Correcting technology of Tech University

A few decades ago in a verdict at the High Court, Justice PA Chowdary said, “The health of the health university requires attention. Now it is time to declare that the technology of the technology university is suspect.” In any event a part of it comes from the statement of the Advocate General who said that the university is lacking in manpower and infrastructure to monitor the activities of all technical universities.

It is no longer a conceived secret that the JNTU is on a near war-path with the managements of majority engineering colleges in Telangana. Citizen – state conflict is not perceived as part of constitutional governance. The mushrooming of multiple engineering colleges without a proper perspective on need has perhaps led to the paradoxical scenario. There has been a logjam between the JNTU and the managements of engineering colleges ever since the new state was formed.

It is rumoured in certain quarters that the managements of many engineering colleges are predominantly in the hands of persons belonging to Andhra Pradesh and therefore the government of Telangana prefers the strict scrutiny test. This however may be more uncharitable than deserving. We must not lose sight of the fact that even colleges managed by political bigwigs of Telangana who have suffered the guillotine.

In the preceding academic year, the JNTU staged a coup-de-tat and got the managements of various colleges running for judicial interference. It took the Delhi Adalat to step in and rein in the warring groups. Now the JNTU is into action yet again where the managements are up in arms in pressing the calling bells of the High Court. In a verdict adjudicating the powers of the JNTU, Justice A Ramalingeshwara Rao faulted the university.

In a quick summary of repeated reiterations of the law on the subject as laid down by the Apex Court, Justice Ramalingeshwara Rao said that the repository area of the University that grants affiliation and thereby the degrees is restricted to eligibility of students for admissions, conduct of examinations, the manner in which the prescribed courses should be completed and to see that the conditions imposed by the NCTE or AICTE are compiled with.

The immediate controversy relates to the university finding that the engineering colleges were not just flouting AICTE norms but was doing it so brazenly and with impunity. Those who have a nodding acquaintance with the system would react with the expression ‘and not without cause’. There is near unanimity that falling standards and accountability are plaguing the system.

Faculty and infrastructure in many engineering colleges are suspect. The question however is not about how the engineering colleges are running. The question of far more import and impact is as to “how the statutory authorities under the University Act are”. It is relevant to quote Justice Ramalingeshwara Rao.

He said, “I have to observe that this order or this type of orders cannot be treated as a carte blanche to the private institutions, who do not fulfil the minimum requirements of infrastructure and academic standards. The university has to be blamed for this situation.

The university did not care to quote proper power for making regulations and it quoted the provisions of repealed law as pointed as above. It did not point out any lapses on the institutions when a copy seeking approval from AICTE was forwarded by the institutions.”

The closure of many institutions – colleges at the instance of the university, industries at the instance of banks, commercial organisations at the instance of civic authorities spells alarming signals. This could well lead to another brewing Greek tragedy. Beware or bemoan.

By L Ravichander