Admissions void, future of many engg students in peril

A fresh controversy in the field of higher education may cost lakhs of engineering graduates their careers as the state government has not accorded “admission approval” to colleges from where they passed out.

These students, who passed out between 2010 and 2014, belong to more than 50 engineering colleges affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU).

Facing the heat, the colleges have collectively requested the government to order retrospective approval to “admissions”. In fact, these private colleges have been trying to get the approval from the government for the past two years. A few of them had written to the then Higher Education Minister Basavaraja Rayareddy seeking approval of admissions since 2010. However, Reddy had refused to do so and had marked the file as “illegal”.

But now, with a spike in the number of such applications at both the graduate and undergraduate level, the state higher education department has constituted a fresh committee to look into the controversy. Nevertheless, the issue has triggered a debate on how the VTU had allowed these colleges to admit students when there was no formal approval by the government to enhance seats or commence new courses.

According to documents accessed by DH, the committee is headed by Prof Karisiddappa, vice-chancellor of VTU and includes Prof H P Kincha, former VC of VTU and regional director of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). A senior official from the department said, “Considering the interest of lakhs of students and also to avoid any legal issues in future, a committee has been constituted to look into the problem. Based on the committee’s report, further action will be initiated.”

Officials said that 50 private engineering colleges have approached the government. “These colleges had enhanced their intake and admitted students and are submitting requests seeking retrospective approval of admissions. Considering that these colleges did is illegal and since the department cannot consider requests now, an expert panel has been constituted.”

Dr K Balaveera Reddy, former Vice-Chancellor, VTU commenting on the issue said, “If the enhanced seats or courses are not approved by the government, then such admissions and degrees awarded by the university have no validity. I wonder how the VTU gave degrees when there was no formal approval by the government. It also raises the question over the responsibility of the Technical Education department. But considering that any decision would affect lakhs of graduates, it is good if the government agrees for retrospective approval.”

What is the procedure?

Every year, for enhancement of seats and commencement of new courses, engineering colleges shall submit an application to the university. Following the applications, the Local Inspection Committee (LIC) of the university visits colleges and submits a report to the Academic Senate and Executive Council for approval.

The cleared proposals will be sent to the government for final approval.