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.

Periyar University notificationfor Registrar, CoE posts differs from UGC norms: faculty, TNGCTA

Periyar University notificationfor Registrar, CoE posts differs from UGC norms: faculty, TNGCTA

It has been alleged that to prevent college teachers from applying for these posts, Periyar University issued a notification against the UGCrules. 

Faculty members allege that to appoint people who are close to the University administration, it has provided these norms to fill the posts; however, officials attached to the administration say that the notification was issued as per rule

M. Sabari  Salem 12.12.2024 

Faculty members of Periyar University and the Tamil Nadu Government Collegiate Teachers Association (TNGCTA) alleged that the notification issued by Periyar University for filling the posts of Registrar and Controller of Examinations (CoE) differs from the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

In the notification dated November 26, Periyar University invited applications for the posts of Registrar and CoE and prescribed qualifications as an academician not lower in the rank than that of a professor of a college/university. The age should have completed 55, but not more than 57 as on December 1, 2024 and should have a minimum total teaching experience of 20 years involving teaching/research or administrative responsibilities. The university asked to submit the application on or before December 16, 4 p.m. TNGCTA general secretary S. Suresh said that in the guidelines issued by the UGC on December 12, 2008, it said that for the posts of Registrar and CoE, the candidate should have at least 15 years of service as an assistant professor or eight years of service as an associate professor. All the universities had been following these UGC guidelines.

Guidelines

The Madurai Kamaraj University, in its notification dated December 7, 2024, for filling the posts of Registrar and CoE, followed these UGC guidelines. But the Periyar University notification differs from the UGC guidelines and asks only professors to apply for these posts.

To prevent college teachers from applying for these posts, Periyar University issued a notification against the UGC rules. The Tamil Nadu government should look into the issue and take steps to cancel the notification issued by the Periyar University administration, Mr. Suresh added.

Periyar University faculty members alleged that to appoint people who are close to the University administration, the University allegedly provided these norms to fill the posts.

Officials attached to the Periyar University administration said that the notification was issued as per rule, and in the past also, while the notification was issued by the university, this same set of norms was followed.

Periyar University Vice-Chancellor R. Jagannathan is not available for comments.

UGC/AICTE Retirement Age Regulations Not Binding On State University-Affiliated Institutions Without State Adoption : Supreme Court

UGC/AICTE Retirement Age Regulations Not Binding On State University-Affiliated Institutions Without State Adoption : Supreme Court

Yash Mittal

7 Dec 2024 3:14 PM

The Supreme Court on Friday (Dec. 6) held that amended UGC or AICTE regulations raising the retirement age to 65 years do not apply to institutions affiliated to State Universities where the State Government opts not to adopt those regulations. Such institutions must follow the retirement age followed in the State.

The bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Prasanna B. Varale heard the civil appeal filed by one P.J. Dharmaraj who was initially appointed as Lecturer, and Reader in Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (“JNTU”) and subsequently retired from the position of Director of Church of South India Institute of Technology (“CSIIT”) affiliated to JNTU, Telangana.

Two days after his retirement at the age of 60 years, the AICTE and UGC issued amended regulations, wherein the age of retirement was revised up to sixty-five years of age. Therefore the appellant claimed that the same benefit should be extended to him.

On the contrary, the Respondents argued that the appellant cannot claim the benefit of the amended age of retirement because the subsequent amendment to the UGC regulations has not been adopted by the State of Telangana and the revised age of sixty-five years for superannuation does not prevail as the norm in the State and in the JNTU with which CSIIT is affiliated.

Upon hearing the parties at length, Justice Nath in the judgment observed that when the age of retirement of teachers was fixed at 60 years then the appellant cannot be given a special treatment to consider his age of retirement at 65 years.

“The regulations governing the age of superannuation throughout the State, the JNT University and its affiliated colleges including CSIIT is sixty years of age and therefore, when the teachers of JNT University are only to continue up to the age of sixty years, the Appellant cannot be given special consideration. CSIIT is an affiliated Institute of JNT University. Its teachers cannot have their age of retirement more than that of the teachers of the affiliating University. It would create a serious anomaly, discrimination and inequality. If the State Government itself has not adopted the amended regulations, the same cannot be applicable to the CSIIT. Even CSIIT has not determined the age of retirement of teachers to be 65 years.”, the court observed.

Further, the Court found that the appellant worked only in an administrative position and was not able to prove that he discharged the teaching services before becoming Director, CSIIT. Therefore, the UGC or AICTE regulation would not apply to the appellant, as those regulations only applies to those who qualify as teachers and are discharging classroom teaching duties.

