Impact of Self Finance Degree Engineering Colleges Opened in Gujarat.

Few years back there were only limited engineering college, almost all were either Govt. colleges or Govt. Aided. In Gujarat 7 colleges were admitting students for degree in Engineering. Students secured below 60% marks never imagined getting admission. Generally, the results of colleges used to be good since almost all students were above average. There was compatibility between job available and trained engineers produced. Practically, no graduate students from Gujarat were found to be unemployed.
Due to faster industrialization, huge projects like Narmada etc. bound to have engineers from adjacent states in addition to those from Gujarat. This entails rural students to go to admit and for south state to receive engineering degree. Those who were left out in want of choice field from admission also found this route an easier way to obtain degree, however institutions of South India especially those in Karnataka and Maharashtra found booty in this business and starts serving their admissions in Gujarat to admit students in their college by charging huge amount as Capitation Fee.
This process estimates a huge sum going out of Gujarat every year which resulted in took up initially by some of the trusts to open up new Self Financed colleges in Gujarat. The problem started in 1996-97 to 2000 and few institutes opened during 1996-97 or so which found facilitating technical education to degree seekers of Gujarat. AICTE , New Delhi laid regulatory unthrifty under Ministry of Human Resources found this as shifting of their responsibility of providing technical education at no burden on its own budget and hence encouraged offering such institutions by making a provision of 25% of seats as management Seat.
The beginning of all evil started here management quota was meant to provide benefits to the local students which subsequently become a source of generating income for the institutions. It is true that institution once established should be given opportunity to grow and under some pretext a sizable income should be generated by the institutes to sustain its growth. Government wants to transfer all its social responsibility of providing higher and technical education to masses without providing any sort of funds which is completely unfair but on the other side provide institution should be allowed to charge a reasonable amount mutually decided for management seats.
The condition would be the Fee Committee (Shah Committee) may be asked to decide the fee for management quota also so that both sides are justified and growth of an institution is not adversely affected. Once this fee becomes transparent other may practiced linked with approval through AICTE, GTB and DTE etc. will automatically come to an end. Presently lot of mal practices is noticed at various levels at AICTE, Delhi, Central Zone Office of AICTE Bhopal, GTU and DTE etc.
Secondly, and more importantly the permission to run the institute should be closely monitored by the state Government, linking intake will the jobs generates in the state and centre in Government as well as private seats. The institution must be allowed to be opened in balanced manner. The norms fixed by AICTE, DTE and GTU must be adhered by all the institutes. Number of institutes are manipulating the norms e.g. according to norms a qualified principal must be available in the college, on the name of non availability many institutions are avoiding his appointments just to save money. But the standard of college deteriorate , some other they will employ one for one week time during AICTE inspection , pay him lump sum amount and relieve him once the inspection is over. Such practices are adversely affecting the standard of education and institution by itself.
Salaries of faculty members and staff are really not as decided by AICTE and DTE. No efforts have so far been made either by AICTE, GTU or DTE to monitor this or make such a structure so that muddle exploitation is avoided throughout the state.
It is said that Faculty Members and Laboratory facilities included with Library are the pillars of good institution who’s the navigator (Principal) knows how to manage the institute to get lust quality of Engineers. Thus principal, Faculty, Labs and rich Library are very important elements of a good college. Where as self financed colleges try to run institution without principal with average type of faculty members, cheapest equipments in labs and cheapest journal and books in library. Except sub standard engineer what can be produced with such a situation. An institution must run like a plank of knowledge and not like a shop or business, where all decision is driven leased on economy.
In order that good engineers are produced in engineering college of Gujarat, it is necessary that Government appoints a monitoring committee of professional and retired principals / professors of engineering college mainly Govt. which are authorized to monitor all admissions under management quota and fee for management quota seats are decided by Shah Committee suggested earlier.

By
Prof. Joshi