<p>Sukesh was very keen to become an engineer. After passing his SSLC examination, he opted for a Diploma in Computer Science Engineering, as the fee was reasonable and he was told that he would be eligible to get lateral entry into 2nd year BE.<br /><br />He was happy when he progressed through his diploma course with good marks and his fascination for engineering grew. <br /><br />However, he was in for a rude shock when he was told that his institute has been de-recognised by AICTE and the Karnataka Technical Education Board. His dreams came crashing down when he realised that he was left with just his 10th standard qualification.<br /><br />‘Always check out the institute’s credentials’<br /><br />Recognition of institutions is a very strict process in our country, and it ensures that quality of education is maintained. But at times students like Sukesh are left high-and-dry when it turns out that the college/institute where they have studied is not recognised by the authorities. <br /><br />If de-recognition happens after they have signed up for the course they obviously have no choice, but students often get misled by colleges or institutes which claim to have recognition. <br /><br />Students must check from the authorities themselves (AICTE, UGC and most other licensing bodies have websites giving this information) about the course and institute/ college before they enroll for a programme. <br /><br />Here are some pointers for those who are in the throes of such a dilemma:<br />nAnalyse whether you are actually learning something useful from the course that will open doors for private industry jobs. Depending on whether you have already covered a major portion of the course or are just at the beginning, you could choose to drop out and look for alternatives. You can ensure that you get back at least a substantial amount of the fees that you have paid and seek the help of Consumer Court, if necessary.<br /><br />*Explore the alternatives, which may involve losing a year and joining a recognised institution or appearing for 12th standard through NIOS (www.nios.ac.in) thus saving a year, and then moving on to any degree course.<br /><br />*Enroll for a degree under the Open University system (no minimum qualification required, except an entrance test which is not very tough). Bangalore University and a few other universities give the same degree certificate to students who pass via distance learning as they give to regular college-goers, and these degrees are recognised for post-graduation as well as all government employment including the Civil Services.<br /><br />*If you are not particular about higher education or government service, you can take up a vocational course in hospitality management, travel, technical writing, software testing, mass communication, marketing, counselling, special education etc.<br /><br />*If you have completed 10+2 with 60 per cent marks, you can apply for the post of airman in the Indian Air Force, where you can earn and learn (applicable to male candidates only). The defense services give ample opportunities for higher studies, and many airmen have completed their post- graduation while in service. Some have opted for early retirement and used their education to carve out excellent careers in the private sector at a later stage of their lives.<br /><br />‘It’s not the end of the world’<br /><br />Some students get very distressed when they have to suffer for no fault of theirs, due to the de-recognition of their course or institute. <br /><br />If they have the resilience to understand that whatever they have studied will not go waste and will be useful in some form or the other, they can make a fresh beginning even if they have lost a year or two. <br /><br />Having suffered the setback, they are likely to be more focused about which career would suit them better, and hence become more successful in the long run.<br /><br />One can also explore a courageous alternative to pause full-time academics and start working to gain job experience.<br /><br />However, a student who makes such a choice must take two precautions: (a) do not go away from academics completely. Take up a distance learning or part-time programme, even if it is a short-term certificate course; (b) ensure that the job offers practical learning. Even if the job pays very little, as long as there is something to learn, the time spent is worth it. <br /><br />If people like Sukesh take proper steps to overcome their trauma and systematically upgrade their skills, they will find that a very bright future awaits them.</p>
<p>Sukesh was very keen to become an engineer. After passing his SSLC examination, he opted for a Diploma in Computer Science Engineering, as the fee was reasonable and he was told that he would be eligible to get lateral entry into 2nd year BE.<br /><br />He was happy when he progressed through his diploma course with good marks and his fascination for engineering grew. <br /><br />However, he was in for a rude shock when he was told that his institute has been de-recognised by AICTE and the Karnataka Technical Education Board. His dreams came crashing down when he realised that he was left with just his 10th standard qualification.<br /><br />‘Always check out the institute’s credentials’<br /><br />Recognition of institutions is a very strict process in our country, and it ensures that quality of education is maintained. But at times students like Sukesh are left high-and-dry when it turns out that the college/institute where they have studied is not recognised by the authorities. <br /><br />If de-recognition happens after they have signed up for the course they obviously have no choice, but students often get misled by colleges or institutes which claim to have recognition. <br /><br />Students must check from the authorities themselves (AICTE, UGC and most other licensing bodies have websites giving this information) about the course and institute/ college before they enroll for a programme. <br /><br />Here are some pointers for those who are in the throes of such a dilemma:<br />nAnalyse whether you are actually learning something useful from the course that will open doors for private industry jobs. Depending on whether you have already covered a major portion of the course or are just at the beginning, you could choose to drop out and look for alternatives. You can ensure that you get back at least a substantial amount of the fees that you have paid and seek the help of Consumer Court, if necessary.<br /><br />*Explore the alternatives, which may involve losing a year and joining a recognised institution or appearing for 12th standard through NIOS (www.nios.ac.in) thus saving a year, and then moving on to any degree course.<br /><br />*Enroll for a degree under the Open University system (no minimum qualification required, except an entrance test which is not very tough). Bangalore University and a few other universities give the same degree certificate to students who pass via distance learning as they give to regular college-goers, and these degrees are recognised for post-graduation as well as all government employment including the Civil Services.<br /><br />*If you are not particular about higher education or government service, you can take up a vocational course in hospitality management, travel, technical writing, software testing, mass communication, marketing, counselling, special education etc.<br /><br />*If you have completed 10+2 with 60 per cent marks, you can apply for the post of airman in the Indian Air Force, where you can earn and learn (applicable to male candidates only). The defense services give ample opportunities for higher studies, and many airmen have completed their post- graduation while in service. Some have opted for early retirement and used their education to carve out excellent careers in the private sector at a later stage of their lives.<br /><br />‘It’s not the end of the world’<br /><br />Some students get very distressed when they have to suffer for no fault of theirs, due to the de-recognition of their course or institute. <br /><br />If they have the resilience to understand that whatever they have studied will not go waste and will be useful in some form or the other, they can make a fresh beginning even if they have lost a year or two. <br /><br />Having suffered the setback, they are likely to be more focused about which career would suit them better, and hence become more successful in the long run.<br /><br />One can also explore a courageous alternative to pause full-time academics and start working to gain job experience.<br /><br />However, a student who makes such a choice must take two precautions: (a) do not go away from academics completely. Take up a distance learning or part-time programme, even if it is a short-term certificate course; (b) ensure that the job offers practical learning. Even if the job pays very little, as long as there is something to learn, the time spent is worth it. <br /><br />If people like Sukesh take proper steps to overcome their trauma and systematically upgrade their skills, they will find that a very bright future awaits them.</p>
