JNTU disaffiliates 807 courses

Hyderabad: In a major blow to private engineering and pharmacy colleges in Telangana, 807 BTech courses of the 839 in 143 engineering colleges have been disaffiliated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad for 2014-2015 academic year on Saturday.

Similarly, out of the eight B Pharmacy programmes offered in integrated campuses, seven programmes have been disaffiliated for 2014-2015 academic year. The courses were disaffiliated by the University citing major deficiencies in the colleges as per inspection reports submitted by the expert committee.

Only 32 courses in 20 BTech Colleges were granted affiliation as they satisfy the All Indian Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University norms. The university officials said that Pharmacy Council of India has been communicated to take necessary action against the colleges.

The decision to disaffiliate courses comes in wake of the inspection report submitted by the expert committee. It may be mentioned here that 163 colleges were denied admissions by the University citing lack of facilities. The Colleges, which approached the Supreme Court, got some relief. The apex court directed the JNTU-H to hold counselling and admissions for the colleges. It also said that admissions will be subject to the re-inspection by an expert committee and fulfilment of the University/ AICTE/ PCI norms.

The JNTU-H constituted committee with experts drawn from the Indian Institute of Technology, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad for inspection such as built up area, qualified faculty as per faculty-student ratio, library, laboratory and related equipments, and availability of computers in the private engineering and pharmacy colleges.

“There are gross violations of norms by the colleges. They do not have proper faculty, infrastructure. It observed that several colleges do not pay salaries to the faculty members. The Apex Court directed the university to inform university’s decision to the colleges. We will submit compliance report to the court,” said NV Ramana Rao, Registrar, JNTU-H.

Rao said that the University inspected these colleges for the academic year 2012-13 and 2013-14 and found several deficiencies and the same was communicated to the colleges. “Pursuant to that colleges submitted an undertaking stating that they would rectify the deficiencies pointed by the University and also further stated in the undertaking that if the deficiencies are not rectified, the University is at liberty to cancel the affiliation without any notice,” he added.

When asked what would be fate of students studying in 143 colleges, Ramana Rao said, “A few students have taken admissions during second counselling. The court has asked to intimate the students about the university decision and refund money. As such there is no obligation, but if required we will relocate the students provided if they have no objection certificate.”

With respect to BTech and B Pharmacy courses of II, III, IV year, the university directed the colleges to rectify the major deficiencies particularly faculty and laboratory equipments etc within 45 days. “If colleges do not satisfy the norms laid by the AICTE and university in the stipulated time, all the colleges will be de-affiliated,” N V Ramana Rao informed.

On the issue of criminal cases filed on 16 colleges for showing fraudulent faulty for purpose of affiliation, the university has decided to withhold the affiliation for six colleges (which satisfied the university norms) till the outcome of the police investigation.

By:Yuvraj Akula