Mumbai’s VJTI to get new boys’, girls’ hostels, faculty posts to be filled

Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), one of the country’s oldest government engineering institutes, is set to get new hostels for boys and girls

Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), one of the country’s oldest government engineering institutes, is set to get new hostels for boys and girls, while the Maharashtra government is also expected to approve the recruitment of vacant faculty posts at the institute, officials said.

Established in 1887, VJTI is the oldest engineering college in the city. (wikipedia)

The decisions were taken during a review meeting chaired by higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday to discuss various pending proposals related to VJTI.

The government has approved the proposal to construct new hostels for boys and girls, keeping in mind the increasing number of students at the institute, which was established in 1887. The government has also assured that the proposal to fill vacant posts at VJTI will be approved within a week.

The development comes nearly two months after students at the institute raised concerns over the poor condition of the existing hostel facilities. Students had complained about the quality and condition of hostel rooms and said the problems were affecting their academic life.

The recruitment decision is also significant as VJTI has faced faculty vacancies. In a faculty recruitment process in 2023, the institute had advertised 19 vacant teaching posts, including two professor posts, one associate professor post and 16 assistant professor posts across various engineering and science disciplines. The latest government decision will allow the institute to move ahead with filling its vacant sanctioned posts.

During Tuesday’s meeting, a presentation was made on the faculty positions required at VJTI. The minister directed officials to speed up the recruitment process, keeping in mind the academic and administrative requirements of the institute.

VJTI has also sought the status of an autonomous university. The institute has been asked to submit the required proposal to the state government for further consideration.

VJTI has a long history of technical education and has played an important role in the industrial development of Maharashtra and the country. It is among the oldest technical education institutes in India and has contributed to engineering education and skilled manpower for decades.

The institute currently has around 5,000 students enrolled in diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.