“Any other way, the Appellant is not a teacher and was only involved in administrative work with CSIIT. The Appellant has not led any evidence until now to prove that he qualifies as a teacher after becoming Director. AICTE and UGC regulations are applicable only to those who qualify as teachers and are discharging classroom teaching duties.”, the court said.

Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed.

Case Title: P.J. DHARMARAJ VERSUS CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA & ORS.

Citation : 2024 LiveLaw (SC) 958

UG, PG aspirants can seek admission in any discipline irrespective of subject previously studied: UGC

UG, PG aspirants can seek admission in any discipline irrespective of subject previously studied: UGC

The changes aim to set a new standard for the awarding of UG and PG degrees, ensuring that institutions can meet the diverse needs of today's students.

The UGC head office in New Delhi.File photo | PTI

Kavita Bajeli-Datt

Updated on:

05 Dec 2024, 4:15 pm

NEW DELHI: Twice a year admission, multiple entry and exit options, and greater flexibility for admission in any discipline of undergraduate programme or postgraduate are some of the standout aspects of the draft regulations announced on Thursday by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The changes aim to set a new standard for the awarding of UG and PG degrees, ensuring that institutions can meet the diverse needs of today's students.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, UGC Chairman, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar said, “The UGC Draft (Minimum Standards of Instructions in the Award of UG and PG Degrees) Regulations 2024 aims to transform higher education in India by introducing greater flexibility, removal of disciplinary regicide, inclusivity, and multidisciplinary learning opportunities for students.”

He said these regulations facilitate biannual admissions for higher education institutions (HEIs) if they are prepared to introduce them, allowing students to enrol twice yearly – in July/August and January/February.

"The regulations incorporate multiple entry and exit provisions, recognition of prior learning, and the flexibility to pursue two UG/PG programs simultaneously. We have also decoupled eligibility for UG and PG admissions from the rigid discipline-specific requirements of school education," he said.

Under these regulations, he added that students can choose to study in any program irrespective of their past disciplinary qualifications if they demonstrate competency by clearing the relevant entrance examinations.

He further said that recognizing the diverse learning modes promoted by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, these regulations provide autonomy to HEIs to determine student attendance requirements, ensuring they align with evolving academic needs.

Moreover, students will now have the option to earn 50% of their credits in their major discipline. In contrast, the remaining credits can be allocated to skill development, apprenticeships, or multidisciplinary subjects, fostering holistic development.

"With these reforms, we ensure that Indian higher education evolves to meet global standards while staying rooted in inclusivity and adaptability to diverse learner needs," he added.

The draft also states that irrespective of the disciplines taken by a student in class 12 or UG, a student is eligible for admission in any discipline of the UG programme or PG programme if the student qualifies for the National or university-level entrance examination in the discipline of the UG/PG programme.

Considering the diverse learning modes and holistic and multidisciplinary learning opportunities suggested by NEP 2020, HEIs shall decide on the minimum attendance requirement of students in different programmes with the approval of their statutory bodies.

An undergraduate degree lasts three or four years, and a postgraduate degree generally lasts one or two years.

However, the duration of an undergraduate degree can be shorter or longer. Key provisions of the Accelerated Degree Programme (ADP) and Extended Degree Programme (EDP) are applicable only at the undergraduate level.

HEIs can earmark up to 10% of sanctioned intake for ADP with no cap for EDP.

The HEI-constituted committee will evaluate a student's credit-completing potential based on their performance in the first or second semester and make recommendations.

Also, students shall have the option to choose ADP/EDP either at the end of the first semester or the second semester and not beyond that.

In the ADP/EDP, students will follow the same curriculum content and total credits prescribed for the programme for a standard duration. The only change will be in the duration of the programme.

The number of courses to be completed in each semester will be more or less according to the duration opted by the students, the draft said.

The ADP and EDP degrees will contain a self-contained note stating that the academic requirements required in a standard duration have been completed in a shortened or extended duration.

Students completing a four-year undergraduate degree (Hons./Hons. with Research) in relevant subjects (level 6, e.g. B.Sc. Hons. in Physics, B.Sc. Hons. in Biology, B.Sc. Hons. in Mathematics) and students completing a four-year undergraduate degree (level 6, e.g. B.E., B. Tech., etc.) shall be eligible for the 2-year/4 semester postgraduate programme (level 7, e.g. M.E., M.Tech. etc.), the draft stated.

The draft also said that if the HEIs fail to comply with the regulations, action will be taken.

