Fate of 30 MCA students hangs in balance

By K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI, JULY 18. The future of 30 MCA students of 1999-2000 batch in a college near Chennai hangs in balance, because of the lethargy of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The Council had approved the MCA course offered by the Ponnmanam Institute of Management Studies and Computer Application (PIMSCA) at Vanagaram near here for 1998-99, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, but refused approval for 1999-2000. Students, who joined the institute in the year, are now being barred from writing the university examination. The university's contention is that it could not conduct examination for a course not approved by the AICTE.

Affected students say that during admission, the Institute claimed to have AICTE approval and in their anxiety to join the course, they paid heavy capitation fee besides course fee. ``After completing three semesters we are being barred from the fourth semester examination. We got hall tickets for this examination and even completed the practicals,'' they add.

For 1999-2000, the AICTE did not grant approval due to certain deficiencies found during inspection. However, in the subsequent year, approval was given after the deficiencies were set right.

The management told the students that the AICTE inspection for 1999 was delayed and done only in 2000. Therefore, the approval was meant for the two years. However, the approval was granted only for 2000-2001 and so it was an omission on the AICTE's part. It secured court orders to enable the students to write the I, II and III semester examinations. The management informed the students that it had planned to again appeal to the AICTE and, if needed, seek legal remedy.

Distraught students and parents have been running from the State Directorate of Technical Education to the Higher Education Secretary's office and the CM's secretariat. They met the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, who directed the officials to take `immediate action'.

``But it all rests with the AICTE, which only can grant approval now,'' they say. It is nearly a month since they have sent letters and fax messages to the AICTE Delhi office, seeking either approval for continuing the course or redistribution to other approved institutions. But there was no reply.

When contacted, the AICTE's southern regional office, Director, Dr. N. K. Kole said the Council, as a policy, did not accord post-facto approval. Even then, any decision could be taken only in the Delhi office. He could only forward the complaint to the Delhi.

Repeated attempts by this newspaper to reach Prof. Gaud, Advisor in charge of granting approvals for institutions and Prof.R.S. Nirjar, Chairman of the AICTE, were to no avail.

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Section  : Southern States
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