Prof. Durgesh Mangeshkar

In the past 11 years since 2004, the criterion for admissions into the Engineering colleges of Maharashtra has been a field of constant change and experimentation by the decision makers in Maharashtra Government. Every State Education Minister and Government has been changing the rules of the game at whim often with vague or short notice thereby creating an air of nervous uncertainty leaving lacs of students, parents and also teachers in a state of perpetual confusion and chaos. This article delves deeply into the various elements of educational philosophy, academic content & objectives, economics and broad political ideologies which are at play due to which this matter remains unsettled so far. However, all these issues can be settled if the political leadership has will and strength to implement a comprehensive vision for delivering quality education along with access and equity. Before getting into the nuances of the elements at play, let us first examine the changes in

India is on the cusp of history. Our nation is blessed with a remarkable opportunity which experts call as the demographic dividend. Almost 65% of Indians are below the age of 35 years. This makes India one of the youngest nations in the world. Many of the developed nations like Japan, UK, Germany, France and US have a much older population. Hence, the number of Indians in the prime working age is the 2nd highest in the world after China. If these youth are equipped with employable skills and education, India can potentially be catapulted into being a superpower - into a league of its own in the next 10-20 years. In order to achieve this objective, one of the central areas of focus in education must be Science & Technology education. Indian youth needs to be educated, empowered and skilled to world-class levels in this aspect. Technology is indispensable in every business and a skilled work force at all levels is the urgent need of the hour. If we examine the quality of Scien