Students from the three architecture colleges in the State, which are affiliated to the Hyderabad-based Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), first found themselves at cross roads when JNAFAU had de-affiliated the colleges through a notice served on November 24, 2015, and now they are in a dilemma when Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) has asked them to give an NOC (no objection certificate) for pooling the colleges under the JNTU-Kakinada fold.
Some 245 students from the three colleges of Varaha College of Planning and Architecture located at Narava in Visakhapatnam, MRK College of Architecture in Bhimavaram in West Godavari and SAR College of Architecture at Agiripally in Krishna district, are in a dilemma on whether they should get re-affiliated to JNTU-Kakinada, midway through the five-year course, or ask JNAFAU to complete the term of affiliation, as prescribed under the AP Reorganisation Bill.
Appeal rejected
After the students raised a hue and cry, their case was taken up by the APSCHE with the Telangana counterpart, but it appears that the appeal was rejected against the spirit of the AP Reorganisation Bill, by the Telangana government. Basing on the rejection, APSCHE has now come forward to secure an NOC from the students so that the colleges can be re-affiliated to JNTU-K. “This we consider as a meek surrender. Instead of taking up the fight with the Telanagana government, APSCHE is seeking backdoor entry,” said a student from SAR College of Architecture.
“We have already lost about four months in the de-affiliation process. The semester that was to be held in January this year was not held so far. We demand that JNAFAU take care of at least the fourth and final year students and the students who have already completed and have just one or two subjects as backlogs. We have already lost considerable time and we have submitted our internals to JNAFAU. Because of the delay we will not be able to join any PG programme this year,” said a final year student.
“We request JNAFAU and the Telangana government not to play with our future and hold the examinations for the final year and those who have finished the five-year term and have backlogs, so that they can take up higher studies without losing a year,” pointed out another student.
However, another section of students feels that the AP government taking up the case with the Telangana counterpart will delay the process further. “It is better that we go with APSCHE and sign the NOC to join the JNTU-K fold.
Brand image
“It is true that JNAFAU has a brand image and we all enrolled into the course, as our colleges were affiliated to JNAFAU. But now that the Telangana government has gone back on the bill, we feel that JNTU-K is an immediate solution,” said a student from Varaha College of Planning and Architecture.
It is learnt the students are discussing to arrive at a common consensus and a few are even contemplating knocking the doors of the court.
Till date the website of JNAFAU continue to show the three colleges from AP as its affiliated colleges and sources in the college say that the college is interested in carrying on with the affiliation for the next couple of years, but an order from the Telangana government to that effect is needed, which is not forthcoming.
