Why India Is Producing Millions of Engineers… and Very Few Engineers Who Can Actually Engineer

Every year, India produces lakhs of engineering graduates. Private colleges, government colleges, deemed universities, IITs, NITs—you name it, we have it. On paper, we should be a global tech superpower overflowing with talent.

But reality check:

• Campus placements are drying up
• Even IIT pass-outs are struggling for interviews
• Companies say: “Degree hai, skill nahi”
• Parents say: “Beta engineer hai, par job nahi hai”

So what went wrong?

The uncomfortable truth: Not everyone is wired for engineering. Any branch. Period.

The Great Indian Engineering Illusion

Somewhere along the way, engineering—especially Computer Science—became a religion.

Parents were told:

“Computer Engineering is a money machine.”
“Do CSE → Join Infosys/TCS → Life settled.”

Let’s be brutally honest.

👉 Computer Science is NOT typing code like copying homework.
👉 Not everyone can code.
👉 Not everyone should code.

Coding requires:

• Logical thinking
• Pattern recognition
• Problem-solving obsession
• Sitting with a bug for 6 hours without losing sanity

If your child hates math, logic, puzzles, or even basic curiosity about “how things work,” then forcing CSE is like forcing a fish to climb a tree.

JEE Rank ≠ Life Calling

This is where things get dangerous.

Today, students choose branches based on JEE rank, not interest or aptitude.

• High rank → Computer Science
• Lower rank → Mechanical / Civil / Chemical
• Lowest rank → “Anything engineering, just get a seat”

This is madness.

Cracking JEE only proves exam endurance, not career suitability.

If a student:

• Cracks IIT
• Gets Computer Science
• Cannot write a basic program independently

Then sorry—that IIT seat is wasted.
That seat should have gone to someone who was coding at age 12, breaking computers at 14, and building things for fun.

The DNA Factor Parents Don’t Want to Hear About

Now let’s touch the topic most people avoid: potential is not magic—it is biological + environmental.

This is not an insult. This is science.

A child’s cognitive tendencies are strongly influenced by:

• Genetics (combined potential of parents)
• Early exposure
• Environment at home

Parents must ask themselves honestly:

• Were we academically inclined?
• Did we crack competitive exams ourselves?
• Are we analytical, creative, logical, artistic—or none of these?

Blindly believing “my child will crack everything” while ignoring reality is not optimism—it’s irresponsibility.

Loans don’t create talent. Pressure doesn’t create passion.

Interest Leaves Clues Very Early (If Parents Pay Attention)

Talent does not suddenly appear in Class 12.

It leaves signals from childhood.

Examples:

• Future coder
  • Loves puzzles, logic games
  • Curious about apps, software, hacking, automation
  • Self-learns without being pushed
• Future architect
  • Loves drawing, buildings, Lego, design
  • Obsessed with structures, spaces, aesthetics
• Future doctor
  • Comfortable with biology, blood, anatomy
  • Curious about human body, diseases, healing

Now the harsh reality:

If a student faints at the sight of blood after paying ₹2–3 crore for an MBBS seat…
That’s not bad luck. That’s bad decision-making.

Coaching from Class 8: Cracking Exams Is Easy, Cracking Life Is Not

Today, coaching starts from Class 8 or even earlier.

Yes, with 2–3 years of intense training:

• Anyone can crack JEE
• Anyone can crack NEET

But cracking an exam ≠ surviving the profession.

You can train a parrot to pass an exam.
You cannot train passion, curiosity, or long-term stamina.

Parents: Your Job Is NOT to Produce an Engineer or Doctor

Your real job is:

• To observe, not impose
• To identify talent, not chase status
• To channel strengths, not society’s expectations

Before spending:

• ₹10–25 lakhs on engineering
• ₹2–3 crore on medicine

Ask one question:

“Is my child naturally inclined toward this life?”

If the answer is no, stop immediately.
No degree is worth lifelong frustration.

The Aftermath Nobody Talks About

What happens after forced engineering?

• No job in the core field
• Years wasted
• EMI pressure
• Then…
  • Bank exams
  • PSC
  • SSC
  • Anything but engineering

Nothing wrong with those careers—but why waste 4–6 prime years first?

That’s not ambition. That’s misdirection.

Final Truth (Read This Twice)

• Engineering is not a default career
• IIT is not a guarantee of success
• Computer Science is not for everyone
• Exams can be cracked, but careers must be lived

India doesn’t have an education problem.
India has a self-awareness problem.

Until parents and children honestly assess interest, aptitude, and biological inclination, we will keep producing:

Degree holders without direction
Engineers without engineering
Doctors without stomach for medicine

And that is the real national loss.

Think before you choose.
Observe before you invest.
Because careers are built on alignment, not assumptions.

Tell it like it is? Done.

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