Future hangs Fire

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : The future of lakhs of Intermediate students is uncertain as Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments have not come to an understanding on ways to conduct the examinations and run the Board of Intermediate (BIE). The most worried are students of the second year as they have to appear in various competitive examinations, usually after March. 

The BIE officials have already informed both the governments that the delay could hamper the conduct of examinations. Interestingly, the date of application for examinations has been extended continuously for the last one month. Usually, 4.5 lakh senior intermediate and 4 lakh first year students appear for the examinations. On the other hand, preparations for the examinations including preparation of question papers and OMR sheets are already behind the schedule. Though the ministers of both States discussed various issues pertaining to BIE, they could not come to any consensus.

The Telangana government’s stand was that board must be divided as soon as possible and examinations be conducted separately. At the same time, the government advocated for a separate Eamcet examination. However, the AP government has been expressing concern over the separate examination, saying it was against the spirit of AP Reorganisation Act 2013.

Another meeting of the education ministers is scheduled to take place in the next 48 hours. Highly placed sources said that if both the governments fail to arrive at a meaningful understanding, the issue is likely to see an active role of Governor ESL Narasimhan, who has already been receiving requests from several parents seeking his intervention in view of the future of the students.

Reasons for Delay
-No decision has been taken on the conduct of examination after the Telangana government objected
-Objections remain on preparation of question papers
-Around 768 sets for regular and 1,248 sets for optional papers to be prepared
-Preparations already behind two months
-Severe concerns over the maintenance of BIE
-Talks at Minister level inconclusive
-Board has very less time to take decision
-Intermediate marks have 15% weightage in Eamcet and 40% weightage in NIT

Norms to be followed

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : With Supreme Court permitting the second phase of Eamcet counselling, most of the engineering colleges in the State are now obliged to meet the criteria prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to complete the admission process before November 14. The criterion involves qualified faculty, good infrastructure and laboratories among a host of other important subjects. 

Nearly 174 engineering colleges were earlier denied permission to participate in the first phase of counselling citing shortcomings in the criteria following inspection by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University of Hyderabad (JNTUH). On Tuesday, the two-member SC bench observed that if college managements fulfilled AICTE norms, only then would they be allowed to participate in the second phase of counselling. The colleges were earlier restrained from participating in the counselling citing poor educational standards like lack of qualified faculty and failure to follow AICTE’s prescribed norms. 

JNTUH Academic Audit Cell member A Damodaram said that their University did not have any separate norms but it follows AICTE norms and carries out inspections at engineering colleges on a similar basis. He said that they would start inspecting 174 colleges in question after Supreme Court gave clear instructions in this regard. In its remarks, the SC bench asked the colleges to assure fulfilment of AICTE norms and submit an affidavit to the court that they would adhere to all mandatory instructions necessary to run a private technical institute.

The student/faculty ratio differs from subject to subject and department. At the same time the land required for an ideal campus in rural areas is different from that of urban area. Before the announcement of first phase of engineering counselling, JNTUH restrained around 174 colleges from participating in the counselling. They were allowed at a later date, but the counselling was over by then.

Weightage to Go !

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad: The Telangana government is contemplating doing away with weightage marks criteria for deciding the EAMCET ranking and is waiting for the response of the Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate. The issue would be discussed in the forthcoming meeting between Education ministers of both States on October 27 and a decision might come out of it. 

The Telangana government is intending to bring some changes in the Intermediate education for the convenience of students of the State. It wants to discuss these issues with AP government since the present BIE is common. The government is trying hard to get the board bifurcated so that it could implement its own agenda. The bifurcation proposal would be discussed in the meeting between education ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The government is contemplating several changes in the examination pattern and other things for quite some time and also released a GO declaring separation of Board recently.

Several meetings at Secretary-level have already discussed various issues pertaining to intermediate education and actual bifurcation of the board. On the other hand there were also discussions on separate examination for the students of both the State.AP government has been arguing for common annual examination for the students of Intermediate of both states as EAMCET would follow it immediately. Moreover it gives 25 percent weightage to the marks secured in intermediate in deciding rank of EAMCET.

A top level official in Telangana government said that if needed Telangana government may do away with the weightage in EAMCET. If this to be believed, the decision should have to be taken jointly by both the governments. Both the governments, after several meetings at secretary level, have decided to convene a joint meeting of education ministers on October 27 to sort out several issues pertaining to board of intermediate and its bifurcation procedure.

