The ongoing process of engineering license upgradation by state authorities has triggered serious concern among Diploma and JOC (Job Oriented Course) qualified Engineers in Belgaum district. Thousands fear that new, arbitrary limits on building approvals could shrink their professional scope overnight, effectively pushing them out of the industry they helped build.
Why Diploma & JOC Engineers Matter
Experts fear the restrictions will create a bottleneck in the rural construction sector. “Upgradation should add value, not suddenly make decades of experience irrelevant,” stated a senior JOC engineer
According to AICTE and DTE Karnataka intake data, diploma engineering programs have consistently produced thousands of graduates every year across the state for decades.
These engineers are often the first and sometimes the only technical professionals available to ordinary families building a house.
A significant share of these professionals work independently or with small builders and handle individual house plans and low-rise structures. They serve villages and peri-urban areas where degree engineers are scarce. In districts like Belgaum which has over 1,200 villages and multiple talukas, diploma and JOC engineers form the primary technical workforce on the ground.
Unclear Rules, Clear Consequences
The proposed license limits could:
- Strip Approval Powers:Downgrade the authority of Diploma/JOC holders regardless of their experience.
- Create Bottlenecks: Force citizens to depend on a smaller pool of “higher license” professionals, causing massive delays.
- Inflate Costs: Increase approval fees for ordinary homeowners as demand outstrips supply.
- Neglect Rural Areas: Halt construction in villages and semi-urban belts where Degree engineers are scarce.
Built by the Ground Workforce
Belgaum’s housing stock, from modest homes to small commercial buildings was built largely through local engineers who know local soil, bylaws, materials, and people. Removing them from the system without offering upskilling pathways risks breaking a system that already works.
Under the upgradation process, authorities are expected to:
- Reclassify licences by qualification level
- Introduce limits on the size and type of buildings that different licence holders can approve
- Centralise approvals for larger structures
So far, there has been:
- No public consultation
- No white paper explaining the need for limits
- No data showing diploma engineers caused safety failures
- No transition period announced for existing licence holders
A Demand for Fair Reform
Engineers are not opposing reform – they are demanding fair, data-backed, and inclusive reform. What worries engineers is not upgradation itself, but exclusion without transition.
There has been no district-wise impact data released, no clear transition timeline, and no clarification on how long-serving licence holders will be treated. For professionals who have worked within the system for 10–20 years, the silence is unsettling.
“Upgradation should add value, not suddenly make decades of experience irrelevant,” stated a senior JOC engineer.
A Moment of Recalibration
Experts suggest that this is an opportunity for the authorities to release clear data, consult stakeholders, and design a phased transition, ensuring quality improvements without disrupting the ground workforce that keeps everyday construction moving.
As Belgaum continues to expand, the authorities must answer, if these hundreds of engineers are stopped from working tomorrow, who will build the homes of the poor and the middle class? Reform is welcome, but erasure is not. The district administration must pause the new policy and initiate an open dialogue immediately.
