E-Paper
Vying for CFTI tag: PEC makes strong pitch to come under central aegis
Punjab Engineering College (PEC) had sent a proposal in July to UT administration for tis upgrade to CFTI
With Punjab Engineering College (PEC) still eying to get a centrally-funded technical institute (CFTI) tag, the institute director on Wednesday made a presentation in presence of UT adviser Dharam Pal.
The institute had sent a proposal in July to UT administration for the upgradation of PEC to CFTI. UT adviser Dharam Pal was guest of honour at the foundation day celebration of the institute on Wednesday.
Hargunjit Kaur, secretary industries, Chandigarh Administration and Amandeep Singh Bhatti, additional secretary, Technical Education were also present.
The proposals to convert PEC into a CFTI were sent to UT administration during the past years as well. PEC has not seen any major infrastructure revamp in recent years and getting a tag of CFTI is considered a game changer for the institution. PEC will become an institution of national importance and its funding will be more liberal.
Incase it gets CFTI tag, PEC will be governed by the Council of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) and will come directly under the Union ministry of education.
PEC director Baldev Setia, who made the presentation, said that conversion of PEC into a CFTI will add to its brand value, give more financial autonomy, enhance research outcomes both quantitatively and qualitatively and above all increase its global presence. “There are numerous schemes of central government for which we are not eligible right now but if we get the CFTI tag we will also be able to take those benefits,” he said. PEC offers eight undergraduate programmes and almost 15 postgraduate programmes, besides PhD programmes in various disciplines of engineering, science and others fields.
The institution became a deemed university in 2003. Being one of the oldest engineering institutes in the country, it is said that the college was closer to getting an IIT tag in the late 1950s when many IITs were established.
Former director of PEC, Dheeraj Sanghi, had also made a presentation for CFTI tag to the institute in October 2020 before resigning from the post later that year.