This meeting will also discuss the fate of other institutions included in the 10th schedule of A P Reorganization Act 2013. The ministers would try to sort out the issues of Dravidian University, Mahila University, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University and other standalone institutions in the state. The main agenda of the meeting would be to decide on the actual bifurcation of the intermediate board and modalities for conducting the examinations as very little time left for the examinations. The board officials are the job of preparing for examinations in time and on the other hand state government is mulling for some changes post examination.

No Vice Chancellors !

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : Uncertainty over the appointment of full-time vice-chancellors for six of the eight universities in Telangana is not only impeding administration, but also putting students, colleges and staff in an unenviable position with regard to crucial matters. The posts have been lying vacant ever since the vice chancellors demitted office over a period of one year. 

Nearly six State-run universities have been headless for several months now

All significant activities, including recruitment, financial matters, funds release and maintenance have been badly hit in almost all the universities in Telangana. Nearly six State-run universities have been headless for several months now, and, in the absence of the top-most administrator, both routine and important administrative matters have been hamstrung for want of authorised signatures on the relevant files and certificates. A premier institution like Osmania University has been headless for the last four months and Telangana University in Nizamabad has been awaiting a permanent VC for six months now.

Only two universities, Satahvahana University, Karimnagar, and Mahatma Gandhi University, Nalgonda, have full- time vice-chancellors. This being so, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad vice-chancellor’s term will end in November 2014. Adverting to the common problems being faced by the university administration, Osmania University registrar K Pratap Reddy said that the absence of a VC in any of university would be like “a family without a head”. For, a VC alone has executive powers pertaining to staff, academics, release of funds and important student-related matters.

Reddy said that for every single decision the registrar was required to rush to the in-charge vice-chancellor. In OU, the post of VC has been vacant ever since Prof S Satyanarayana’s term ended. There are several IAS officers who have been made in-charge vice-chancellors of most of these universities. Senior government officials cite varying reasons, including new UGC (University Grants Commission) guidelines, for the delay in the appointment of VCs to these varsities. Higher Education principal secretary Vikas Raj said, “UGC has issued some new guidelines and the State government is contemplating a few more as well for the appointment of VCs. The process of appointment will take time.”

However, sources said that the appointment of VCs to any of these varsities might not be a reality during this academic year, considering the relevant notification is yet to be released. Once the notification is issued, the process for constitution of a search committee would begin in right earnest. The search committee includes a UGC member, Higher Education Council representative and a representative from the State government. It is learnt that the new UGC norms are not significantly different from the ones released in 2011.

Universities without VC
Osmania University – Hyderabad
Kakatiya University -Warangal
JNTU- Hyderabad
Dr B R A O U- Hyderabad
Palamur University-Mahabubnagar
Telangana University-Nizamabad
Prof Jayashankar Agricultural 
University

Universities having VC
Mahatma Gandhi University
-Nalgonda
Satavahana University-Karimnagar

Separation Worries !

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : Intermediate students are worried and also upset over the constant changes at the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) and tiff between the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments. With the Telangana government constituting a separate board for the State, uncertainty loomed large over the whole state of affairs. The differences between the two governments over the conduct of examinations are said to be the actual reason for the present crisis situation.

Students were expecting a kind of reconciliation between the two governments so that everything goes as per schedule, but the creation of separate board at this point left several students confused and irked. “Though the decision to divide the Board of intermediate is welcome, the Telangana government should not have done this at a time when examination dates are fast approaching,” said K Ravi Kumar, a private college senior intermediate student. He said that this decision has already created anxiety among students about the possible time-table of the public examination and that was disturbing their studies.

-Preparations start at least six months prior to the examinations
-August is the typical month for commencement of preparations
-Arrangements already lagging behind by three months
-Actual division of BIE may take more than a month
-All sections and employees need to be divided in the ration of 48:52

The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have locked horns over the pattern of question paper, preparation of papers and conduct of examination citing various reservations. Earlier this month, AP government had ordered the board to start preparations to conduct the common examinations while the Telangana government issued a notice to conduct it separately. Many students complained that they were worried about the possible clash of dates with other competitive examinations, if the newly created board delays the process. A resident of Nampally, Manzoor Ahmed said that his son, studying in the second year of Intermediate, was worried ever since he knew about the bifurcation and that was affecting his preparation.

Several students, on the other hand, expressed happiness at the decision of the Telangana government and exuded confidence in it to bring the condition under control. After the division of the board employees, assets and responsibilities are needed to be divided as part of the actual division. Officials from the Intermediate Board said that it may take more or less a month’s time for the actual division.

