Even minor issues taken seriously, say private colleges

CHENNAI: Close to 100 engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, with more than 25% discrepancies in infrastructure, could lose affiliation to Anna University and be closed following a Madras high court order.The order, issued on December 20, 2019, after Anna University reduced student intake by 25% to 50% in 92 engineering colleges in 2019-20 for lack of faculty and infrastructure following an inspection by a team from IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy, said the university had no legal authority to reduce student intake fixed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). “It goes without saying that the university can either affiliate or disaffiliate or suspend the affiliation as per the statutes if found to be appropriate...” said the order on a writ appeal filed by Infant Jesus College of Engineering in Tuticorin.A division bench of Chief Justice A P Sahi and Justice Subramonium Prasad said the university can submit a report for taking action within a reasonable period of time.“The AICTE should endeavour and make efforts to take a decision before the cutoff date of admissions as prescribed by the apex court,” the HC bench had said.An Anna University official said, “The university took action against the engineering colleges with more than 25% deficiency in labs, library, faculty members and classrooms. Now, the university may suspend the affiliation for colleges which have deficiencies.”With more than 100 engineering colleges in the state functioning without proper infrastructure, Anna university plans to rope in more experts from IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy this year. “One or two faculty members from these institutions will be part of inspection committees.”Last year, 170 faculty members from these three institutions inspected more than 537 engineering colleges in the state.But, the consortium of private colleges said the committees viewed even minor errors like absent of faculty members seriously. “… We have submitted representation totheuniversity.Asfar as court order is concerned, the university still recommended to the AICTE for action against colleges with poor infrastructure,” said P Selvaraj, secretary of Consortium of Self-Financing Professional, Arts and Science Colleges.Anna University former vice-chancellor E Balagurusamy suggested disaffiliating particular programmes in collegeswith poor infrastructure, saying it would be more harsh than reducing seats.He further urged the university to disaffiliate colleges found functioning in violation of affiliation norms. “It istimefor Anna University to takesevere action againstcolleges which do not follow norms. AICTE is only reason for the poor quality of technical education in the state. It is responsible for opening so many colleges and allowing them to continue without proper infrastructure…,” he added.