Varsity’s nod to banned course

Academicians have expressed surprise at the haste with which the varsity has given the go ahead for the course. The approval letter should have been sent to the Department of Technical Education (DTE), which regulates the engineering admissions through a centralised system, or straight to the state government’s concerned department, they felt. Last year, citing inadequate space and poor infrastructure the university had denied RGIT permission to start this course following a report by its LocalInquiry Committee (LIC) that had visited the college and recommended a ban on the course. It was accepted by the state government. The college approached the Bombay High Court seeking a stay against the ban. The high court in its order on October 22, 1997 upheld the university’s decision not to grant permission.

The RGIT Principal Dr B K Kolhe claimed the ban was only due to the time factor. “It was quite late to start the admission process,” he said.Following the high court order the All India Council for Technical Education too withdrew approval to the computer engineering course. Meanwhile, the DTE itself has sought the state government’s guidance in the matter, when RGIT approached DTE following varsity’s approval this year.

When contacted for details on Friday, the Pro-Vice Chancellor could not locate the `relevant files’. However, the additional chief secretary R C Iyer was more forthcoming. “As of today, we have not given them any permission as they do not have AICTE’s approval.”

Allowingthe admissions for 1998-99, the Mumbai University has stipulated that the intake for the course be cut down from 60 to 40 and the classes be held temporarily in the present premises, which the LIC last year had found inadequate for the course. The varsity’s approval was on the condition that the institute will enhance its infrastructure and provide additional space.“Once the classes begin, the students will be the ultimate losers unable to move out in the middle of a course and stuck in a college with poor infrastructure,” critics pointed out.

Meanwhile, on Friday the Mumbai University issued a letter to the Higher and Technical Education Department of the state government requesting banning admissions to all courses at Rajaram Shinde College of Engineering in Chiplun. Also, the varsity has recommended the closure of electrical branch at Indira Gandhi College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai and that the students’ intake in the remaining branches be cut by half from this academic year.