Engg aspirants, check how good is college you plan to get into

A report by Gujarat Technological University’s inspection committee states that of the 103 engineering colleges in Gujarat, nearly 70 per cent are short of faculty members, laboratories, computers and libraries

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 
(http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201205152012051502523997fc1a6e9c/Engg-aspirants-check-how-good-is-college-you-plan-to-get-into.html)

The Admission Committee for Professional Courses began admission process for engineering on Monday. Booklets will be distributed till June 4 while online registration process has begun. But how good are the colleges students will be opting for during the choice-filling process?  Mirror had filed an application under Right to Information Act (RTI), seeking the report submitted by the committee that had conducted inspection of 103 engineering colleges of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) between July and September last year.  The results were shocking. Nearly 70 per cent of the  colleges did not have adequate faculty members as per the norms of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). That apart, several colleges did not have principals, heads of departments, lab facility, library, computers, drinking water facility and ladies rooms. NO LIGHTS At colleges which had libraries, either e-journals were not available or national and international journals and reference books were not stocked. Some institutes did not even have proper lighting facility while some used pirated software in computers. As per the report, some colleges like L J Institute of Engineering and Technology on S G Highway did not even have a non-agricultural (NA) certificate. They were found to be charging extra fee under the head ‘Industry Interface’. The institute did not have a language lab, either. POSTS VACANT In Samarth Engineering College, Himmatnagar, the principal’s post was vacant; national and international journals did not meet students’ requirement. Even from the available land of 16.5 acres, approximately 4.10  acres had no NA certificate. Ahmedabad Institute of Technology, Gota, did not have enough infrastructure facilities including classrooms, tutorial rooms and language lab. Many of these self-financed colleges had hiked their fee by 20-25 per cent in 2011 saying they had to pay their faculty members as per the Sixth Pay Commission. But these colleges were not paying the faculty as per the sixth pay panel; even necessary facilities were not being provided to students. Quality education was being compromised despite the fee hike. QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER NOT GOOD At Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technical Education and Research Centre in Navsari, the inspection panel found that the quality of drinking water was not good. The college neither had a digital library nor a good canteen. It did not even have sufficient fans and tubelights in classrooms, labs and libraries. Internet surfing slots were not allotted to students. An anti-ragging committee was absent. Students complained to the panel that even security was not adequate since petrol was often stolen from their vehicles. PIRATED SOFTWARE VVP Engineering College Rajkot, one of the sought-after engineering colleges did not have advanced licensed version of software for computer department. It did not have sufficient room space for its library. At Atmiya Insitute of Technology and Science, Rajkot, there were no safety measures in the electric lab for protection of students and staff. J M Sabva Institute of Engineering and Technology did not have safety measures like grills, overhead high intensity electric wires and flooring. It neither had necessary equipment for labs nor regular teaching and non-teaching staff. The inspection was carried out at a cost of Rs 12 lakh and a report submitted to GTU in September.  However, till December the officials had not issued orders to deficient colleges. It was only after Mirror reported the same in January that the orders were issued. The colleges were asked to submit deficiency compliance within 45 days of the order. SECOND ROUND OF INSPECTION ON Now, a second round of inspection is on by a committee comprising deans of various faculties in GTU-affiliated colleges.  Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said, “As is evident from the observations made by the first inspection panel, the engineering colleges affiliated to GTU are not upto the mark. Nearly 70 per cent of them do not have enough teachers and facilities for students. We have been pressuring them to improve. A second inspection team comprising deans from different faculties is visiting colleges to check whether they have followed the suggestions made by the first panel.” SHOWCAUSE NOTICE TO G’NAGAR COLLEGE Of the colleges that have already been inspected by the second team, some of them have improved their facilities, but new problems were reported in many others, said Aggarwal. “We have fined and issued a showcause notice to Universal College of Engineering and Technology, Gandhinagar,” he said. According to the observations made by the first inspection panel, Universal college did not have regular teaching and non-teaching staff as per AICTE/GTU norms. Faculty cadre ratio was not maintained and neither were they being paid as per the rules and regulations of state government. The college required research lab, classrooms and boy-girls common rooms as per AICTE norms. They also did not have necessary lab equipment and computers. Aggarwal says even parents and students are responsible for the deteriorating quality of education in engineering colleges. “In many cases, the colleges have been grappling with the same problem for over two years. But students do not complain since paper-checking is done leniently. Only if a student fails in his exams will he/she bring the issues to light. That is not how it should be.” If the panel finds that the colleges have still not taken necessary steps to improve facilities, GTU will take strict action against them. Aggarwal said, “ I have asked the deans to submit the second report so that we know the status of infrastructure facilities and vacant posts in these colleges. If they are found to be doing nothing to improve their standards, we will urge the AICTE to issue them a closure notice. In the new colleges that are coming up, we are taking utmost care to ensure that only those that meet AICTE norms are given affiliation.” LOWDOWN ON CITY-BASED ENGG COLLEGES Silver Oak College of Engineering & Technology, Ahmedabad 1) Need to appoint teaching staff as per AICTE/GTU norms   Venus International College of Technology, Gandhinagar 1) Require hostel facility for boys and girls 2) Need to appoint senior faculty as per AICTE/GTU norms 3) National and international journals should be provided in hard copy format 4) Workshop equipment should be installed properly 5) Barrier-free environment required for physically challenged students    SAL Institute of Technology & Engg Research 1) Need to appoint teaching, non-teaching staff as per AICTE/GTU norms, cadre ratio should be maintained 2) Need to provide necessary lab equipment Narayan Shastri Institute of Technology, Ahmedabad 1) Need to appoint regular principal, teaching staff as per AICTE/GTU norms. They should be paid as per the rules and regulations of Gujarat government 2) Students should be insured 3) Need to fulfil necessary requirements of national and international journals, language laboratory should be set up immediately. Alpha College of Engineering & Technology, Gandhinagar 1) Faculty cadre ratio should be maintained. 2) Shortfall in no of journals, computers, printers Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology, Ahmedabad 1) Need to appoint teaching staff as per AICTE/GTU norms 2) Classrooms, drawing halls and seminar halls should be completed