13 UG students suspended in Kovai for attacking PG student

13 UG students suspended in Kovai for attacking PG student

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.03.2025

Coimbatore : Thirteen first year undergraduate students of a private college here were suspended for assaulting a post graduate student in the college hostel on Saturday. The 13 students studying BE and B Tech at Nehru institute of technology near Thirumalayampalayam alleged the victim Haathi, a postgraduate student from Chennai studying second year M A Criminology in Nehru college of arts and science had stolen money from their hostel room. 

A video of the assault went viral on social media on Sunday. Preliminary inquiry revealed a group of BE and B Tech students brought Haathi to their hostel room, locked him up there and assaulted him. One of them also recorded the attack on video. The senior student was injured in the assault. According to deputy chief warden of the hostel Maheshwaran, the incident took place on March 20 night. The victim was held in the room throughout the night and was beaten. The harassment continued the following day as well, the internal investigation revealed. After being let out on March 21, he informed his parents, who visited the college hostel on March 22 and took him home. 

As the management got wind of the incident, an in- quiry was conducted and principal M Sivaraja suspended the 13 students. The injured student and the suspended students have been asked to appear before the college administration on Monday for further inquiry. After the internal investigation, the college management reported the incident to the police. The Madukkarai police have also begun a probe. Police said once the victim lodges a formal complaint, a case will be registered.

Fake faculty row: Anna univ to inspect all 440 colleges

Fake faculty row: Anna univ to inspect all 440 colleges 

Before Nod For Affiliation This Academic Year

Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 24.02.2025

Chennai : In the wake of last year’s fake faculty row, Anna University has decided to inspect all 440 engineering colleges in the state for granting affiliation for 2025-26. During the check, it will look into the permanently affiliated courses to rule out any malpractices. It will check various parameters including qualifications of the principal, faculty members, library, classrooms, labs, and admissions. Last year, top colleges were exempted from physical inspection. 

In a recent circular, the university asked colleges to submit biometric details of faculty members after authenticating them with Aadhaar through the Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency and Unique Identification Authority of India. It also asked them to verify all certificates, including PAN and Aadhaar details, with originals. College chairpersons or secretaries of trusts were directed to submit an affidavit stating that all details submitted are true. It also mandated AICTE Faculty ID for all members. “Faculty qualifications, experience, scale of pay, and cadre ratio should be strictly followed as per AICTE norms to grant affiliation,” the circular from registrar J Prakash said. “Those pro grammes which have not fulfilled the stipulated affiliation requirements will be suspended or withdrawn without any further notice.” For the first time, the university sought details of all permanently affiliated courses to verify them.

“Anna University used to give permanent affiliation to courses if the college is offering the course for 10 years with better admission record and no prior punishment. However, it was found that some colleges misused the permanent affiliation and showed them as faculty members in other departments. So, it was decided to verify these courses also,” a source said. The last date for submission of applications for affiliation with a late fee for 2025-26 is Feb 28. AICTE Approval Process Handbook for 2025-26 allowed institutions to appoint up to 20% of faculty as Professors of Practice (PoP) — industry professionals with varying qualifications, including PhDs or BTech with significant industry experience. The university is yet to act against 2,500 faculty members found faking identities and working in multiple colleges at the same time. Some 30 colleges were involved. “There is a court case regarding POP qualifications. University is yet to action against the faculty members and colleges. Then only the physical inspection for 2025-26 will commence,” a source added.

No affiliation if correct faculty info not provided on time: Anna University

No affiliation if correct faculty info not provided on time: Anna University

The colleges have been directed to submit all details regarding the faculty and infrastructure on the online ‘affiliation monitoring system’, which will be verified through an inspection process.

Binita Jaiswal

23 Jan 2025, 7:47 am

CHENNAI: In light of the ghost faculty scam that rocked the reputation of Anna University (AU) a few months ago, the premier institution has now issued strict guidelines to its affiliated colleges regarding the submission of faculty details. In a circular, the AU registrar has warned all 433 affiliated colleges that if correct details are not provided within the stipulated time, the college’s affiliation will be withdrawn.

The colleges have been directed to submit all details regarding the faculty and infrastructure on the online ‘affiliation monitoring system’, which will be verified through an inspection process. Faculty details authenticated by biometric devices with Aadhaar and respective unique faculty ID, issued by AICTE, must be submitted. The varsity has asked the colleges to submit the details online by January 31, or by February 7 with a late fee of Rs 50,000.

Individual faculty data sheets should contain actual details of the faculty member and their signature. Faculty qualifications and experience details with pay scale and cadre ratio should be strictly followed as per (AICTE/UGC or 6th Central Pay Commission or 7th CPC) norms for grant of affiliation.

“All certificates, AICTE faculty ID, PAN and Aadhaar details should be verified with the originals of faculty members before uploading the details to the university,” said a university official.

Though the affiliated colleges have welcomed the initiative, they have expressed their helplessness in following it in proper letter and spirit. “It is good that AU has taken a slew of measures to check duplication of faculty, but fulfilling all the norms will be a herculean task. There has been no fee hike for the last seven years. So, from where will we fulfull the 6th/7th CPC scale of pay,” said the principal of an affiliated college.

