Mining Engineers are responsible for locating the natural reserves of minerals, petroleum and other useful natural substances. They lay out plans, devise shafts, inclines or quarries for the safe extraction of these resources, whether they be coal, petroleum, metallic or non-metallic minerals from under the earth.

They are also responsible for maintenance and repair. Care has to be taken that the plants give maximum output and the machinery is properly maintained. Those engaged in research, work towards developing new processes and applications for manufacturing purposes or experiment on the use of new materials.

To become a qualified engineer one must have a graduate degree (B.E / B.Tech) or atleast a diploma in any one of the several branches of Engineering.

The basic eligibility criteria for a BE / B.Tech is - 10+2 or equivalent examination, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. For some disciplines such as Computer Science, and Agricultural Engineering, the additional subject qualification may also be necessary.

Selection : Selection to all Engineering courses is on the basis of : (a.) merit / marks secured in the final exams of 10+2 (with science subjects) ; (b.) through the means of entrance exams (joint entrance exam / JEE for the IIT's and separate state level and national level exams for other institutions). Engineering courses are available at two levels. There are the degree and postgraduate degree courses offered by the engineering colleges and Institutes of Technology (IITs), and, the diploma courses available at polytechnics.

The six Indian Institutes of Technology ( IITs) at Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur and Guwahati, and the Institute of Technology (BHU) at Varanasi, conduct the Joint Entrance Examination for admission jointly.

Competitive examinations on an all-India basis for admission to a B Tech / B E course are also conducted by The Birla Institute of Technology, at Pilani, Rajasthan, and at Ranchi; the University of Roorkee, UP; Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal; the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Annamalai University, among others.

There are also 17 Regional Engineering colleges all over the country which offer admission in various branches of engineering, on the basis of marks obtained in the Class 12 examination.

There is also the (AMIE) Associate Membership Examination of the Institute of Engineers which enables working people in the private and public sector, or diploma holders to acquire a Bachelor's degree through distance education, for career advancement.

BE / B.Tech courses are of 4 years' duration The diploma courses are of 2-3 years' duration.

Some of the premier engineering colleges in India are listed as follows :

Indian Institute of Technology ( New Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Chennai )

Regional Engineering Colleges ( Warangal, Andhra Pradesh ; Silchar, Assam ; Jamshedpur, Bihar ; Surat, Gujarat ; Kurkshetra, Haryana; Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir; Surathkal, Karnataka ; Calicut, Kerala ; Visvesvaraya REC, Nagpur, Maharashtra ; Rourkela, Orissa ; Jaipur, Rajasthan ; Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu ; Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh ; Durgapur, West Bengal ; Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh ; Jalandhar, Punjab.)

Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) - (Pilani and Ranchi.)

Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi.

University of Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh.

Jadavpur University, Calcutta

PThere is no dearth of jobs for engineers. They can find employment in the following areas :

* Government Sector, including the railways, municipal corporations, telecommunications departments, etc.

* Public Sector organisations,

* Private companies,

* As commissioned officers in the defence services,

* Research organisations and laboratories,

* As technical experts on engineering projects in banks and financial corporations,

* An engineer can set up his / her own small unit / company or consultancy