: The 245-odd students from the three colleges imparting B. Tech architecture course again find themselves at the crossroads, as the government has not yet passed a GO, asking JNTU-K to take the colleges under its fold.
The students from the Varaha College of Planning and Architecture located at Narava in Visakhapatnam, MRK College of Architecture in Bhimavaram and SAR College of Architecture at Agiripally in Krishna District have been fighting a bitter battle with the college management and the authorities concerned in the government, ever since the Hyderabad-based Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) had de-affiliated the colleges through an order in November 2015.
All the three colleges were under JNAFAU, but post bifurcation, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education had de-affiliated them.
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The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) had promised to re-affiliate the colleges under JNTU-Kakinada, but so far no order to that effect had been passed. Vice-Chancellor of JNTU-K Prof. V.S.S. Kumar pointed out that the university cannot extend its affiliation without a formal government order, despite its willingness.
“This has put us in a fix. We are already behind one semester and the second one is approaching. We have already lost a year,” said Zoya Farookh, a fourth-year student.
The students fear that they are losing out heavily on the internship aspect.
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Internship
As per the norms, all fourth year students have to undergo a minimum of 8 to 12 months of internship. But due to the government’s inaction, the internship period has come down to about five months. “Reputed firms do not accept internship for five months. We now have to settle down for local firms, that too if the government takes a decision in the next one month,” said a student.
“My dream of doing internship in a reputed firm in Dubai was shattered, because of the delay in re-affiliating the college,” lamented Zoya.
The students feel that the State government was neither firm in dealing with its Telangana counterpart, as completing the tenure of affiliation was obligatory as laid down in the AP Reorganisation Act, nor had it been proactive in re-affiliating the colleges under JNTU-K.
“We are also unhappy with the management of the colleges as they have not taken the issue seriously,” said Mr. Farookh, a parent.
My dream of doing internship in a reputed firm in Dubai has been shattered because of the delay in re-affiliating the college
Zoya Farookh
Student