Tata Group to give ₹500cr for new med school @IISC CAMPUS

Tata Group to give ₹500cr for new med school @IISC CAMPUS 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 15.01.2025

Bengaluru : The Tata Group Tuesday announced a partnership with Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to establish the Tata IISc Medical School on IISc’s Bengaluru campus. The group will contribute Rs 500 crore for this initiative. “The medical school will be a centre of excellence that seeks to catalyse a unique model of clinical research and medical education in India by bringing basic science and engineering to bear on clinical science and practice. 

It will focus on a variety of specialities, including oncology, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, diabetes and metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, integrative medicine, and public health,” a statement read. The school will offer integrated MD-PhD and other dual-degree programmes to create a new cadre of physician-scientists and medical technologists, IISc said. These students will be trained simultaneously in the medical school as well as in science and engineering labs at IISc, combining cutting-edge clinical practice with scientific research. N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, pointed out that healthcare is one of India’s biggest challenges and also one of its gre a test opportunities, given the scale at which technology will be able to transform everything from diagnosis to care and community health. “In time, the institute’s emphasis on cutting-edge re search and global collaboration will create a highly qualified cadre of physician-scientists trained in the latest approaches to modern medicine,” he said. IISc director Prof G Rangarajan said after a century of contributions to science and engineering, IISc now has a unique opportunity to create new frontiers in medicine. “The institute owes its existence to the far-sighted vision of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata. We are committed to carrying forward this legacy and breaking new ground in creating affordable healthcare solutions,” he added

Anna univ to ban over 2K faculty members Move After They Faked Details, Were Found Working In Many Colleges

Anna univ to ban over 2K faculty members Move After They Faked Details, Were Found Working In Many Colleges

Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 15.01.2025

Chennai : Anna University is planning to ban more than 2,000 faculty members from engineering colleges for one to ten years for faking their details and working in multiple colleges. The university is likely to withhold affiliation of more than 30 engineering colleges and is planning to act against the principals. 

“Anna University syndicate discussed awarding punishment to the faculty members and engineering colleges involved in faking the faculty members' details,” a source said. As per AICTE norms, engineering colleges should employ faculty members in a 1:20 ratio. To reduce the cost, many colleges showed fake faculty members. Anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam found that 353 individuals were working in multiple colleges in the 2023-24 academic year. It was discovered that the faculty members and colleges used fake Aadhaar numbers so that they could work in multiple engineering colleges. University’s internal probe found that 2,000 faculty positions were filled with fake faculty members in 2024-25. One faculty member was found working in 32 engineering colleges. The university issued notices to more than 290 engineering colleges and more than 2,000 faculty members. Only 25% of faculty members appeared for the inquiry. 

The university proposed punishment for the faculty members and colleges. However, the syndicate referred the matter to a three-member high-level committee. Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan urged the university to act against colleges and faculty members without delay. “Despite the passing of six months, there is no action so far. Punitive actions will prevent such malpractices. The responsibility must be fixed against the inspection teams of Anna University too. They should ask for proof like pay slip to know if the faculty members are employed by the college,” he said.

VTU revamps MTech curriculum, 3- way career path in final semester

VTU revamps MTech curriculum, 3- way career path in final semester

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com .01.2025

 Bengaluru : Visvesvaraya Technological University has revamped the curriculum for MTech programmes, creating a three-way career path for students in the final semester. It has decided to offer the programmes as MTech in the main branch of study with specialisation in parentheses. The specialisations will be offered from the second semester. The new format will be launched from 2024-25, said vice-chancellor S Vidyashankar. This year, 2,301 students opted for MTech through Karnataka Examinations Authority. 

“Usually, MTech programmes come with various specialisations within each stream. For instance, there is MTech in machine design, thermal engineering, etc., within mechanical engineering. However, we noticed that colleges have to keep shifting between these courses depending upon the demand that year. It is a painstaking process to close one branch and open another one. Therefore, we decided to revamp the courses in such a way that we will have a main branch of study with a specialisation indicated in parentheses,” explained dean B Sadashiv Gowda. With this, irrespective of the specialisation, the students will study common subjects in the first semester. › 3 career paths, P 4 Students now have 3 career paths: VTU In the subsequent semesters, the students learn courses related to their specialisation. There are electives provided that allow students to learn the subjects of their interest. “So, it is possible for  an engineering institute to offer all these depending on the industry requirements. They need not close down or open a new course based on the specialisation,” he explained. 

Similarly, the university has also heralded changes in the final semester. Students will have three options in the final semester. Those interested in research will have the option to pursue it and submit a report. The other options are an internship, where students will go to industry and work, which might also result in placement. A third option is for those who do not want to take up research or internship but want to do courses in the institute itself. They can take more courses in the third semester and do project work in the fourth semester.

“So we have created three career paths depending on the student interests, location of the college, and industry-institute collaborations. The colleges can guide students in the right direction, creating a win win situation for all kinds of institutes in tier one, two, or three cities,” he said. The university wrote to the All-India Council of Technical Education about the changes, which duly approved them. It was later approved by the statutory bodies of the university.

Hundreds of engg students hold stir as college withholds exam hall tickets

Hundreds of engg students hold stir as college withholds exam hall tickets 

JNTUH In-charge VC Demands An Explanation From Institute 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 20.12.2024

Hyderabad : Hundreds of final-year students from Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology in Ghatkesar staged a protest on Thursday after the college barred them from writing mid-semester exams due to fee reimbursement issues. The management was forced to postpone the exams, scheduled for Thursday, following the protests. Students expressed concerns not only about missing their exams but also about the potential impact on their future prospects, including the risk of being denied certificates. “Over 700 students have been denied hall tickets due to fee dues. Why should we suffer for govt’s mistake?” questioned one student. They added that they had no choice but to gather in front of the college to pressure the management into postponing the exams. 

