee, and Dr. K. Sundararaman, Chief Executive Officer of Sri Krishna Institutions. Dr. K. Porkumaran, Principal of the college, welcomed the gathering and presented the graduation day report.