Now Engineers to take the oath

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, October 14, 2007

We’ve all heard of the Hippocratic Oath that doctors must take before they can launch into their profession of healing the sick.
But, soon, engineers keen to practise the profession in India, too, will have to take a professional oath and register themselves just like lawyers, doctors and architects do.
Engineering is not a registered profession in India, but the Centre plans to formulate a law soon and make registration and taking a professional oath for both practising engineers and engineering graduates willing to pursue the profession mandatory.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has already drafted the Bill in this regard and sent it to the ministry of human resources development (MHRD) for approval. And, if all goes well, according to sources within the ministry, the Bill will be tabled in Parliament during the winter session. With this change, engineering will technically become a profession and all Indian engineers will be responsible for their work and can be brought to trial in court for any professional mistake or negligence.
Once the Bill is passed, while completing their graduation, engineers – just the same as lawyers and doctors – will have to take an oath of fulfil their professional duties and their responsibility towards society.
The Centre also plans to form a Council of Engineering, which will give a registration number to all engineers willing to practise the profession. Apart from the council, various other engineering-related registered societies, such as the Institute of Engineers, will also have the power to give a registration number to qualified engineers. Both the oath-taking and the registration number will be mandatory for every engineer in India. Those already in the profession will also have to go through this process.
One of the main reasons for making engineering a registered profession is to help Indian engineers get hired globally. Many First World countries insist that Indian engineers go through a short-term course before joining organisations there. This is because Indian engineers, unlike doctors, do not register themselves or take a professional oath that makes them answerable to authority.
Another reason for this predicament that Indian engineers face on foreign shores is that the AICTE, which recognises all engineering courses in the country, is yet to become a member of the Washington Accord, an international association of accreditation boards from various countries, to seek global recognition. Becoming a full member of the Washington Accord will become easy for India if engineering becomes a registered profession since teaching this course in India needs AICTE approval.
BOX
* Soon, engineers must take a professional oath and register themselves just like lawyers, doctors and architects.
* The Centre plans to bring a law soon and make registration and taking a professional oath for both practising engineers and engineering graduates mandatory.
* The AICTE has drafted a Bill and sent it to the MHRD for approval. It will be tabled in Parliament in the winter session.
* With this change, all engineers can be brought to trial in court for any professional mistake.
* One main reason is to help Indian engineers get hired globally.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com