Will OU Beat The Deadline

Will OU Beat The Deadline
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Highlights

Will OU Beat The Deadline, Osmania University in Hyderabad, TEQIP Programme. An initial grant of Rs two crore was released and this grant has to be utilised before December 2013, so that the institute will be eligible for Rs 10 crore as the final grant as per the programme. As things stand, not even Rs 1 crore has been spent.

An initial grant of Rs two crore was released and this grant has to be utilised before December 2013, so that the institute will be eligible for Rs 10 crore as the final grant as per the programme. As things stand, not even Rs 1 crore has been spent.

With hardly two months left and more than a crore to spend for fellowships and study tours, it looks like University College of Engineering, Osmania University in Hyderabad might lose the eligibility for funds under Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) scheme.

TEQIP is a World Bank assisted project to improve the quality of technical education system in the country. TEQIP is a long term programme of 10-12 years and is implemented in two or three phases. The aim of this programme is to upscale and improve quality of technical education and enhance existing capacities of the institutions. So that they become dynamic, demand driven, quality conscious, efficient and forward looking, responsive to rapid economic and technological developments, occurring both at national and international levels.

Phase I of TEQIP programme was launched in the year 2004. Twenty colleges were picked from the state as part of the project, with University College of Engineering College, OU being one of them. A grant of Rs 10 crore was released. TEQIP phase-I had the following objectives: Promotion of academic excellence, networking of institutions for quality enhancement and resource sharing, enhancing quality and reach of services to community and economy and system management capacity improvement. The phase - I of TEQIP was implemented in 13 states which covered 127 institutions including 18 centrally funded institutions. It became effective in March 2003 and was completed on March 31, 2009. University College of Engineering College, OU was among the 20 institutes from the state and a grant of Rs 10 crore was utilised for construction of new laboratories, procuring new equipment, procuring new furniture etc.

The second phase of TEQIP was launched in 2010 with the objectives being introduction of new courses, emphasis on research, fellowships for students etc. An initial grant of Rs 2 crore was released and this grant has to be utilised before December 2013, so that the institute will be eligible for Rs 10 crore as the final grant as per the programme. As things stand, not even Rs 1 crore has been spent. Few are alleging that lack of planning is the prime reason and they are sceptical of the authorities meeting the deadline.

“There has been a delay in utilising the funds under TEQIP. We have utilised nearly half of the funds disbursed to provide fellowships for students and for study tours. The delay is due to some of the rules under the scheme and moreover, though phase II was launched in 2010, we received the funds only by the end of 2012,” said VSS Kumar, principal, University College of Engineering, OU.

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