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Power to the people

The lowdown

Electrical engineering deals with the study and application of electrical systems for use in

different environments. A student has to learn about transmission and generation of electricalpower, electrical circuit design, electronics, instrumentation, and control systems. In-depth

knowledge of electronic devices and circuits for measurement, instrumentation, control and

protection of electrical equipment and conversion systems is also required. One would also

have to master the application of computer-based systems in design, analysis and efficient

operation of power systems

Clock Work

9am: Reach the plant. Reply to email received from vendors

9.15am: Take a round of the power plant

10am: Check the power lines

11am: Fix faults (if any)1pm: Have lunch

2pm: Routine visit to site where a project is in progress

3pm: Supervise and monitor the state of the work

6pm: File assessment report

7pm: Leave for home

The payoff

An entry-level engineer earns about R20,000 to R30,000 per month. Salaries vary from

organisation to organisation. At a middle-level technical position, as a project head or team

leader, one gets R70,000 to R80,000 per

month. At the managerial level, one can earn R1.5 lakh per month. Starting salaries are

almost the same in the government and private sector, but vary vastly in top positions.

Managers in the private sector can earn more than R1 lakh a month

Skills/TRAITS

. Strong logical and analytical skills along with the ability to absorb new knowledge

. Keen attention to detail, as machines need a lot of care

. Ability to adapt to the changing technological scenario of the market, e.g. by learning

software development

Getting thereDo a BTech (electrical) or BTech (electrical-power), depending on your area of interest. You

can also pursue an MTech if you want to go in for further research. After engineering, you

can hunt for a job in companies like Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) the National

Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) or Reliance Power. Reputable

institutes like the IITs and the NITs have campus placements, but for other students,

companies will usually organise a written test for their annual intake. Check out newspaper

advertisements for announcements of the dates for the entrance exams

Institutes and URLs

. Indian Institutes of Technology (www.iitd.ac.in/ www.jee.iitd.ac.in/ )

. Delhi Technological University (www.dce.edu)

. National Institutes of Technology (www.nitdgp.ac.in/www.aieee.nic.in)

http://www.iitd.ac.in/http://www.jee.iitd.ac.in/http://www.dce.edu/http://www.nitdgp.ac.in/http://www.aieee.nic.in/http://www.jee.iitd.ac.in/http://www.dce.edu/http://www.nitdgp.ac.in/http://www.aieee.nic.in/http://www.iitd.ac.in/

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Pros and cons

. Irrespective of market trends, electrical engineers will always be in demand

. Growth opportunities are aplenty as the demand-supply gap is huge in the Indian power

sector

. Its a demanding job, especially when one is working on a project installation

. Because of the stiff competition, not everyone gets a good job in a public sector company

A huge number of electrical engineers are

needed for the electric utilities for the

generation, transmission and distribution of

electrical power with the least power losses Dr

Narendra Kumar, professor and head, dept of

electrical engineering, DTU