Frustrated and pained over being denied permission to appear for campus interviews being conducted by a reputed MNC, hundreds of students pursing the five-year integrated B.Tech plus M.Tech. dual degree programme at Andhra University College of Engineering (AUCE) along with their parents staged a dharna on the college premises on Friday.
The students and their parents were bearing the pain of being treated as ‘second class’ citizens in the college. In the latest incident, the college students were not allowed initially to appear for the written test conducted by the MNC. However, after intervention by the college authorities, all the 94 students were allowed to take the test, but surprisingly they were declared failed.
Since morning the students, including many girls, gathered in front of the Principal’s office and raised slogans. The students and their parents said not only the MNC that was conducting interviews at present, but many major companies were not considering them. “Then why should we study the course by paying the fee in lakhs of rupees?” they asked.
“Many companies were not aware of the B.Tech. plus M.Tech. degree and why should AU assure us of placement during campus interviews? We have preferred AU to other reputed colleges,” said the parents.
Principal P.S. Avadhani failed to pacify the students with his explanation that it was the prerogative of the companies.
V-C’s assurance Later, Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju came to the college and talked to the students and their parents, who let out their anger and anguish. He spoke to them for more than an hour and assured them of no discrimination and said the administration would help the students. He felt that the students were misguided by apprehensions expressed by a few.
Prof. Raju kept his cool all through and assured the students of resolving all the problems. Any student or parent could come to him directly, he said. However, there were some issues that had to be addressed, the Prof. Raju admitted.
