13 PSUs have confirmed that the GATE 2013 scores will be used for job shortlisting

Even as the registration window for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2013 opened, those enrolling themselves for the exam will be using it more like a door to a government job. From being seen as the ‘gateway’ to M.Tech seats, GATE has now become the first step to be shortlisted in renowned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

According to reports, as many as 13 PSUs have confirmed that the GATE 2013 scores will be used for job shortlisting. Among these are Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), PowerGrid, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

Some of them have already issued notifications/advertisements announcing that for candidates to get to the next step of getting a job i.e., interviews, etc., they first need to get a decent GATE score. In fact, companies such as BEL have made it mandatory that applicants need to have the GATE registration card while applying for the job.

This is a significant increase in the number of government companies accepting GATE scores, as five companies had accepted them in 2012. In 2011, only the Indian Oil Corporation Limited has used scores of the GATE exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on behalf of the National Coordination Board-GATE, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

But those tracking the sector are not surprised by the trend. They say it is a win-win situation for the companies as well as for the worth of the exam. For the PSUs, their access to the talent pool increases by doing this. Instead of the two or three lakh people who will apply for the job directly, they will be looking at a few lakh more eligible candidates.

As for GATE, it will be seen as a ‘single currency’ accepted at the institutes as well as in the PSUs, said Prudhvi Reddy, Course Director for GATE at TIME. “There is a definitive shift towards GATE. The number of engineering graduates is also increasing each year,” he said, speaking about the expanding scope of the exam. So, does this mean there will be changes in the exam? “With the number of applicants going up, it will become much more competitive,” he said.

Source : Hindu