Satyendra Kumar Singh
Career Coach | Motivational Speaker | Author | Columnist
Engineering happens to be one of the most sought programs in the industry. In fact, the engineers are building blocks of the nation. They develop the infrastructures on which the scripts of the development are written.
There are various branches in this field, and once combined with other branches then the scope increases many-a-folds.
Most of the engineers are consumed in the private sector. However, there are many jobs for engineers in government and public sector. The salary and other benefits, the growth avenues and job security are some of the reasons because of which people wish to join government jobs.
The major branches and recruiters in the government sector are:
- Electrical engineering- State Electricity Board, Indian Railways, BHEL, BSNL, DRDO, Indian Army, Indian Navy and others.
- Mechanical Engineering – Indian Railways, DRDO, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, BHEL, PWD, etc.
- Chemical Engineering- Drug Department, Indian Oil Corporation, Fertilizer Corporation of India, Government Managed Refineries, DRDO, ONGC, etc.
- Civil Engineering-PWD, Railways, Roadways, Bridge Corporation, and others.
- Electronics and Communication Engineering-Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, BSNL, DRDO, etc.
- Biotechnology- Forensic Department, DRDO apart from government-funded research programs.
- Petroleum Engineering-Indian Oil Corporation, ONGC, Government Operated Refineries.
- Agricultural Engineering-Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and other similar departments.
- Dairy Technology and Engineering-Dairy Development Department
- Food Processing and Technology-Food Processing Department, Food Boards, Agriculture Boards, Health Boards, etc.
The avenues to the government sector open through Indian Engineering Services (IES) which is a very popular option for the engineering students. The engineers may also appear for Gratitude Aptitude Test for Engineers (GATE), the score of which is used by many PSUs (such as Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Engineers India Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Oil India Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Steel Authority of India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited etc.) to hire candidates.
The Indian Armed Forces that include all the three wings hire engineers as a part of technical entry scheme, the selection of which is done on merit basis. The unmarried engineering graduates can also take Combined Defense Services Exam (CDS), and can be inducted in respective branches of armed forces after completing their training.
Now-a-days, many of the engineering graduates are also opting for Civil Services.
Another major recruiter for engineers is Indian Railways. The engineers must clear the entrance exam held by the Railway Recruitment Board. UPSC also conducts Engineering Services Exam to recruit for Railways.
The nationalized banks hire IT/CS and ECE Engineers as Specialist IT Officers. The candidates can take common entrance examination like IBPS. However, many banks have their own entrance exam and interview.
The job opportunities in DRDO and ISRO are very rewarding too. ISRO conducts its own entrance exam i.e. ISRO Centralized Recruitment Board (ICRB).
The engineers may also join as Government Lecturer or University Professors, after fulfilling the required norms and clearing the entrance exams.
The salary structure in government sector is very good and hence is becoming a career choice for engineers.
So, keep yourself updated with the vacancies and entrance exams for the respective fields and organizations.