Polytechnic students' BE hopes nixed

AICTE turns down States proposal to increase lateral movement quota

As per the current system envisaged by the Department of Higher Education (DHE), students from polytechnics who have completed three academic years and later wish to switch to engineering courses have a reservation of 10 percent under the CET quota.

Subsequently, the Government had contemplated to increase the quota to 15 percent. But the AICTE at its general body meeting on June 28 shot down the idea by stating that it will affect adversely the student to teacher ratio in the engineering colleges.

AICTE Chairman S S Mantha agreed to the proposal, but other AICTE members were against it as they felt it would affect the “technical quality” of students passing out from engineering colleges, DHE sources said.

“The explanation given by the AICTE is simply unreasonable. Polytechnic students are technically more sound after three years of academic expertise in engineering field than the new entrants in engineering colleges,” said the official.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Principal Secretary for Higher Education, Madangopal was hopeful that the AICTE will approve the increase in the quota for lateral movement.
“The AICTE had said that approval can be given to college to start for extra sections. The colleges will have to hire extra staff and infrastructure for this purpose,” said Madangopal.

The increase in the current quota would mean an addition of three students per class, which according to the officials will not be a burden. “Every class of engineering college has 60 students.The addition would mean 63 students which will only marginally increase the ratio of students to teachers,” said a DHE official.  

The officials are hopeful that the number of students will increase this year as compared to last year. According to statistics, the number of applicants for the year 2009-10 was nearly 3,000 for the 10 percent reservation.

“When implemented, the figures can easily increase by 100 percent,” said the official. But whether the increase in quota for the polytechnic would be implemented this year is a question that he was not ready to comment upon.