Menu
Welding Engineering and Technology is the backbone of varied industries such as construction, fabrication, shipbuilding, power generation, pressure vessels, underwater piping, desalination plants, automobile etc. Only few institutions are offering undergraduate and post graduate courses in Welding Engineering and Technology. The professionals working in industries, having a diploma or degree in traditional engineering branches have few avenues for improving their knowledge and expertise in the area of welding and joining to keep pace with the continued developments taking place.
Keeping the above points in view, a scheme of Associate Membership Examination of The Indian Institute of Welding (AM-IIW) was developed by The Indian Institute of Welding, and Enrollment to the first batch of candidates AM-IIW Examination was started in 1988.
Subsequently, The Indian Institute of Welding has forwarded a scheme of Associate Membership Examination of The Indian Institute of Welding (AM-IIW) to the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) in 1996 seeking its recognition. This case was referred to the AICTE by the MHRD, and based on the comments from the experts of the AICTE, New Delhi in 1997, some revisions in the Curriculum and Syllabus were incorporated and the matter was reconsidered by the AICTE on September 27 2000 and the MHRD accorded recognition to AM-IIW Examination, and a Gazette Notification was made to this effect on November 18 2000. The Gazette Notification states:
“On the recommendations of the High Level Committee for Educational Qualifications, the Government of India have decided that Associate Membership Examination of the Indian Institute of Welding Calcutta is to be treated as a recognized qualification for the purpose of employment under the Central Government to the posts and service for which Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in the appropriate field is a prescribed qualification.”
However, in December 06 2012, MHRD decided that
“(ii) All those students who are enrolled with the institutions with permanent recognition up to 31.05.2013 would be eligible for consideration in accordance with MHRD office memorandum/ order in force pertaining to their course for equivalence in Central Government jobs. However, these concerned orders will cease to have effect from 01.06.2013 onwards.
(iii) After 31.05.2013, based on the review by the regulator i.e. AICTE, a decision on continuation of the certification of equivalence of degree/ diploma shall be taken by statutory regulator.”
The Indian Institute of Welding has presented the detail of Associate Membership Examination of The Indian Institute of Welding (AM-IIW) before the committee constituted by the AICTE to review Professional Bodies/ Institutions in the field of Technical Education on July 04 2017 at the AICTE Head Quarters, New Delhi, as invited by the AICTE. The final recommendation from the AICTE is awaited.
Meanwhile, The Indian Institute of Welding has decided to reframe course and curriculum of AM-IIW Examinations of its own, and from June 2020 onwards, new enrollment of candidates to this AM-IIW Examination would commence. The candidates who have passed, or would pass, the AM-IIW Examination, will be awarded as a ‘National Welding Engineer’.
It is to be noted that the AM-IIW programme receives considerable financial support from the Institute along with the services of experts who are engaged in their labour of love for a nominal remuneration.
AM-IIW Examination system is an educational programme and certification examination in the field of Welding Engineering. The course curriculum, syllabi and the examination have been so designed that a candidate passing out these examinations may be considered to have enough knowledge in the field of welding and joining. The Indian Institute of Welding, under its consideration, is holding this qualifying professional examination having the same standard as that of a Bachelor degree in Engineering offered by a recognised Indian or foreign University.
The Institute conducts AM-IIW examination all over India based on its own course designed to meet industry needs. Examination is conducted twice a year, i.e. in Summer and Winter.
AM-IIW has been recognized by the International Institute of Welding (HQ at Jenoa, Italy) as the entry qualification for the International Diploma like International Welding Engineer (IWE) or International Welding Technologist (IWT), after fulfilling some eligibility criteria, attending a course and passing an examination conducted by ANB-India under the authority of International Institute of Welding with guidelines from ‘International Authorisation Board’ (IAB).