As reported by: Kapil Srivastava [Mec '08]
One of the largest engineering workshop setups in India is facing serious trouble in the present times. It is facing multiple problems which are in turn hampering the practical education which the institute provides to its students.
The workshop setup if ITBHU, arguably one of the biggest in India, equipped with machines of all kinds and moulds has been facing ever growing problems. The problems are basic and serious. The very first is lack of skilled workers, who can be allowed to operate the sophisticated machinery. The age-old workers have all retired with time and replacements are scarce or almost negligible. The situation has become so pathetic that workshops which used to have 15-16 skilled workers manning the machines are now left with a workforce of only two to three workers at the most.
This in turn results in poor maintenance of the machines. Without proper workforce, the workshop incharges are helpless and thus proper maintenance of extensive machinery is now an improbable task with the current workforce. Many machines have stopped rolling and rumbling, and thus their practical applications have now become a part of theory for the students. This is the case with many workshops.
A direct consequence of all this, is that students have less of practical work to do. On being asked, workshop superintendent further says that unskilled workers cannot be allowed to handle the machinery and with the degradation of workforce, he has been forced to close down few workshops.
He further adds that lack of funds is also one of the problems that are hindering the workshops from serving the purpose they were established for. The workshops stores have a serious lack of materials.
With all the aforementioned problems the practical aspects of engineering, which can only be realized by the aids of these workshops are being nullified. If the authorities do not react quickly there might be a time in near future when workshops would stand as desolate structures.