The students claimed that while SC/ST students, who receive 100% fee reimbursement from the govt, were not affected, others — including those with merit scholarships —were being asked to pay part of the dues to receive hall tickets. “More than the mid-semester exams, we are worried that the management might use the same excuse during the final semester exams or at the time of graduation,” said another student, adding that the timing of the issue, with placement preparations underway, is troubling. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad joined the protest and demanded action against the college management.

“Not just this college, but many institutions are forcing students to pay fees or withholding certificates over fee dues. Many students have lost job and higher education opportunities because of the managements’ insensitivity. This needs to be stopped,” said J Dileep from ABVP. Following the protest, principal of the college Siva Reddy announced that the exams scheduled for Dec 19 and 20 would be postponed. JNTUH seeks explanation JNTUH in-charge vice chancellor Balakista Reddy has demanded an explanation from SNIST principal for withholding hall tickets. Reddy, also chairman of the Telangana council of higher education, instructed the principal to present all documents on Friday. He emphasized that colleges cannot deny hall tickets or delay exams for such issues and warned of strict action against non-compliant management.

KEA staffer shared data of students with seat-blocking scamsters: Cops 10 Suspects In 10 Days Of Police Custody

KEA staffer shared data of students with seat-blocking scamsters: Cops 10 Suspects In 10 Days Of Police Custody 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 04.12.2024

Bengaluru : A staff assistant working in Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), which oversees admission to professional courses in the state, shared the details of 150 students eligible to land select engineering seats with three outsiders. They used the data and masterminded the seat-blocking scam during 2024-25 admissions, investigations have revealed. The outsiders and their associates entered options in the students’ names without their knowledge and the seats allotted to them fell vacant as the candidates did not report to the colleges. 

The unfilled seats were later transferred to respective colleges to be filled up under the management quota, multiple sources privy to the developments said. Police have arrested the KEA staffer, Avinash BS, 36, of KN Extension, Yeshwantpur; the three outsiders who ran the racket — Sriharsha TM, 42, of JP Nagar III Phase; Prakash SR, 4 and Puneet SL, 27, from Kadur, Chikkamagaluru — and the trio’s associates, Shashikumar SK, 34 and Purushottam R, 24, from Kadur and Ravishankar SC, 56, from Satanur in Kanakapura; Tilak RG, 60, from Seshadripuram and BTM Layout residents Noushad Abbas, 42 and Dilshad Alam, 33. 

The 10 accused were produced before a local court in the city Monday and were taken into 10 days of police custody. City police commissioner B Dayananda said KEA officials lodged a complaint, accusing miscreants of blocking seats and illegally handing them over to the managements of BMS Engineering College, Akash Institute of Engineering and Technology and New Horizon College of Engineering. “We began the investigation with the IP address used by the miscreants to steal the login names and passwords of 52 candidates,” he said. DCP (north) Saidulu Adavath told TOI that they have to question the management of three colleges. 

“Prima facie, it is proven that over 150 engineering seats have been blocked by the suspects. What happened after the seats were handed over to the college, we have to investigate,” he said. Rs 2 lakh per seat On how the racket operated, a senior police officer said that Sriharsha runs a job consultancy in Dollars Colony, Sanjaynagar. With Avinash’s help, he stole data of candidates who did not appear even after the third round of counselling. “Data was shared with Prakash, who illegally using login IDs and passwords, would enter their preferred colleges and block the govt quota seats in their name. In this way, the accused blocked 30 seats in BMS College, seven in Akash and 15 in New Horizon,” a senior police officer explained. 

Police further said, “Avinash claims that he was promised Rs 2 lakh per seat and Sriharsha claims a few persons from private colleges promised them around Rs 3 lakh per seat. They landed in custody just a day ago. We need to check their bank accounts.” Another senior cop said they will start questioning the college management officials, once they get detailed statements from the 10 suspects. According to sources, the accused set four mobile phones and two laptops they had used in the crime on fire. Police seized some burnt remnants of the devices. 

WHAT IS SEAT BLOCKING? 

During counselling, students can enter their preferred college choices. Once the allotment results are announced, students can accept the allotted seat, leave it, or wait for an upgrade in the next round. When students keep the seat until the final round and yet don’t report to college, the seat goes to management, which can offer it to anyone of their choice at a much higher fee. If the student surrenders the seat, it goes back into the pool and a deserving student can pick it up. In this case, a KEA official and his associates stole the credentials of students to keep the seats blocked until the last round.

HOW THE SCAM CAME TO LIGHT Seven repeater students approached KEA, claiming that they were unable to participate in the counselling this year. KEA pointed out that it’s because they selected seats last year but failed to report to colleges. The students denied it. They vowed that they didn’t participate in counselling last year. This raised suspicion. KEA checked the status of seats opted by them and found out that someone else had used their

AU clarifies stance on outsourcing recruitment

AU clarifies stance on outsourcing recruitment 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 23.11.2024 

Chennai : After facing backlash over a circular directing deans and department heads at Anna University to recruit temporary faculty members and non-teaching staff through outsourcing, the university has issued a revised circular saying only non-teaching staff would be recruited through outsourcing. A statement from the university on Friday claimed that the earlier circular was issued by mistake.

