Three educational trusts have applied with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body for sanctioning technical institutions, to set up engineering colleges for women. All three applicants have preferred to base their colleges in Bangalore.

According to sources, Srinivas Vidyanikethan has applied for setting up a women’s engineering college in Nelamangala, called PNS Women’s Institute of Technology. The Lord Venkateshwara Ladies Educational & Welfare Trust has applied to set up Lorven College of Engineering at Chandapura in Bangalore.
The third on the list is the M G Charitable Trust, which has sought permission from the AICTE to set up East Point College of Engineering for Women at Bidarahalli, Bangalore.

However, the AICTE, after preliminary scrutiny of the applications, has directed the institutions to set right some deficiencies. As per the rules, the colleges will have to meet all the infrastructure and faculty specification of the Council. Once approved, AICTE will grant them the Letter of Approval.

Presently, the State has only one women’s engineering college -  GSSS Institute of Technology for Women in Mysore.

“Some conservative families feel more comfortable to send their daughters to women’s colleges. In fact, many female students opt out from engineering courses for want of women’s colleges,” say officials in the education department who monitor the admission process in professional institutions

Not just State

The trend for setting up new women’s engineering colleges is not just restricted to the State.
Tamil Nadu has sought to set up three such engineering colleges; Kerala, West Bengal and Gujarat four each, Maharashtra five, and Andhra Pradesh going all out with 14.

AICTE on its part is offering concessions to the managements on registration fee as a sop for starting these institutions.