IAF Engineering College for aviation engineers planned

Armed Forces Training College sends proposal to Air Headquarters

BY A CORRESPONDENT
March 31, 2006

An engineering college to train aviation engineers for the Indian Air Force is on cards.The Bangalore-based Armed Forces Training College (AFTC) as sent a proposal to the Air Headquarters to start such an institution, in alliance with the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) in Chennai. The college will be set up within nine months of the proposal being cleared. Construction will start with an initial cost of Rs 50 crore. The IAF college is expected to meet the increasing demand for aviation engineers in the Indian Air Force.

This was revealed by senior officials of the AFTC and the southern air command in Bangalore recently. AFTC has already moved IIT Madras to declare the Indian Air Force Engineering College as a satellite campus if IIT Madras. IIT Madras already has such a satellite campus in Thiruchirappally along with Bharat Heavy Engineering Ltd. According to oficials, the college will be modelled on the lines of the Army and Navy Engineering College in Maharashtra's Lonavala.

According to the AFTC chief instructor, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has approached AFTC to conduct training for its management and design trainees. These courses will be of two and four week duration.

To select its candidates, the 10+2 students will be taken in after tests. Currently, engineers from other universities apply for AFTC, where they undergo training as air warriors.

AFTC is South Asia's first armed forced training college, which was set up in 1949. It trains students from India, as well from 19 friendly countries. Currently, AFTC has 100 trainee students. The Indian Air Force Engineering College is expected to have an initial intake of 100 students.