No affiliation to TOMS college from next academic year

The executive committee of the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University which met here on Thursday decided not to renew the affiliation to the TOMS College of Engineering, Mattakkara, from the academic year 2017-18.

The decision followed a discussion on the report prepared by the university’s three-member committee that, on January 3, probed the allegations raised by the students of the college. The committee had recommended withdrawal of the affiliation given to the college. Earlier, a two-member committee of the university led by registrar G.P. Padmakumar had also recommended withdrawal of affiliation.

AICTE to be informed

It was decided to report the matter to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). A final decision on cancelling the affiliation would be taken based on the response from the apex body.

Meantime, the executive committee resolved that any student wishing to move out of the college would be welcome to do so. For this, it was decided to relax the KTU norm that inter-college transfers could be effected only during semesters three and five.

No need for NOC

It was also decided that students moving out of TOMS would not have to get an NOC from the college. Normally, students would have to get no-objection certificates from both colleges.

The executive committee also debated the issue of accommodating 210 students of the college when the AICTE agreed on cancellation of affiliation.

Options

A committee member told The Hindu that the most viable options were to shift the students to either the Amal Jyothi College of Engineering or to the Cochin College of Engineering, Valancherry. “The management of Amal Jyothi does not seem prepared to take on board students from TOMS. The vice chancellor (VC) may talk to the management on this. The problem with Cochin college is that it does not have enough facilities for existing students themselves. This is a problem that we would have to work out,” he explained.