Engineering Colleges May Shut Down

 The State government may order the shutdown of 146 engineering colleges that have been identified by a Supreme Court-appointed experts’ panel has having failed to meet the norms laid down by the AICTE. The colleges in question were recently disaffiliated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTUH) in the light of the earlier inspection committee’s report and the expert panel’s findings.
Moreover, JNTUH officials went on to register a criminal case against several engineering colleges for not having even prescribed minimum faculty strength in. 

The disaffiliation of these colleges has not been revoked yet. Going by hints from varsity officials, the participation of engineering colleges in Eamcet counseling this year also appear bleak. These 146 colleges were not given permission to participate in Eamcet 2014 counseling by JNTUH. However, the college managements approached the High Court and also the Supreme Court for affiliation de novo and to participate in the counseling.

The apex court had instructed the JNTU officials last year to form a committee to examine whether these colleges fulfilled AICTE norms. The committee came to a conclusion that most of the colleges were not up to the mark and submitted its report to the JNTUH and the Supreme Court. On the basis of that report, JNTUH officials disaffiliated these colleges. JNTU in-charge vice-chancellor Shailaja Ramaiyer had said that when the inspection was done by experts nominated by JNTUH, the colleges were skeptical and complained of foul play. 

But, the Supreme Court-appointed committee established the shortcomings once again, she added. The officials, however said, “The affiliation of these colleges was cancelled for the current academic year in the light of various inspections. Inspections would be conducted again to check the minimum criteria once again for the next academic year and a suitable decision would be taken.” College managements, however, accused JNTUH of not giving them sufficient time to overcome flaws in infrastructure.

JNTUH registrar N V Ramana Rao said that grievances of the private college managements would be looked into. Several representations of college managements to the education ministry and the State higher education council have not yet yielded any results.

Rented House

Ordeal of the Students Continue

Mohammed Younus 
 The reluctant attitude of the management of St Francis High School coupled with official apathy forced a large number of students to change their school, as it was derecognised by authorities for failing to meet the standards of the school education department. Strangely, the school to which these students have been shifted, Vishwabharati High School in Rasoolpura, too has several shortcomings and it is bound to be shut down from the next academic year by the education department for failing to respond to notices given the school education department. 

On Wednesday, a team of officials from DEO Hyderabad reached Vishwabharati High School to seal it as the school management ignored several notices that were served on it during the current academic year. Education department officials had shut down St Francis High School in the same locality a few months ago for failing to comply with the minimum eligibility criteria for running a school. Francis’ students were shifted to different schools, including the yet to be shut down Vishwabharati High School by the management in collusion with some education department officials.

Now, the students are forced once again to change the school for the same reason for which they were given transfer certificate. Ironically, the district education officials have turned a blind eye for allowing the management to start another school. District Education Officer R Somi Reddy said that notices have been served on the school earlier. Since the school management chose not to respond to several notices, we have decided to close down the school. 

Reddy said that a meeting has been planned on February 20 with parents seeking their views and preferences on moving their children and students to yet another school for the academic year 2015-16. There are around 700 students studying in the school that is going to be shut in few days. Deputy DEO Vijaya Kumari said that she had visited the school campus to serve the notice on the management as it was not following any of the norms for recognition. She said that students would be shifted to nearby schools after discussing with the parents. 

Meanwhile, agitated parents have alleged that some of the school education officials were going soft on the management and have not been responding to the grievances aired by several parents over the past one year. A parent, M Satyanarayana, whose kids are studying in the school said, “We are forced to run from one school to another and that school too is not following rules. This is resulting in lot of mental burden on us.” When the earlier school management did not follow norms, students from the school were shifted to another school with the same management, he alleged.

Mecca Masjid Needs Attention

Mohammed Younus 
With the State Department of Archaeology and Museums turning a blind eye to the upkeep of the Mecca Masjid near Charminar here, huge cracks have developed at several spots on the outer walls of the hallowed 17th century stone structure. 
Bushy outgrowths from crevices on the walls of the main structure have remained unattended for a long time. 

The flooring of the mosque is also not being maintained properly, and there are breakages at different places. The Mecca Masjid, apart from its historical significance, is also a tourist spot. Tourists who see Charminar make it a point to visit the mosque. Still, neither the Tourism Department nor the Archaeological Department seems to be interested in the well-being of the mosque’s appearance and structure.

A city-based lawyer and social activist Syed Shafiullah Quadri, who had filed an RTI application in the Archaeology Department with certain queries, was shocked to know that the bore well in the foreground of the mosque was dug without permission. Most of the questions in the RTI application remained unanswered in the ‘reply’ given by the department. He said that the Archaeology and Museum Department officials were giving specious reasons for ignoring upkeep of the mosque. 

He said that the mosque’s structure was now in danger from the standpoints of architecture, appearance and maintenance. Cracks, wild bushes on walls, lack of sanitation, and official apathy were the major challenges facing the Mecca Masjid. Ironically, the repair works that took place during the last year went wrong and the paint that was used to colour the walls was posing a serious threat to the stone alignment.

