Publication of research papers by the faculty and students, and admission of meritorious students in that particular college will decide the group in which the college may find its place apart from infrastructure, faculty, placements, and students' performance in annual exams and GATE scores achieved.
The three-member committee constituted by the government to study engineering education scenario in the State expressed the opinion that colleges should be categorised into groups based on their quality and performance. The report recommended that each college be evaluated on a 1,000 point scale with maximum points allocated for infrastructure (150), faculty (150) and teaching-learning modes (150).
Recommendations
However, some interesting recommendations were made to gauge the popularity of the college and it felt choice of top rankers and ‘OC' category students should be taken into consideration. It allocated 75 points for number of seats filled and how popular they were among the open category students. Similarly, number of research projects taken by the college and research papers published by the faculty will have 75 points. Points have also been suggested for consultancy services, and seminars and workshops organised by the college.
“Every college can create infrastructure and use available teaching-learning modes. The real difference among good and average colleges depends on how the meritorious students are opting for them and how research is being promoted,” an official said. He reminded that quality of institutions at international level is gauged by its research contribution to the society. “If colleges don't promote research, it will be a loss for both — the students and colleges,” he said.
Students' performance
Other criteria suggested for placing a college in the top group include how their students perform in the annual exams (100 points). The pass percentage in first year has 40 marks indicating how serious the college has to be about its fresh students. Placements and GATE scores (100 points) play a key role. Placements of the last three years have 50 points, GATE score 20 points and 10 points will be for GATE qualified admitted students in their PG courses.
Colleges' quality is also be judged by the students with more than 75 per cent attendance and this particular aspect has 40 points. Similarly, 20 points are earmarked for industry training of students and 20 points for student seminars. Accreditation by NBA (100 points). Student amenities such as hostels also decide the fate of colleges.
Interestingly, while top colleges are for grouping, several other managements are strongly opposing it. In fact, they made their displeasure very clear to the government on several occasions.
But academics feel that unless colleges are not graded, quality will continue to suffer.