In the first step, the Commission shall constitute an enquiry committee to investigate the violations. Suppose the Commission's enquiry committee establishes the violations, then in that case, the HEI shall be either debarred from participating in UGC schemes, debarred from offering degree programmes, or debarred from offering ODL and online mode programmes. They can also be removed from the list of HEIs maintained under Section 2(f) and 12B of UGC Act 1956.

Furthermore, UGC may take additional punitive actions per the Commission's decision on a case-to-case basis.

"Government departments, private organizations, and recruiting agencies like UPSC/State Service Commission, etc., should treat the degrees from ADP and EDP on par with degrees with standard duration," it added.

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

TN forms panel to revise block grant to 10 state univs

TN forms panel to revise block grant to 10 state univs

Ragu.Raman@timesofindia.com 04.12.2024

Chennai : In a first step to revive financially struggling state universities, the state higher education department formed a seven-member committee to revise block grant to 10 state universities, including the University of Madras and Madurai Kamaraj University. Block grant is the funding from the state govt to all state universities to cover the salary of the sanctioned posts by the govt. Many state universities are struggling to pay salaries and pensions to their staff and retired staff members due to insufficient funds. 

The committee, headed by secretary (expenditure), will include the commissioner of technical education, commissioner of collegiate education, additional secretary (finance), deputy secretary (universities) of the higher education department, director-general of audit or his representative, and member-secretary of Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education as members. The committee was given three months to determine the revision of block grants from 2025-26. “They will consider staff strength (teaching, non-teaching) sanctioned by govt, income and expenditure trend analysis, net deficit, scale of pay recommended by state pay commission and University Grants Commission and norms on faculty-students ratio,” a govt order issued by higher education secretary K Gopal said. 

“Though govt is not obliged to fund for salary or pension of the university suggesting a framework for sustenance of the universities,” the order added. The committee constituted by the State Planning Commission to evaluate the financial position of state universities recommended revising the block grant once in five years for all state universities. The block grant was previously revised in 2015-16. “The state universities are burdened by pension liabilities. The corpus fund of the University of Madras is not even able to cover 50% of pension liabilities. Other universities like Madurai Kamaraj University are also facing the same problem,” said P Duraisamy, former vice-chancellor of Madras University. “This move may help to resolve the financial crisis to some extent. 

However, they have to form a committee to resolve financial issues of state universities and suggest alternative ways for generating revenue,” he added. The order also asked all registrars of state universities to submit the details for fixing the block grant. State govt is not giving block grant to Anna University and Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University citing surplus revenue. Professors from Anna University said the university’s revenue declined following the decision to give all pass to students who had arrears. “The university used to generate ₹400 crore by conducting arrear exams. Without compensating for the revenue loss, the state govt declared all pass during 2020. We will also meet the fate of other universities if state govt does not give block grants,” said a professor of the university .

‘Appointments in architecture dept violate UGC, COA rules’

‘Appointments in architecture dept violate UGC, COA rules’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 25.11.2024 

Vadodara : Prof Satish Pathak of M S University has filed a complaint with chief minister Bhupendra Patel against university vicechancellor Prof Vijay Kumar Srivastava. Pathak has alleged that Srivastava appointed five persons as “professors of practice” in the architecture department by violating statutory provisions. Pathak stated that the appointments violate the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Council of Architecture (COA). 

The architecture department is part of MSU’s Faculty of Technology and Engineering (FTE). The department of architecture, like architecture colleges in the country, is regulated by COA. “Like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the regulatory body when it comes to technology and engineering colleges, COA is the regulatory body for architecture colleges. Currently, COA has no provision on the appointment of professors of practice,” he stated in his complaint.

The complaint also states that according to the UGC norms, the number of professors of practice in a higher education institute, at any point in time, should not exceed 10% of the posts sanctioned in the institute. “When it comes to the department of architecture, there are 17 sanctioned posts. These include three posts of professors, six posts of associate professors, and eight posts of assistant professors. Against this sanctioned strength, only one in the form of the current head of department is filled while another teacher retired two years ago. This leaves 16 posts vacant,” he said. “So, appointing five ‘professors of practice’ is not just a violation of the COA provisions but also a violation of UGC guidelines.” Pathak alleged that these appointments were done while cutting short the number of temporary  teaching positions, some of whom were teaching in the department for a long time. He demanded a thorough inquiry into the appointments.

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. 

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.

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.

NEET -UG 2022 RESULT DELAY PUTS START OF ENGG.COUNSELLING

 

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