The Puducherry State University Bill has been sent for the approval of President Pratibha Patil. After the President gives her assent, the territorial administration will initiate steps to set up the university.
“With the Bill being passed in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly, we had sent it to the Union Ministry for Human Resource Development for clearance. The Bill is now waiting for the President’s assent,” Public Works Minister M.O.H.F. Shahjahan, who also holds the Collegiate Education portfolio, told The Hindu.
As soon as the university gets the necessary clearance, the Minister said the first round of work would include selection and appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.
“We have already appointed a search committee to look into the selection of the Vice-Chancellor. Soon after appointing a Vice-Chancellor, we will be recruiting other officials, including the Registrar. We are planning to take one building at Kanchi Mamunivar Centre for Post Graduate Studies for the university,” Mr. Shahjahan added. To start with, a few courses will be launched by the university. It will take up affiliation of institutions, he mentioned.
Demand for technical varsity
Meanwhile, a demand to upgrade the Pondicherry Engineering College (PEC) to Pondicherry Technological University has come up. Official sources said the college, which was established in 1985, could be upgraded into a technological university under Puducherry State University Act expected soon. The PEC, which has a total of eight B.Tech branches and nine M.Tech programmes, has also applied for permanent affiliation to Pondicherry University. “If the technological university is approved, the PEC will become autonomous and be able to start new courses, with proportionate increase in seats. All B.Tech courses have been accredited by the National Board of Accreditation. We are in the process of going in for accreditation for the post-graduate courses,” official sources said.
Authorities of the college felt that the PEC, which was denied the National Institute of Technology status, should be granted the university status owing to “good” academic and placement records over the years. Soon, a proposal towards this will be submitted to the government, they noted.
