The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is a competitive exam that is held at the national level for admission into various post-graduate programs in top institutes. As the GATE score shows the aptitude level of students in undergraduate science and engineering subjects, it is now being actively used by Public Sector Undertakings for recruiting the right talent. Conducted by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and the 7 centers of Indian Institutes of Technology namely, Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Pune, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee, GATE is one of the toughest competitive exams of the country.
The popularity of GATE among students has increased tremendously owing to the fact that now Public Sector Undertakings are taking GATE scores into consideration while hiring. As a government job remains a viable career option for many further instigated by the stability and traditional reputation associated with it, umpteen aspirants are now appearing for GATE to make their dreams of white-collar jobs come true.
According to recent statistics, the recruitment of 2014 went pretty well. Also, last year, over 10 lakh students registered for the exam out of which, 8.89 lakh students appeared and only 16.84% i.e. 1, 49,694 were able to ace the exam. In accordance with the estimates, approximately 3000 students were recruited by 25 PSUs.
What lies ahead
As far as the year 2015 is concerned, it is estimated that 10 more PSUs will join the bandwagon of PSUs that recruit students on the basis of their GATE scores. Approx. 6000 students are expected to get hired by 34 PSUs through GATE 2015.
PSUs are always in need of employees who have detailed technical know-how, who know the nitty-gritties of engineering and have a strong understanding of its complex principals. GATE gauges the propensity of students to solve technical problems. Hence, PSUs are considering GATE score as the ideal measure to check a candidate’s general and technical aptitude. Also, screening candidates on the basis of their GATE results saves manpower costs of the company. Beyond this, GATE is a common platform to benchmark students in terms of engineering concepts and general aptitude, which makes it a fair medium to recruit candidates. Besides this, since IITs and top PSUs use GATE exam as their selection criteria for hiring, it urges other companies to follow suit.
Opportunities
Top Public Sector Undertakings like BHEL, HPCL, CONCOR, GAIL, BEL, DDA, NALCO, MECON, NHPC and MEC among many others, set their own cut offs for recruitment. Eligible and deserving students are hired. An excellent score in the competitive exam can help students grab a job in these companies. Currently 2000 to 3000 vacancies exist in some of the leading PSUs for fresh engineering graduates. After considering candidates based on their GATE scores, the selection process involves a group discussion followed by a personal interview.
The competition level of GATE has elevated extensively owing to the importance of the exam. To survive this fierce and intense competition, students need to have a strong grounding in engineering with a good GATE score, which is ultimately the passport to a secure career.
The writer is the co-founder of The Gate Academy.
Sources : The Hindu
