CAPE colleges perform well in B.TEch exams

THIRUVNANTHAPURAM

In the B.Tech. examinations held by the Cochin University of Science and Technology in 2017, engineering colleges under CAPE (Cooperative Academy of Professional Education) returned a creditable performance cornering 34 of the 79 ranks published, Minister for Cooperation, Devaswom and Tourism Kadakampally Surendrran told a press conference here on Tuesday.

The Perumon Engineering College secured 15 ranks including a second rank. The engineering colleges at Kidangoor and Thalssery bagged seven ranks each. The engineering college at Thrikkarippur bagged three ranks, he said.

Each CAPE college conducted a review meeting each semester to find ways to enhance teaching and learning standards. In addition to this, the CAPE director used to chair a monthly review meeting. Five CAPE colleges received ₹10 crore each under a World Bank scheme. Of this, ₹30 crore was used to set up laboratories and other infrastructure. Teachers from CAPE colleges took part in training programmes within the country and abroad. A scheme was put in place to identify students with problems and special remedial coaching was given to them, he said.

CAPE has been given directions to elevate all its colleges to centres of excellence by 2020. For this, ₹185 crore will be received from KIIFB??. This year onwards the merit seats in CAPE colleges have been increased from 50 % to 60%. As much s 10% of the seats have been reserved for children of employees in the cooperative sector. There has been an increase in the M.Tech. merit seats.

The fee for B.Tech. courses has been brought down to ₹12,000. The fee for sponsored seats has been brought down to ₹20,000. It has been decided not to collect liquidated damages from those students who are forced to leave the course because they did not get the required credits specified by the KTU??, he said. In the job fair held at the Punnapra engineering college last year 40 companies took part and 300 students received jobs. In December 2017 it has been decided to organise an even bigger job fair, Mr. Surendran said.

A project has been drawn up to ensure research in the engineering sector. In addition to working on projects funded by the Centre and State, students are also working on projects under the Punarjani scheme of the State government, he added.

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