 “According to the resolution passed by the syndicate and finance committee, it was approved to recruit nonteaching faculty members through outsourcing. However, Anna University never took a decision to appoint faculty members through out sourcing,” Anna University registrar J Prakash said in a release. He said the mistake happened due to oversight while issuing the circular to the departments and university campuses. In a Nov 20 circular, Anna University had announced that new engagement of temporary teaching and non-teaching staff members on daily wages or consolidated pay should be done through a manpower agency only. 

The circular also said the authorities should be inforned about the surplus of temporary staff so that they may be allotted to other departments where there is a need for manpower. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss welcomed the announcement of Anna Uni versity. He said the revised circular was a victory for the PMK, which had condemned the move to recruit temporary faculty through outsourcing. However, he said the university administration is trying to cover up the issue by stating the announcement of recruiting faculty members through outsourcing was just an error

Fake faculty members row: AU makes Aadhaar-based authentication must 52K In Affiliated Engg Colleges To Resubmit Details For 2024-25 Before Nov 29

Fake faculty members row: AU makes Aadhaar-based authentication must 52K In Affiliated Engg Colleges To Resubmit Details For 2024-25 Before Nov 29

Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 17.11.2024 

Chennai : In the wake of the fake faculty members row, Anna University has made Aadhaar based authentication mandatory for all 52,000 faculty members in its affiliated colleges. It also asked colleges to resubmit faculty members' details for 2024-25 before Nov 29 on its portal which will accept the Aadhaar number only after fingerprint verification. “The Aadhaar numbers and biometrics are linked. So, they cannot give duplicate Aadhaar numbers. The process for existing faculty members is ongoing,” a source in the university said.

The university has asked for details including AICTE faculty ID and PAN. It also asked the colleges to procure fingerprint scanners from UIDAI. “All existing faculty members will get the ID. If they are shifting to another college, the colleges can use the ID. For registering new faculty members, they may have to physically come to the university to register their fingerprints.”

In a circular to all affiliated colleges, Anna University registrar J Prakash warned that institutions which do not submit the details by the deadline will not be considered for a grant of affiliation for the 2025-26 academic year. Following the row over fake faculty members, the university’s syndicate decided to debar the fraudulent faculty members from teaching in Tamil Nadu. It sent notices to around 1,000 faculty members from 2023-24 and 2024-25 who were shown working in multiple colleges. “Only 10% to 20% of faculty members turned up for the inquiry. In some cases, colleges which collected the Aadhar details for job interviews submitted those details for affiliation,” a source said. When the university enquired, those colleges claim that the faculty members joined and left their colleges, source added. 

The university also sent notices to 295 engineering colleges on this issue Volunteers of Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption NGO, found that 353 individuals had been working in multiple engineering colleges for the 2023-24 academic year. Following this, an internal probe ordered by Anna University found that 2,000 faculty positions were shown with fake faculty members by engineering colleges for 2024-25.

Geoinformatics students struggle due to lack of well-defined job roles

Geoinformatics students struggle due to lack of well-defined job roles 

The emerging subject is relevant across sectors, but job opportunities have not been identified to support students who prefer to look westward 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK EDUCATION TIMES 21.10.2024

Geoinformatics, a branch of engineering that combines disciplines such as Earth Sciences, Geospatial Sciences, and Information Technology, is an emerging subject in India. Several technical institutes offer MTech and PhD programmes in Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing. Pursuing a course in the subject equips students with skills and knowledge that include geoinformation science and earth observation technology to generate, integrate, analyse, visualise, and disseminate spatial data for various applications such as the development of online maps, disaster mitigation plans, urban planning, and forest planning, among others. Restricted opportunities 

However, the lack of regulations, structured syllabus, and well-defined job roles after completion of the course, especially after PhDs, pose a challenge for students in securing employment. Kailash Chandra Tiwari, professor, Multidisciplinary Centre for Geoinformatics, Delhi Technological Uni versity (DTU), says, “Students in India choose their majors in higher studies based on the job opportunities after the completion of the course. However, with Geoinformatics, there is a need for government initiatives to establish cadres in government roles and introduce Geoinformatics in the NET exam to encourage students to pursue the course. 

There are no welldefined job roles like other disciplines – such as lecturer, associate professor, or assistant professor – making it difficult for students to secure employment in colleges after pursuing research.” “National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) promotes multidisciplinary education but it does not have any guidelines to protect the interests of the students who study a multidisciplinary subject such as Geoinformatics. For example, many students with BTech in Computer Science/In formation Technology (IT)/Electronics and Communication Engineering opted to do PhD in Geoinformatics but when they applied for a job in the department of their parent degree, they were not even shortlisted. 

Those who were in service and opted for this subject have been denied promotion,” says Tiwari. In 2022, Geomatics (which focuses on obtaining geospatial data) was introduced in GATE as a separate subject, which allowed students from Geoinformatics (an IT-oriented subject to analyse geospatial data) backgrounds to appear for the test. Highlighting its importance, Tiwari says, “The move helped aspirants to stick to a specific syllabus provided by GATE for admission in courses related to Geoinformatics. It also helped them to be more confident about their choice.” Not enough lucrative options in India Due to the lack of job opportunities in the geoinformatics sector, many students who complete the course often choose sectors such as Information Technology, Finance, and Data Analytics for bet ter career opportunities. “Indian corporates have recently started investing in geoinformatics technology. But, there is still a lack of lucrative job opportunities, and the salary structures do not meet global standards. This is the reason that many of geoinformatics graduates choose sectors such as information technology, finance, or data analytics due to more lucrative opportunities,” says Bharat Lohani, professor, Civil Engineering, IIT Kanpur. 

