The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Petro varsity students’ fate hangs in balance

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Sunday, Jun 21, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Petro varsity students’ fate hangs in balance

B.V.S. Bhaskar

Campus at Rajanagaram closed as per court directive to UGC

UGC has put UPES in the list of un-recognised colleges
Parents, students agitating in front of office of the varsity

Rajahmundry: Future of the second and third year students of University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in Rajahmundry now hangs in the balance as the UPES main campus in Dehra Dun asked the engineering stream to pack up.

The future of the institution itself is in doubt as the UGC has put UPES in the list of un-recognised college as per the direction of the Chennai High court. UGC also asked it to stop admissions for the present academic year and held last two years admissions as null and void if the university campus runs in Rajahmundry which has no recognition.

Chaos

There was utter chaos on the Rajanagaram GIET College campus where Petro University has been functioning. Parents and students of second and third year agitated in front of the administrative office of the university. However, MP Vundavalli Arun Kumar and MLC K.V.V. Satyanarayana Raju (Chairtanya Raju) of GIET Engineering College, said they would bring back the university in other form, but were tight-lipped on the second and third year students’ future.

The university was established on August 20, 2007 with the permission from the State Higher Education and approval from UGC as ‘Off-campus of Dehra Dun’s UPES’. Admissions were made in 2007-08 according to AIEEE ranks. First year intake was around 265 students in engineering and in 2008-09 the number had gone up to 400. There are some 50 teaching staff in the university and most of them are part-timers.

Mr. Rajan, one of the administrative members, said, “UGC has given approval and NAAC also given recognition. Suddenly UPES was listed in UGC’s un-recognised colleges and Dehra Dun main campus people have packed up the centre overnight. Now we are facing the irate students and parents”.

Bringing the petro university in other form as private university by passing a bill in the Assembly and other methods of damage control is secondary. But what will be the future of second and third year students is now a million dollar question.

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