Utkal University scraps engineering institute plan

The Utkal University authorities have confirmed that the plan to establish the Institute of Science and Technology, an engineering institute under the varsity, has been scrapped.

The university had already brought out admission notice and started accepting application forms for B.Tech and M.Tech courses. The university authorities, however, declined to reveal the reasons for the decision.

"There are certain issues. The engineering college plan did not materialize."

Debendra Nath Jena, Registrar, Utkal University

Declining to elaborate, Jena said the Post Graduate (PG) Council was looking into the matter. "We have kept the plan in abeyance due to some technical reasons," said PG council chairman P K Mishra. Despite attempts, vice-chancellor P K Sahoo was not available for comment.

Sources said the varsity abruptly terminated the ambitious plan after the govt. pointed out that it had not taken a no-objection certificate (NOC) to start the technical courses. The varsity is supposed to get a go-ahead from the Directorate of Technical Education and Training and obtain approval from the All India Council of Technical Education and Training (AICTE) for the engineering programmes. The varsity had done neither and it’s too late this year for the procedure when admission process has already begun.

"We did not receive any such application or accorded approval to the varsity," said technical education and training (TET) secretary Chandra Sekhar Kumar, adding for starting any course, the varsity has to get concurrence from the higher education, finance and technical education departments.

The latest development inconvenienced many students as they had already applied for admission.

"The flip flop is ridiculous. I had already made 2 drafts as required of Rs 350 and Rs 150 to deposit the form. I had also started preparing for the Utkal entrance examination."

Swaraj Kumar, an M.Tech aspirant

Officials pointed out that the cancellation means wastage of public money spent on building renovation for ISTUU. The varsity had renovated portions of Master of Computer Application (MCA) building and University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UDPS) deploying the central public works department (CPWD) for the cancelled technical institute.

Utkal advertised to admit 60 students each for B.Tech in electronics & communication engineering, computer science & engineering (CSE) and electrical & electronics engineering branches. Besides, it had invited applications for 30 seats of M.Tech in computer science engineering. The university had announced to take B.Tech students by giving weightage to Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE), GD and personal interview. For M.Tech, however, the university had announced to conduct its own exam.

The Syndicate, the apex decision making body of the varsity, during a special session on May 29 had given its go ahead for the proposed institiute. A section of faculty members questioned as to how the syndicate and the chancellor's (governor's) office allowed the college in the first place without seeking required approval from the relevant departments.

Some faculty members said the government scuttled the varsity's move bowing before the pressure from private engineering institutes.

"The private colleges pressurized the government arguing that when their seats are lying vacant, the varsity should not open a new college. However, the varsity seats would not have fallen vacant and the move would have given financial strength to Utkal. AICTE approval was a non-issue as the varsity would have got it easily. The VC himself is an AICTE member."

A professor at Utkal University

Private engineering institutes said Utkal should not have planned an engineering college.

"When seats in most colleges remain vacant, it seems illogical why the university should open an engineering college. Moreover, the government last year agreed to a proposal from the private colleges that no new engineering college will be given permission to open in the next 5 years."

Binod Dash, General Secretary, Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA)