HUMAN VALUES AND ETHICS IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Shanthakumar G. C
Professor, Dept.of. Mechanical Engg. , NCERC, Pampady
Abstract
Value education to prevent erosion of values in public life has been a matter of concern,
since independence. The values embedded in the Indian philosophy, cultural heritage and
literature needs to be nurtured. To nurture the core universal values like truth, peace, love,
righteous conduct and nonviolence in students of technical education, it is necessary to
include the subject on Human values and Ethics in the curricula of university. This
paper endeavors to call the attention of the declining moral situation in students of
technical education and out lined the important role of the subject on human values and
ethics needs to play to raise the human value in engineering students. Also this paper
deals with basic definition of values, kinds of values, definition of ethics. Imparting these
in technical education.
Keywords: Values, Ethics, Morale, Technical Education
________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
The rapid progress in science and technology has been accompanied by alarming in
increase in value degradation all over the world, as manifested in exacerbation of
maladies like economical imbalance, increase in inequality, crime and violence. It is
therefore, become imperative to sensitise the youth, especially those studying in technical
institutions, towards this issue. This need gets further strengthened by the strong linkages
between the nature of the technological development and the value orientation of a
society. Our technocrats are largely obvious of these linkages since the role of human
values in shaping the developmental path of a society rarely finds a place in the technical
education. Consequently, on one hand they invariably contribute to strengthening of the
materialistic worldview, with all ill effects, and on other hand their own personal
development remains stunted.
There is, thus an urgent need to orient our education such that the essential
complimentarily of knowledge and wisdom can be appreciated by our youth and they
give us much emphasis to imbibing universal human values as to acquiring skills.
Values are ideals, beliefs or norms, which a society or the large majority as a society
member holds. Values are the part and parcel of the philosophy of a nation and that of its
educational system. Values are guiding principles of life, which are conductive to ones
physical, social and mental health. Value also signifies the quality of an individual or
thing, which makes that individual or thing important, respectable and useful. [1]
Fundamental principles
Engineers uphold and advance the integrity honour and dignity of the engineering
profession by
1. Using their knowledge and skills for the enhancement of the human welfare
2. Being honest and impartial and serving fidelity of the public, their employers and
clients

3. Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession

and
4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.
Engineering is the profession in which the knowledge of the mathematical and natural
sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop
ways to utilize, economically: the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of
mankind. A significant measure of an engineering education is the degree to which it has
prepared the graduate to pursue a productive engineering carrier that is characterized by
continuous professional growth. [2]
The above criteria relate to the extent to which a program develops the ability to apply
pertinent knowledge to the practice of engineering in an effective and professional
manner. The following characters have to be developed in an engineer to develop his
values,
1. A capability to deliberate and solve in a practical way the problems of society
that are susceptible to the engineering treatment
2. A sensitivity to the socially related technical problems which confront the
profession
3. An understanding of the ethical characteristics of the engineering profession and
practice
4. An understanding of the engineers responsibility to protect both occupational,
public and safety
5. An ability to maintain professional competence through lifelong learning. [3]
Need of value education
Values are closely related with aims of education. Education enables people to know
meanings, reasons and values. Although there has been great advancement in science and
technology, erosion of values is reflected in day- to-day life of a large section of society.
Young generation under the growing influence of negative aspects of western culture is
confused. In order to preserve, maintain and advance the position of our country, a
comprehensive program of value education is needed. The minds, hearts and hands of
children are to be engaged in forming their own character to know what is good, love
good and do good .[4]
Importance of value education
Education is based on intellectual, aesthetic, social and cultural emotional, moral,
spiritual and religious values. The value education helps young people to lead more
personally satisfying and socially constructive lives. It also helps in developing certain
skills like knowing one self, self esteem goal setting ability, communication and social
skills. It also teaches certain traditional values and also evokes set internal qualities. It
provides civic values on which country is founded and from which its legal and political
principles are derived. Value education helps in encouraging moral behaviour and moral
habit formation.
Value education encourages the development of moral codes like honesty, truthfulness
and justice. Clear rules of conduct, student ownership of those rules, a supportive

environment and satisfaction resulting from complying with norms of the environment,
shape justified human behavior.
Classification of values
Values can be classified into three categories on the basis of its nature namely biological
value, intrinsic value and instrumental value. Biological values led to philosophy of
naturalism, intrinsic values lead to idealism and instrumental values lead to pragmatism.
Various kinds of values are classified according to their specifications.
1. Aesthetic value in accordance with arts, dancing, painting, dramatization, music,
etc.
2. Spiritual values concerning spirit as opposed to matter, divine matters and soul.
3. Moral values relating to ethics
4. Social values concerning society and its well being.
To make awareness in values of students the following major values should be imparted.
[4]
1. Respect
The traditional society enjoyed people to respect elders, teachers and others, but
youth under the illusion of getting modernized and becoming self-independent
show lack of respect.
2. Professionalism
It is a cluster of attitude and values relating to ones role, professional as well as
contributory member of the society. It includes respect; regard norms of
behaviour, self-criticism, open minded and readiness to accept failure and
limitations.
3. Concern for others and also environment
It is pity that human society has evolved: one sees a gradual decrease in concern
both for others and environment. The individual today has no human
considerations for others
4. Character formation
To form a good character qualities like responsibility, self-discipline, and loyal
work ethic; compassion should also be provided.
5. Citizenship
The criteria for a good citizenship, which involves individual rights, justice and
equality, patriotism, attitudes, truth, etc, can be imparted.
6. Moral values
It includes the attitudes, belief skills and behaviour to be good, fair and kind
Ethics in Engineering Education