A fact-finding committee formed by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) found that the lack of chemical coating of the outside stones was decaying the stones. Officials from the Department of Archaeology and Museum said that the mosque was under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister’s Office and that lack of proper staff in the department was impeding the department from proper upkeep at various archaeological structures, including Mecca Masjid.

The 17th century structure is a listed site, along with other historic landmarks such as Chowmahalla Palace, Charminar and Laad Bazar. The fifth Golconda ruler Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah constructed the mosque and its construction ended in the year 1694.

Stipend Row at EFLU

A proposal by varsity authorities to disallow the monthly stipend to students at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) has irked the students and resulted in dismay among them. Controversy surrounds the proposal, which was included in the prospectus for next academic year, as it would deprive hundreds of students their stipend that was supposed to be given on the basis of poverty and social backwardness. 

Varsity authorities have decided to approve the stipend on the basis of merit, instead of economic backwardness as earlier. Students persuaded the issue and registered their protest by writing to the varsity authorities, but no assurance has been given to the students in this regard. Students fear that this new rule prescribed by the varsity would force most of the students to quit the courses as they would not be able to bear the financial burden.

Varsity authorities have reportedly proposed to sanction the stipend of Rs 1,000 per month on the basis of merit, which was earlier granted on the basis of backwardness. Students submitted a memorandum to the registrar on this issue earlier this week. Students informed that merit stipend is also provided besides the monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 and book allowance of Rs 1,000 per month.

However, varsity registrar Ali Raza Moosvi said that it was just a proposal and was made by the EFLU Academic Council of the varsity. He said that Academic Council has full right to make such proposals. He lamented that it was misinterpreted by students and given much importance by a section of the media, creating an issue out of a non-issue. 

He denied that the university was taking any anti-student measure on the campus. On the other hand, students coming from socio-economically backward strata consider this proposal as a denial of higher and quality education to the poor, which is a constitutional right. They also alleged that students were not consulted before submitting the proposal, which is also against the norms.

Faculty Crunch Still Haunts OU

Osmania University, which has been the nerve center of agitation for separate Statehood, is facing severe faculty shortage in the entire department as the new government has not yet made any decision regarding the recruitment of fresh staff. Students are complaining about this problem for a long time and several representations were also given by them in the past. Sadly, the current strength at the university is only half of the prescribed number.

Research scholars observed that if the current situation continues for few more months, the university may even lose grants from the University Grants Commission in the next academic year. The university needs almost 1,320 professors which include assistant professors, associate professors and professors to meet the UGC guidelines. As of now the varsity is functioning with merely 590 professors in all the departments across the campus.

“Each department needs six faculty members, but most of the departments have been functioning with either three or only one professor,” said a senior faculty member. The required number of professors in 23 departments functioning from the Arts College is 138, with only 70 functioning, equaling it to half the original strength. The crisis has been prevailing at the university for a long time and worsening every year due to the retirement of a large number of professors.

The condition of other departments of the varsity is also the same. In department of geophysics, the number of professors is four against a sanctioned strength of 24 posts, it is eight against 21 posts in Geology, six against 16 posts in Sociology, nine against 20 posts in Public Administration, one against 20 posts in Ancient Indian history, four against 16 in Hindi department and six against 18 in Biomedical engineering department.

This situation is not new to the varsity, but most of the figures have been the same or else decreased by few more numbers compared to previous year. The Psychology department was about to getting down to the zero, after the lone professor retired last year, but varsity recruited two assistant professors to keep the department running. The UGC instructed all the varsities to fulfill the required criteria for grants by June this year, failing which the university may lose grant from UGC.

The commission asked the varsities to recruit qualified faculty members in required number as prescribed by it. Most of the faculty members in OU are contract employees who do not have the desired qualification like National Eligibility Test (NET) and PhD degrees, affecting the academics. The university authorities are blaming the State government, for not providing proper finances. 

A senior professor from the university said that if government does not increase the block grants for university, it cannot recruit qualified professors. He said, “The pay scales for regular professors and assistant professors as prescribed by the UGC are very high and the varsity needs lot of funds. To avoid this, varsity authorities decided to take contact employees.”

Students To be Educated on Government Schemes

The State government has decided to involve undergraduates and postgraduates by way of conducting competitions and extracurricular activities around the welfare programs as the central theme to reach out to masses. As per the decision taken, students of UG and PG would be asked to participate in different campus activities and competitions emphasising various government schemes. 

An advisory from the Commissionerate of Collegiate Education has already been given to all the colleges across the State in this regard. Apart from advertising the welfare schemes in various media platforms, the State government has come up with this plan to educate the student fraternity on the same. The government has since its coming to power introduced several schemes including Asara pensions, food security cards, preservation of tanks, Shadi Mubarak, Kalyana Lakshmi and others.

Commissioner Collegiate Education A Vani Prasad said, “We have asked all the colleges across the State to involve students by means of competitions and activities in the campuses on various government schemes.” She said that the activities could be held at the convenience of college itineraries. “Many colleges have already held such events but not all. The Commissionerate was entrusted with the responsibility of taking this to every college,” she stated.

We have not fixed any time frame for the colleges as it would cause inconvenience to the students and managements, she added. Around 85,000 students from government run and private degree colleges would participate in the competitions proposed to be held by the State government.