Boost for engineers: India a permanent member of Washington Accord

In a major boost for Indian engineers, India today received a permanent membership of the Washington Accord.

This would mean global recognition of Indian engineering degrees and increase the mobility of engineers to the USA and other countries for jobs.

With this, India joins a select group of 17 countries who are permanent signatories of the Washington Accord (WA).

Washington Accord is an international agreement amongst prominent nations of the World, with the charter of promoting mobility and quality assurance of engineers across international boundaries. The charter requires that nations set up suitable accreditation standards, which would ensure a minimum quality of attainment for their engineering graduates.

"The meeting of the International Engineering Alliance of WA member countries met in Wellington, New Zealand this morning and gave India the signatory status with effect from today," the ministry for Human Resource Development said.

The Washington Accord was signed by the National Board of Accreditation, India, an accrediting body with the mandate for accreditation of engineering and other technical programs at all levels in the country and making technical education outcome based.

The International Engineering Alliance (IEA), Secretariat of the Washington Accord, sent a Review Team in December 2013 and January 2014, to carry out a comprehensive review and audit of NBA accreditation systems and practices. The Review team submitted its report in March 2014.

India, has been a provisional member of Washington Accord since 2007 and has been working since to become a permanent member.

To date, when an Indian engineers wanted to practice abroad, they would need to fulfill certain requirements. In most cases, this means clearing an examination.

A membership of Washington Accord (WA) accreditation becomes a pre-requisite in this case. It's only when an engineer goes abroad on a contract with his company that he does not need the accreditation.

The WA will help the engineers register with the official registration body in these countries and also get legal protection while practicing in these nations.

Incidentally, Indian students work abroad even without accreditation. But some countries which have issues with the validity on an engineer's degree, this accreditation will benefit those candidates.