Ethics
Ethics is the branch of axiology - one of the four major branches of philosophy, alongside
metaphysics, epistemology, and logic - which attempts to understand the nature of
morality; to define what is right from what is wrong. The tradition of ethics is sometimes
called moral philosophy. [5]
Ethics in Science and Engineering
Every social science is trying to establish a number of assumptions about the human. This
is reflected in sciences like anthropology because of the complexities involved in relating
one culture to another, economics because of its role in the distribution of resources,
political science because of its role in allocating power, sociology because of its roots in
the dynamics of groups, law because of its role in codifying ethical constructs like mercy
and punishment, criminology because of its role in rewarding ethical behaviour and
discouraging unethical behaviour, and psychology because of its role in defining,
understanding, and treating unethical behaviour.
Ethics has also been extended to more sciences, such as the biology (as bioethics), and
the ecology (as environmental ethics). As these fields become more complex and deal
with more situations, the application of ethics in those fields can also become more
complex.
Nowadays the extension and application of ethics in the field of engineering is rather
obvious. This extension is inevitable because of the important role that engineering is
playing its role in developing services and goods, which cover many of the needs of
society.
Why Ethics?
The ethical issues that appear in the engineering profession have lead to the necessity of
the early study of ethical aspects in engineering. Obviously the university is the most
proper place for a systematic approach to this very important side of the engineering
profession.
One should be able to identify contemporary situations that would be considered difficult
by the large majority of the professionals. These situations arise when different values
come into conflict. A short list of the various values that can come into conflict includes:
personal development, personal feelings, financial reasons, religion, human rights, law,
social trends, politics, public safety, employment status, national issues, professional
responsibility, commitment to contracts, environment protection, etc.
Implementation of values and ethics in technical education
To create an awareness in the technical community, the skills and human values are
essentially complimentary; and to integrate the training in technical skills seamlessly with
education in human values, in the process paving the way for reorientation of
technological developments for catering to humanistic needs rather than materialistic
needs.
To develop the human values and ethics we need to inculcate the human values and ethics
in engineering students. So this has to be included in the syllabi of engineering course, in
all disciplines. Mahatma Gandhi once said Education means all round drawing out of the
best in child and man-body, mind and spirit. As such education becomes the basis of

personality development in all dimensions-moral, mental and emotional. Therefore it can

be said that in the long run education forms the foundations on which the castles of peace
and prosperity can built. Since ancient times, it is said Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye, which
means that with education we finally attain salvation. This small Sanskrit phrase
essentially contains the thought and essence of value education that is relevant in all
perspectives.
Furthermore, Mahatma Gandhi quoted "Education For Life, Education Through Life,
Education throughout Life". The right to development implies the right to improvement
and advancement of economic, social, cultural and political conditions. Improvement of
the global quality of life means the implementation of change that ensures every person a
life of dignity; or life in a society that respects and helps realize all human rights. In order
for humans to improve towards that direction, they must be educated to ensure the wellbeing of the humans, by integrating social development, economic development, and
environmental conservation and protection. Can the current student engineers have this
perception as a motto for their education and afterwards in their work life in order to
make world better?
To impart human values and ethics in technical education there should be a subject on
human values and ethics in engineering, in the first year as a common subject in the
curriculum.
The efforts to fulfill the value education and ethics have been put by IIT Delhi nearly two
decades ago with the inspiration of Late Prof. D.S.Kothari, faculty from various
departments and centers come together to translate into practice, the taste of sensitizing
the future engineers to these issues. The efforts saw a culmination with a creation of
Ministry of human resource development, Government of India. This unique
interdisciplinary centre is receiving inputs from different departments and centers of the
institute and is working towards bringing about an effective integration of engineering
education with human values. [1]
Now a days even in European and American countries, the importance has been given for
values and ethical issue in engineering education. [5]
finally to impart values and ethics in technical education
1. A subject of human values and ethics should be a part of curriculum of the
universities
2. The subject should be taught for all the disciplines in the first year for a period of
four hours per week
3. The subject should be taught by the environmental engineer. Philosophical/
Sociological Scholars
4. The goal of incorporating this subject in the curricula is to impart the human
values and ethics in the students

Conclusion
This paper is endeavored to call the attention the declining morale situations in the
students of technical education, and outlined the important role of the subject on the
human values and ethics needs to play to rise the human values in engineering students.
The responsibility of providing adequate and effective curricula rests heavily on
universities, because it is only through such an avenue that lasting and effective
improvement in morale values can be achieved through education.
References
1. Environmental studies by Dr.Suresh, K.Dhameja, 3 rd revised edition, 2006-07
S.K.Kataria and sons.
2. Required ethics: Accreditation for the engineering curriculum, J.Eric Schonblom.
3. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Curricular Objectives, Para.
IV.C.2. of "ABET 1993-94 Accreditation Yearbook," p. 61.
4. Essentials of Environment Studies, Dr.K.C.Vashista, Dr.B.K.Bansal, Danpat Rai
Publications New Delhi, First Edition 2004-05.
5. Ethics and Sustainable Development issues in Engineering Education, Madrid, 27
March-2 April 2006.
6. Ethics in and for higher education, Prof. Peter Scott, Kingston University,
United Kingdom. International conference on ethical and Moral Dimensions for
Higher Education and Science in Europe.
7. The role of Industrial Technology in Fostering Industrial Ethics, Dr.Samuel C.
Obi & Dr. Mohan Kim, Sn Jose state University, CA95192-0061.