Students who opt for nongeoinformatics industries are not able to use their specific skill set. IIT Kanpur offers courses such as MTech, DualDegree Programme, and PhD in Geoinformatics. Promising future India has geared up to embrace geoinformatics technology, which will enhance job opportunities and streamline regulations in the coming years. It is a part of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), and has introduced laws and policies in the field. 

Polytechnic faculty to be trained in emerging trends, technologies

Polytechnic faculty to be trained in emerging trends, technologies

 Preetika.p@timesofindia.com  01.10.2024 

Chennai : Faculty members of polytechnic colleges are to be trained in the latest technological trends such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, animation and coding to enhance their teaching skills. The National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) has introduced a two-year Master of Technology (MTech) programme, offering certification upon completion. 

“There is growing demand for courses on new technologies. We aim to ensure lifelong learning for educators by collaborating with industry experts,” said NITTTR director Usha Natesan. As of now 137 have enrolled for the programme, which will begin in Oct 2024. During audits and interviews with faculty members, the NITTTR observed that heavy workload of teaching, administrative tasks and extracurricular responsibilities left little time for professional development. 

“Not all teachers are comfortable with technology. There is a digital divide between those unfamiliar with basic audio-visual tools and younger, tech-savvy faculty. These courses are designed to bridge that gap,” said G Janardhanan, head of the Centre of Academic Studies and Research. While there are online modules, there are four mandatory in-person laboratory classes focusing on civil engineering, GIS, product management, and quality construction.

Upon completing a course, teachers must register for an examination to receive certification, Janardhanan added. To encourage participation and boost exam registrations, NITTTR had reduced the exam fee from ₹1,000 to ₹750. “Another challenge was the language barrier, but now all courses are available in regional languages, which we expect will increase enrolment,” he said. Sekar K, head of the AI department at Rajalakshmi College of Engineering, said the last online course he took was more than a decade ago. 

“Our students often know more about technology than we do. We need to keep adding value to their learning, and that means continuing our own education,” he said.Several institutions are incentivising faculty for completing these courses, awarding credit scores that are considered during appraisals. “This motivates us to keep learning,” he added.

HC quashes govt’s policy on study leave for engg lecturers

HC quashes govt’s policy on study leave for engg lecturers 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.09.2024

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat high court has quashed the state govt’s circular restricting the study leave for lecturers in govt engineering colleges and polytechnics colleges to a maximum of two years drawing only half of their salary. A division bench has upheld a 2022 order passed by a single judge when some 196 lecturers and assistant professors of govt engineering colleges had challenged the govt resolution issued on Feb 3, 2016. This GR, issued by the Directorate of Technical Education, had fixed the study leave period to a maximum of two years for those lecturers who go to universities across India and abroad to pursue their master's degree courses or for PhD programmes. While the services for these lecturers were to be con tinued without break, they would get only 50% of their salary during the study leave. The single judge had allowed the lecturers’ petitions and held the state govt’s policy invalid. The state govt had appealed against the single judge’s order on the ground that its policy was in consonance with the Gujarat Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 2002, which are framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. 

The lecturers, on the other hand, contended that AICTE guidelines in its Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) prescribe study leave for hig her studies like doctoral programmes up to a maximum of five years without break in service and on full salary. They argued that the provisions made in the state govt’s resolution were repugnant to AICTE’s provisions which, being the central provisions, should prevail. In an order released on Tuesday, the division bench dismissed the govt’s appeal and upheld the single judge’s order in which it was held that the GR had no statutory force. “The guidelines in the shape of regulations framed under the AICTE Act, 1987 have to be followed and in view of the inconsistency, the impugned Government resolution dated 03.02.2016 is liable to be set aside to the extent of the same being contrary to the provisions of the AICTE Act, 1987 and the guidelines framed thereunder,” 

New AICTE format for MTech certificates to ensure clarity in qualifications

New AICTE format for MTech certificates to ensure clarity in qualifications

 Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 16.09.2024 

To ensure quality in technical education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recently approved a standardised format for postgraduate certificate courses. It has directed all institutions offering Master of Technology (MTech) to uniformly adopt the standardised format for issuing their certificates, starting from this academic year. 

The format clearly specifies the main branch of engineering, followed by the specialisation within parentheses. For example, if a student has completed his/her MTech in the field of Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, the certificate should read: MTech in Computer Science (specialisation in Artificial Intelligence). The approach will not only bring uniformity across all institutions but also enhance the recognition and value of the qualifications conferred to students.

 Core area of expertise TG Sitharam, chairman, AICTE, says, “The primary reason for introducing a standardised format for MTech certificates is to en sure that the main branch of study is clearly reflected alongside the specialisation. This clarity is crucial for recruiters and other stakeholders, as it makes it easier and allows them to accurately understand the student’s core area of expertise. The format will also benefit the recruitment process for employers when hiring across states or from multiple institutions. It will simplify the process for employers by making it easier to compare and verify credentials along with the main branch and specialisation.” The process will simplify the selection process as in an era of interdisciplinary education, where specialisations often overlap, explicitly stating the main branch provides a clear foundation of the student's academic background. 

