Engineering colleges planning to increase their intake or start new branches will have to wait for a year with the University Grants Commission (UGC) deciding to put a moratorium on establishing new colleges, branches or adding seats for a year.
The UGC decision will also be applicable to the management colleges. It means no new college will come up in the 2014-15 academic year in the country. The decision apparently is to balance the intake in the colleges rather than a few colleges benefiting, and was approved by the UGC at its recent meeting.
The large number of leftover seats in both engineering and management streams also prompted the UGC to take this action. Figures available with the Commission revealed that there are no takers for 20 to 30 per cent of the total engineering intake in the country while the vacancy is 30 per cent for the management colleges.
When enquired, UGC officials confirmed that all pending applications for new colleges and additional intake have been put on hold. “Only north-east States have filled up majority of seats in both the streams while the situation is different in other parts of the country. More so, in South India where vacant seats are massive,” revealed Prof. D.N. Reddy, Member, UGC Commission.
Prof. Reddy said Supreme Court has also directed that permission process be completed before April 30 every year. Since there is hardly any time left for calling for fresh applications and approval, we decided to freeze admissions and new intake for the year, he said.
The Supreme Court ruling on April 30, 2013 that AICTE doesn’t have any authority over the universities or colleges with regard to courses also contributed to the decision. After the UGC was entrusted with the functioning of AICTE by the HRD Ministry, a three member committee was constituted with Prof. DN. Reddy, Prof. Dhande and Prof. Ansari to frame the guidelines.
The committee has submitted its report and the MHRD has approved the panel’s report adopting the new guidelines.