“Examinations can only be conducted in time if the preparations for examinations, including question paper formulation, printing and other activities are parallel to the division process, otherwise it would be injustice to the students,” said an official from Intermediate Board on condition of anonymity. He said that only a meeting at the ministry-level could pave the way for an amicable solution without disturbing the student fraternity.

Looking for Bailout

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : The engineering colleges that were alienated from the EAMCET counselling process are looking towards the Supreme Court for a bailout, as over 70,000 seats in 140 engineering colleges which participated in counseling are still vacant. The colleges that were not allowed to participate in the first phase of the counseling process are hopeful of going ahead with some admissions if the Supreme Court allows them to take part in the second phase of counseling. 

During the first phase of counseling, in all 174 engineering colleges were de-listed from the EAMCET counseling by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad, for poor standards. Nevertheless, the said college managements were allowed to participate in the counseling after a two-month legal battle in the Supreme Court. But by that time the counseling ended without a chance for any of these colleges getting admissions. The Supreme Court ordered JNTUH to allow the colleges to participate in counseling, promising to remove the shortcomings in a certain period of time.

Of the 2.34 lakh students who qualified in EAMCET 2014 from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, about 1.22 lakh students attended the certificate verification process and 1.20 lakh students exercised their options. Around 63,190 students in AP and 52,839 students in Telangana were allotted seats, leaving more than 70,000 seats vacant in both the states. Moreover, at least nine out of 335 engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh recorded zero admission and one among the 141 engineering colleges in Telangana recorded zero admission during the counseling this year.

In this situation, the 174 colleges were left with no option for going ahead with admissions during the first counseling, but with the Telangana government opposing the second phase of counseling, several managements approached the SC requesting participation in the second phase. A two-judge bench of the SC heard the counsels of TS government and engineering college managements and posted the matter to October 13. TS government counsel argued that the second phase of counseling was not required as admissions in colleges which participated in the first phase counseling were very low, and most of the seats left vacant.

On this basis, TS government had opposed the second phase counseling. It said that the leftover seats were more in number than the number of students who qualified in the EAMCET 2014, and argued that permitting the 174 colleges would not serve any purpose. On the other hand, the managements of engineering colleges argued that the second phase of counseling would help the poor students of the State if they get the seat through second phase counseling. “The disadvantaged students would be able to get the benefits of scholarships and others if second phase is allowed,” the managements said.

Telangana Professional College Management Consortium chairman N Goutham Rao said that around 10 to 15 thousand students would benefit from the second phase counseling, if it is allowed. He also said that it would help the students who got admission during the first phase of counseling by enabling them to slide their options to different courses in top engineering colleges.

UGC recommends Yoga

Mohammed Younus/ Hyderabad : Yoga classes will become part of the curriculum for Graduate and Post Graduate students from next academic year, if the University Grants Commission (UGC) has its way. While proposing changes in the curriculum of the PG and graduate courses, the UGC has proposed introduction of Yoga and environmental studies from next academic year. The environmental studies would be made compulsory whereas introduction of Yoga is still under consideration.

The UGC issued directives to the states in this regard earlier this month. The decision was taken following a judgment of the Supreme Court in 2004. The apex court said that environmental studies be made a compulsory subject for the graduate and PG students to improve awareness among them. Nevertheless, the implementation of directives was delayed due to a variety of reasons like creation of needed infrastructure in the colleges. Taking cue from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UGC proposed Yoga and meditation classes for university students at campuses. The proposal came after the address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at United Nations (UN) recently where he had urged one and all to adopt to Yoga.

UGC's intention is to raise health awareness among students involving lessons on yoga and meditation. This initiative is believed to be the extension of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. UGC officials have also clarified that apart from offering yoga classes, universities as well as affiliated colleges also need to create awareness about healthy diets, benefits of exercise, abuse of drugs and promoting communal harmony. The UGC stated that the environmental studies course will not be completely theoretical but will include 25 per cent weightage for field work. Students will be trained through lectures, seminars, videos presentations, field visits, excursions, project work, report writing and presentations.

Environmental studies experts believe that it is important for students to have knowledge about what is happening to the environment and resources of earth. The interdisciplinary course will be for all the undergraduates from all educational backgrounds. Environmentalist from Osmania University S Madhukar said that this course will give the students a better understanding of environmental issues at local and global levels. The topics in the course include ecosystems, renewable and non-renewable natural resources, biodiversity and conservation, pollution, environmental policies and practices, exploitation of mineral, land, water resources and deforestation.

The 100 marks course is already introduced in the current academic session of Delhi University and may be taken up by all the universities from next academic year. Presently, the course will be available in English and efforts are on to introduce it in Hindi and other regional languages as well in the coming sessions.