“This distinction not only enhances the transparency of the qualifications but also ensures that the candidate's knowledge in their core field is recognised,  giving them an edge in fields where interdisciplinary skills are becoming increasingly relevant,” added Sitharam.

Early completion of 2024-25 academic session made possible for students in affiliated colleges of Anna varsity

Early completion of 2024-25 academic session made possible for students in affiliated colleges of Anna varsity

The Hindu Bureau

COIMBATORE 16.09.2024

Having commenced the induction programme for first-year engineering students on August 4, heads of affiliated colleges of Anna University opine the 90 working days per semester norm could be fulfilled with relative ease for the 2024-25 session at an earlier date when compared to previous years.

For the last three years in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown, Anna University was able to gradually advance the commencement of first semester, by tweaking the calendar to include Saturdays as working days, according to college heads.

In the 2023-24 session, seven Saturdays were working days. The induction programme began on September 11, and the classes commenced on September 25. The last working day was on January 4, 2024, and practical exams commenced on the following day.

The end semester exam commenced on January 22. In the subsequent semester, 12 Saturdays were working days.

The classes for the second semester began on March 13, and the last working day was June 13. The practical exams commenced on July 8, and the end-semester exams began on June 15.

For the fresh batch of students, the 2024-25 session could be completed at least a week in advance, a college head said.

The classes for the second, third and final year students in the 2024-25 session commenced on August 12.

As per the schedule, the last working day will be on November 22, and the end-semester exam will commence on December 2. Eight Saturdays will be working days.

Re-opening day for next semester (Jan-May 2025) will be January 20, 2025, as per the academic calendar of Anna University.

Yet, this year, there was a gap of four months between the publication of Plus Two results and commencement of first-year classes.

Delayed start

“The delayed start of first-year classes in the affiliated engineering colleges of Anna University vis-a-vis other professional programmes is inevitable as the counselling for engineering admissions is usually initiated only after completion of the process in medical and agricultural universities to prevent migration of students,” head of an engineering institution in Coimbatore said.

கற்றதனால் ஆய பயன் என்கொல்...!

கற்றதனால் ஆய பயன் என்கொல்...!

DINAMANI 

தமிழ்நாட்டில் உள்ள 224 தனியார் பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகளில் ஒரே நேரத்தில் 353 பேராசிரியர்கள் ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்டவற்றில் பணிபுரிந்து வருவதாக அறப்போர் இயக்கம் வெளியிட்ட தகவல் அதிர்ச்சி அளிப்பதாக உள்ளது.

அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் கீழ் 480-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இணைப்பு பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகள் இயங்கி வருகின்றன. அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் மாணவர் சேர்க்கைக் கலந்தாய்வில் பங்கேற்க இந்தக் கல்லூரிகள், அகில இந்திய தொழில்நுட்பக் கல்வி கவுன்சிலின் (ஏஐசிடிஇ) அங்கீகாரம் பெற்றிருக்க வேண்டும். போதிய உள்கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகள், ஆய்வகங்கள், பேராசிரியர்கள் பணியிடங்கள் உள்ளிட்டவை ஆய்வு செய்யப்பட்டு அங்கீகாரம் வழங்கப்படும்.

2023-24 கல்வியாண்டில், 224 தனியார் கல்லூரிகளில் இந்த அங்கீகாரம் பெற 353 பேராசிரியர்கள் ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்டவற்றில் பணிபுரிவதாக கணக்கு காட்டப்பட்டதாக அறப்போர் இயக்கம் என்ற தன்னார்வ அமைப்பு குற்றஞ்சாட்டியது. இந்த முறைகேடு தொடர்பான விவரங்களை ஆதாரங்களுடன் மத்திய கல்வித் துறை அமைச்சர், ஏஐசிடிஇ, அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம், தமிழக ஆளுநர், முதல்வர், உயர்கல்வித் துறை அமைச்சர் ஆகியோருக்கு அனுப்பி உள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து விசாரிக்க வலியுறுத்தி லஞ்ச ஒழிப்புத் துறையிடமும் புகார் மனு அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த முறைகேடு குறித்த குற்றச்சாட்டு வெளிவந்தவுடன் அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் சார்பில் கள ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது. பேராசிரியர்களின் பெயர், பிறந்த தேதி, ஆதார் எண் ஆகியவற்றைப் பொருத்திப் பார்த்ததில் 189 பேர் தங்கள் ஆதார் எண்ணை மாற்றிப் பதிவு செய்து ஒரே நேரத்தில் பல கல்லூரிகளில் பணியாற்றி வருவது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மொத்தம் 52,500 பேராசிரியர்கள் இருக்க வேண்டிய இடத்தில் 2,000 ஆசிரியர் பணியிடங்களில் இந்த 189 பேர் பணியாற்றி வருகின்றனர். இதில் ஒருவர் 32 கல்லூரிகளில் பணியாற்றிவருவது ஆய்வில் தெரிய வந்துள்ளதாக அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழக அப்போதைய துணைவேந்தர் ஆர்.வேல்ராஜ் கூறியுள்ளார். சிலர் தங்களது அடையாளம் தெரியக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக பல்வேறு காலகட்டங்களில் எடுத்த புகைப்படங்களை

அளித்துள்ளனர்.

