ABET engineering technology criteria and competency based engineering education

The universities in different countries follow their own curriculum development philosophies with the intention of producing "work-ready" engineers. "ABET engineering technology criteria" was introduced to rationalise the various curriculum development philosophies followed by different universities in the USA. This paper highlights the researches done for the creation of competency related to engineering technology programmes being offered in India, which can also help in the development of the competency-based curriculum. This is being done with an attempt to usher in some level of rationalisation of Indian technical education system. On comparing the competency bank experience with ABET criteria, the author is of the view that the some of its concepts could be useful to enrich "ABET engineering technology programmes criterion # 2 'a to k' and criterion # 8. Related to these concepts, two major classifications of industries which also influence the competencies to be identified and developed in the undergraduates of the engineering education institutions are also discussed