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Achyuta V from Ibrahimpatnam was once a mechanical engineering professor at a municipal engineering institution.
In India, after decades of teaching in engineering institutions, many senior professors are now working as delivery workers, while some are even earning a living by selling street food. With over 70% fewer seats in core engineering fields, a similar scenario is unfolding in Telangana. In the past, faculty salaries ranged from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per month; now, many of these professionals earn only between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 daily. The reduction in core engineering seats has left numerous professors unemployed for almost two years.
A report in the Times of India highlights the story of Achyuta V from Ibrahimpatnam, who was once a mechanical engineering professor at a municipal engineering institution. When his college requested that he remain on the job with a 50% pay cut, he decided to resign. Currently, he works as a delivery boy, earning around 600 rupees daily. In an exclusive interview with TOI, he shared, “While I was initially earning about Rs 40,000, my salary was cut to Rs 20,000. Later, the management asked for another reduction. I had to leave because supporting my family on just Rs 10,000 a month was impossible.”
Telangana now has 86,943 engineering seats, with admissions conducted through EAPCET. Of these, 61,587 seats are in computer science and related fields, while mechanical, civil, and associated fields collectively have around 7,458 seats. In comparison, electrical and electronics engineering offers 4,751 seats. Despite the limited seats in core engineering disciplines, approximately 25% remain vacant.
Between 2020 and 2024, there was a surge in demand for specialised engineering fields like artificial intelligence, data science, and cybersecurity. Consequently, colleges cut seats in traditional engineering fields such as mechanical, civil, and electrical by 50% to 75%. This shift left many professors in these core fields facing stark choices: accept significantly reduced pay or leave their jobs altogether.