இந்த முறைகேடுகள் தொடர்பாக விசாரிக்க ஏஐசிடிஇ சார்பில் தேசிய தொழில்நுட்ப ஆசிரியர் பயிற்சி மற்றும் ஆராய்ச்சி நிறுவன இயக்குநர் உஷா நடேசன், அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம் சார்பில் பேராசிரியர் என்.குமாரவேல், தமிழக அரசு சார்பில் தொழில்நுட்பக் கல்வி இயக்குநரக ஆணையர் டி.ஆபிரகாம் ஆகிய மூன்று பேர் கொண்ட குழு அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த முறைகேடுகள் தொடர்பாக விளக்கம் அளிக்குமாறு 295 கல்லூரிகளுக்கு அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகம் நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பி உள்ளது.

பேராசிரியர்கள் பல கல்லூரிகளில் பணிபுரிவது என்பது இப்போதுதான் நடைபெறுகிறது என்று கருத வேண்டாம். "நான் பணியில் இருந்த காலத்திலேயே இத்தகைய சம்பவங்கள் நடைபெற்றன. அப்போது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டது. ஒரு கல்லூரியின் அங்கீகாரம் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டது. சில கல்லூரிகளில் மாணவர் சேர்க்கை அளவு குறைக்கப்பட்டது' என்று அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழகத் துணைவேந்தராக இருந்த சூரப்பா அண்மையில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது கவனத்தில் கொள்ளத்தக்கது.

தமிழ்நாட்டில் பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகள் தொடங்க தனியாருக்கு அனுமதி அளிக்கப்பட்டவுடன் புற்றீசல் போல கல்லூரிகள் தொடங்கப்பட்டன. இந்தக் கல்லூரிகளில் அரசு ஒதுக்கீட்டில் சுமார் 1.80 லட்சம் இடங்கள் உள்ளன. நடப்புக் கல்வி ஆண்டுக்கான மாணவர் சேர்க்கையில் 2 கட்டங்கள் முடிவடைந்துள்ள நிலையில் வெறும் 4 கல்லூரிகளில் மட்டுமே அனைத்து இடங்களும் நிரம்பி உள்ளன. 197 கல்லூரிகளில் 10 சதவீதமும், 58 கல்லூரிகளில் ஒரு சதவீதமும் மட்டுமே இடங்கள் நிரம்பி உள்ளன. 30 கல்லூரிகளில் ஒருவர் கூட சேரவில்லை.

கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளாகவே பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகளில் 55 ஆயிரம் முதல் 60 ஆயிரம் இடங்கள் பூர்த்தி ஆவதில்லை. பல கல்லூரிகளில் தேர்ச்சி விகிதமும் மெச்சும்படியாக இல்லை. மாணவர் சேர்க்கை குறைவாக உள்ள கல்லூரிகளில் வருவாய் இல்லாத காரணத்தால் பேராசிரியர்கள் பணிபுரிவதாகக் கணக்கு காட்டும் போக்கு அதிகரித்து வருகிறது.

அதிகமான பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகளில் போதிய கட்டமைப்பு வசதிகள், தகுதியான பேராசிரியர்கள் போன்றவை இல்லாததால் தரவரிசையில் முன்னணியில் உள்ள சில பொறியியல் கல்லூரிகளில் படிப்பவர்களைத் தவிர மற்றவர்களுக்குத் தகுந்த வேலைவாய்ப்பு கிட்டுவதில்லை என்பதே எதார்த்தம்.

ஆசிரியர் பணி என்பது மற்ற பணிகளைப் போன்றது அல்ல. மற்ற பணிகளில் ஒழுக்கக்கேடு நிலவினால் அதனால் ஏற்படும் பாதிப்பு தொடர்புடையவரோடு போய்விடும். ஆனால், ஆசிரியரே முறைகேடுகளில் ஈடுபடுவாரேயானால் அதனால் மாணவர் சமூகமே பாதிக்கப்படும்.

எனவே, முறைகேடு செய்து பேராசிரியர் ஆனவர்கள் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் வேறு எந்தக் கல்வி நிறுவனத்திலும் பணியில் சேர முடியாதபடி தடை விதிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். அண்ணா பல்கலைக்கழக ஆட்சிமன்றக் குழுவும் இதையே பரிந்துரை செய்துள்ளது. மேலும் முறைகேட்டில் தொடர்புடைய கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில் அடுத்த கல்வியாண்டு முதல் அசல் பேராசிரியர் எண்ணிக்கைக்கு ஏற்பவே மாணவர் சேர்க்கைக்கு அனுமதி அளிக்க வேண்டும்.

இத்துடன், கல்லூரிகளுக்கு அங்கீகாரம் அளிக்கும் குழுவினரும் முறையாக ஆய்வு செய்து அனைத்துத் தகுதிகளும் இருந்தால் மட்டுமே அங்கீகாரம் அளிக்க வேண்டும்.

இதுபோன்ற நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ளத் தவறினால், உயர்கல்வி சேர்க்கையில் நம்பர் 1 மாநிலமாக தமிழகம் இருந்தாலும், தமிழகத்தில் பெறப்படும் பொறியியல் பட்டம் மரியாதை இழக்கும் நிலைமை ஏற்படும் என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

Questioned in city drugs case, student leaps to death Cops Arrested 11 Students After Raids In Potheri

Questioned in city drugs case, student leaps to death Cops Arrested 11 Students After Raids In Potheri 

Sindhu.Kannan@timesofindia.com  5.9.24 

Chennai : A 22-year-old private engineering college student jumped to his death from the fourth floor of an apartment building in Potheri near Maraimalai Nagar on Tuesday night, three days after he was taken with 23 others by police for inquiry over ganja use. On Saturday, 1,000 police personnel from Tambaram commissionerate raided several gated communities in Potheri, occupied mostly by engineering college students, and seized ganja, hookah machines, ganja oil, ganja chocolates and arrested 11 students. Police who identified the deceased as Konda Srinivasa Nikhil of Telangana, a fourth year B Tech (CSC) student, said hookah pipes had been seized from his room. 

