<p>The principals of as many as 17 engineering colleges in Karnataka do not have basic engineering degrees, a mandatory requirement set by All India Council for Technical Education, according to the reply of the Visvesvaraya Technological University to an RTI query.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In 2006, the AICTE made it mandatory for engineering colleges to appoint persons with basic under graduate and post graduate courses in engineering and technology, as principals.<br /><br />Based on the AICTE guideline, the executive council of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) had passed a resolution in its 66th meeting (April 7, 2007) which stated, “The acceptable qualification for the principals of affiliated colleges shall be as per the AICTE norms with their UG and PG degree being in the engineering and technology in a faculty in which VTU is awarding the basic degrees.”<br /><br />Following the resolution, the Local Inquiry Committee (LIC) of the VTU conducted inspections year after year to check whether the colleges were abiding its instruction and found that the colleges had overlooked the guidelines. <br /><br />One of the colleges was RV College of Engineering, Bangalore where the LIC observed that a full- time principal appointed. Despite such observations, the VTU authorities did not initiate any action against the erring colleges for the reasons best known to them.<br /><br />17 colleges in list<br /><br />A retired educationist, Prof N S Nadigar had sought information from VTU under RTI about the colleges which have principals not satisfying the AICTE norm. He got a list of 17 colleges - — STJ Institute of Technology at Ranibennur; Beary's Institute of Technology, Mangalore; Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur; Adichunchunagiri Institute of Technology, Chikmagalur; Khwaja Banda Nawaz College of Engineering, Gulbarga; Rural Engineering College, Hulkoti; SLN College of Engineering, Raichur; Rural Engineering College, Bhalki; Basava Kalyan Engineering College, Basavakalyan; PA College of Engineering, Mangalore; SECAB Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bijapur; Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology, Davangere; City Engineering College, Bangalore; Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Bangalore; Sri Basaveshwara Institute of Technology, Tiptur; RV College of Engineering, Bangalore and Bahubali College of Engineering, Shravanabelagola.<br /><br />Documents show that the VTU authorities had correspondences with these “erring colleges” regarding their principals but its reply was quite surprising.<br /><br />An authority at the Tiptur-based Basaveshwara Institute of Technology, which has a principal with a BSc and MTech degrees, shot back saying, “The post of principal is already approved by the AICTE and the question of non-eligibility does not arise. If insisted, as and when a suitable and qualified person is available as per the norms of AICTE, will be appointed. Till then, the present principal will continue in the office.”<br /><br />A reply from the RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, refers to the AICTE guidelines dated March 15, 2000, and February 28, 2002 for the appointment of a principal with BSc and MSc degrees, while it did not mention the AICTE and the VTU's latest guidelines. On the other hand, the VTU did not bother to remind the college about its latest order. The STJ Institute of Technology at Ranebennur, which has a principal with BSc and MSc, claimed that AICTE had not objected to the principal being from applied science faculty. <br /><br />Action sought<br /><br />Prof Nadigar said this is a deliberate violation of the AICTE norm and the VTU's resolution. “The VTU should have taken stern action against the erring institutions, instead, it is succumbing to the pulls and pressures of private education institution lobby,” said the professor.</p>
<p>The principals of as many as 17 engineering colleges in Karnataka do not have basic engineering degrees, a mandatory requirement set by All India Council for Technical Education, according to the reply of the Visvesvaraya Technological University to an RTI query.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In 2006, the AICTE made it mandatory for engineering colleges to appoint persons with basic under graduate and post graduate courses in engineering and technology, as principals.<br /><br />Based on the AICTE guideline, the executive council of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) had passed a resolution in its 66th meeting (April 7, 2007) which stated, “The acceptable qualification for the principals of affiliated colleges shall be as per the AICTE norms with their UG and PG degree being in the engineering and technology in a faculty in which VTU is awarding the basic degrees.”<br /><br />Following the resolution, the Local Inquiry Committee (LIC) of the VTU conducted inspections year after year to check whether the colleges were abiding its instruction and found that the colleges had overlooked the guidelines. <br /><br />One of the colleges was RV College of Engineering, Bangalore where the LIC observed that a full- time principal appointed. Despite such observations, the VTU authorities did not initiate any action against the erring colleges for the reasons best known to them.<br /><br />17 colleges in list<br /><br />A retired educationist, Prof N S Nadigar had sought information from VTU under RTI about the colleges which have principals not satisfying the AICTE norm. He got a list of 17 colleges - — STJ Institute of Technology at Ranibennur; Beary's Institute of Technology, Mangalore; Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur; Adichunchunagiri Institute of Technology, Chikmagalur; Khwaja Banda Nawaz College of Engineering, Gulbarga; Rural Engineering College, Hulkoti; SLN College of Engineering, Raichur; Rural Engineering College, Bhalki; Basava Kalyan Engineering College, Basavakalyan; PA College of Engineering, Mangalore; SECAB Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bijapur; Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology, Davangere; City Engineering College, Bangalore; Vivekananda Institute of Technology, Bangalore; Sri Basaveshwara Institute of Technology, Tiptur; RV College of Engineering, Bangalore and Bahubali College of Engineering, Shravanabelagola.<br /><br />Documents show that the VTU authorities had correspondences with these “erring colleges” regarding their principals but its reply was quite surprising.<br /><br />An authority at the Tiptur-based Basaveshwara Institute of Technology, which has a principal with a BSc and MTech degrees, shot back saying, “The post of principal is already approved by the AICTE and the question of non-eligibility does not arise. If insisted, as and when a suitable and qualified person is available as per the norms of AICTE, will be appointed. Till then, the present principal will continue in the office.”<br /><br />A reply from the RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, refers to the AICTE guidelines dated March 15, 2000, and February 28, 2002 for the appointment of a principal with BSc and MSc degrees, while it did not mention the AICTE and the VTU's latest guidelines. On the other hand, the VTU did not bother to remind the college about its latest order. The STJ Institute of Technology at Ranebennur, which has a principal with BSc and MSc, claimed that AICTE had not objected to the principal being from applied science faculty. <br /><br />Action sought<br /><br />Prof Nadigar said this is a deliberate violation of the AICTE norm and the VTU's resolution. “The VTU should have taken stern action against the erring institutions, instead, it is succumbing to the pulls and pressures of private education institution lobby,” said the professor.</p>
