Impact of Choice Based Four Tracks Project System on Development of Final Year Engineering Students and Challenges Faced During Implementation: Case Study

Being an autonomous institute, Rajarambapu Institute of technology (RIT), Rajaramnagar decided to start choice based four tracks of projects for final year engineering students from the year 2017-18 to develop them globally competent. As per this system students can opt one choice from industry internship & projects (IIP), undergraduate research experience (URE), Entrepreneurship development (ED) and regular capstone project (CP) by their choice. Present work focuses on choice based four track project system, its impact on student’s career, challenges faced during implementation from student and institute perception and major actions taken to overcome the challenges. To analyse the outcomes of four track project system, survey of students and their evaluators were conducted. It was observed that students who opted IIP track, developed their skills like technical competency and interpersonal skills. Institute succeeded to improve the placement from 89% to 63.05%. From survey and evaluation of URE opted students, it is observed that self-learning ability, self-confidence and critical thinking improved at satisfactory level. This helped the students to build their resume. In last three years 20 URE opted students secured admissions easily at foreign universities after clearing the entrance test. Under ED track, students developed entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial characteristics. 19 students started business and 21 students joined the business of their parents in last three years. Students who opted CP track succeeded to develop skills like team work, innovative thinking, and time management. Overall, it has been observed that admission cut off marks of institute have been increased by 10 to 30 % from the year 2017-18 to 2019-20.