After he was taken to the Maraimalai Nagar police station for questioning and his parents were informed, officers issued a warning, obtained a written apology and let him off. No case was registered. A preliminary probe revealed that the college management summoned him for an internal inquiry and his parents reprimanded him for getting into bad company.

 No suicide note, No suicide note left behind 

Some of the house owners in the building had already asked the students to vacate the place, police said. For three days after the raid, Nikhil confined himself to his room and did not attend college.  Tuesday night, he jumped from the fourth floor. A few fellow students rushed him to a private hospital in Potheri where he died early on Wednesday morning. Police sent the body for postmortem to Chengalpet Govt Medical College and Hospital and registered a case. 

He did not leave any suicide note behind. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)

Colleges struggle to bridge faculty gap

Colleges struggle to bridge faculty gap

TNN | Mar 12, 2024, 05.01 AM IST

Hyderabad: With the exponential surge in the number of seats for computer science and related courses, many colleges are grappling with a shortage of faculty in the department, particularly in emerging tech courses.

“Hardly any college has the necessary faculty to effectively teach computer science courses,” stated the head of the CSE department faculty at a private college in the city. The HoD highlighted the necessity of utilising faculty from other departments to address this shortfall.

According to regulations set by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), faculty members from core engineering disciplines can teach courses in emerging areas upon completing 10 credit online courses through platforms like SWAYAM/NPTEL. “There is a dearth of qualified faculty for emerging areas, prompting AICTE to permit core engineering faculty to teach these courses post online certification,” read a circular from AICTE.

However, this guideline isn't being implemented in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana, as colleges are hesitant to recruit core engineering faculty, despite their completion of certificate courses. Faculty members argued that hiring core engineering faculty would be mutually beneficial, providing them with employment while offering students interdisciplinary expertise. “Despite the pressing need for faculty, managements are reluctant to hire from core engineering backgrounds,” said A Santosh Kumar, president of the Telangana Schools and Technical Colleges Employees Association, attributing this reluctance to a desire to cut costs on salaries.

Clear six addl courses, get honours in engg

Clear six addl courses, get honours in engg

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 16.11.2021

Around one lakh students who joined engineering courses in Tamil Nadu in 2021-22 can earn BE, BTech degrees with honours in four years by clearing six extra courses or 18 credits.

They can also earn minor degrees in other branches by getting 18 credits in them. This was decided in a recent academic council meeting of Anna University. “If students get high grades till fourth semester in BE, BTech programmes, they will be allowed to select specialised courses in ME or MTech degree programmes. If they clear six specialised courses in a related field or get 18 extra credits, they will be awarded with honours degree,” Anna University vicechancellor R Velraj told TOI.

If a mechanical engineering student or civil engineering student completes six courses in artificial intelligence or machine learning, he or she will get a BE mechanical engineering degree with a minor in artificial intelligence or machine learning, he added.

Colleges welcome the move, say it will increase placements

The university is also thinking about implementing it for the second year students after making necessary changes in the regulations.

As per the 2021 regulations of Anna University, a student needs to secure a minimum 160 credits to get BE or BTech degree.

Colleges welcomed the move saying it would increase placement opportunities.

B Chidambararajan, principal of SRM Valliammai Engineering College, said, companies are expecting interdisciplinary skills among students with the emergence of newer technologies such as IoT. “In the present trend, a mechanical student should know about programming to improve his chances to get placement. So, interdisciplinary courses are the need of the hour and it is a welcome move by the university,” he said.

P Deiva Sundari, principal of KCG College of Technology, said, the move to introduce interdisciplinary degree (minor degree) will improve admissions in core engineering branches. “An honours degree will encourage students to specialise in any particular area in their relevant field. For example, a computer science degree student can specialise in full stag or data science,” she said.

No takers for 25% engg seats after final phase

No takers for 25% engg seats after final phase

Many Seats Have Been Left Vacant In New Tech Streams Too

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:14.11.2021

Despite the introduction of new tech engineering courses, close to 25% seats in Telangana have been left vacant after the final phase of seat allotment.

This year, over 1.21 lakh candidates have qualified in Eamcet. As per figures shared by Eamcet convenor Navin Mittal, of the 79,790 engineering available seats across Telangana, 19,797 seats have been left vacant. Last year, 17,101 seats were left vacant, which is lower than this year’s figures. This, even as the number of available seats were much the same -- 78,270.

Many of these are left vacant in not only core engineering courses such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, but also in new tech streams such as cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and data sciences, among others.

“Many students who could not get a seat in colleges of their choice have joined private universities wherein job guarantee schemes are being promoted. Students are giving a miss to local colleges and preferring private universities and autonomous colleges resulting in large vacant seats in Telangana,” said KVK Rao, general secretary of All India Federation of Self-Financing Technical Institutions.

Close to 90% seats in computer science and IT-related courses, 67% seats in civil, mechanical and allied courses and 60% in other engineering courses have been filled. There were fewer takers for courses into cybersecurity, IoT, AI, and others.