Hyderabad: Private Engineering Colleges in the country, including those in Telangana, have reasons to worry because of a proposal from AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) linking occupancy certificates with affiliation.
With complaints of irregularities in functioning of colleges like improper infrastructure, lack of facilities and fire safety norms and change of addresses, the regulatory body for technical education in private colleges is considering bringing in the OC provision to overcome these issues.
However, private colleges’ associations from all over the country have vetoed the proposal, according to the Telangana Private Engineering and Professional Colleges Managements Association.
“Take the case of engineering colleges in the state capital some of which were established decades ago when there was no OC rule. When permissions were taken they were under local bodies, now their jurisdiction has come under the civic body and HMDA. Obtaining an OC is a cumbersome process requiring expenditure of lakhs of rupees in the form of fees. Hence we opposed it,” said Mr Kotla Sudhir, one of the members.
Registrar of JNTU-Hyderabad, Mr N. Yadaiah, said that any infrastructural deficiency found during inspections of colleges would be brought to the notice of the AICTE. He added that the varsity would look into faculty and laboratory facilities while giving affiliation for courses in private colleges.
Meanwhile, private colleges have called upon the AICTE to look into the issue of indiscriminate increase of in-demand courses like CSE and ECE by deemed universities which has been affecting admissions in their colleges. “While a private engineering college is not allowed to increase freshers intake beyond 180, deemed varsities have been enrolling more than 400 students in first-year CSE in the last few years. While there is no proper regulation for deemed varsities, private engineering colleges are asked to follow all rules lest their affiliation will be rejected,” said Mr N. Goutham Rao, president of the association.
