The first batch of students in the engineering colleges of the state were welcomed in the virtual mode on Thursday, with the colleges organising induction programmes online in view of the pandemic.
The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has issued a circular directing the colleges to stick to virtual mode of induction programme for the current academic year. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has also reduced the mandatory 21-day induction programme to one week.
In a circular, VTU has instructed the colleges on the specific topics to be covered during the programme.
Universal human values, physical health, familiarisation of department/branch and innovation, visit to local areas, language proficiency modules, literature, awareness of Covid-19 and standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed are the topics covered.
Principals of engineering colleges said they received overwhelming response from the students for the online induction programme.
“We are happy to receive overwhelming response from our first-year students for blended learning. Online sessions were conducted to educate students about the pandemic situation and how to develop mental and physical strength to face challenges. Students were educated about the need to be equipped with laptop and good internet connectivity. Students were counselled to utilise time efficiently and enrol in online certification courses to improve skillset,” said Prof Suresh L, principal of Cambridge Institute of Technology Bengaluru.
Colleges have planned offline induction programme too for first year students tentatively in the first week of January.
“Induction programme, when conducted on campus, will aid our professors to develop a good rapport with freshers. Our students will also feel happy to get introduced to their professors in person,” Suresh said.
‘Physical induction best’
Prof B Sadashive Gowda, principal, Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering, Mysuru, said, “During physical induction, students are involved in different activities, but online induction has limitations. The objectives of the induction are to build rapport between fresh students and the staff and speed up acclimatisation of students to the
institute.”
Students not too happy
Students too are not happy with the online induction programme and felt it is not beneficial.
“It looks like we are the batch of students affected a lot by the pandemic as our II PU exams and competitive exams were hit by Covid. Now, even the induction programme is affected. Online mode is not as effective as offline,” said a student of first year at RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru.