Engineering studies: High costs keep poor students away, says AICTE chairman

The AICTE, a regulatory body for technical institution, is now looking to reduce the cost of higher education in engineering colleges across the country to make it accessible to poor students

Lucknow: Why are a large number of seats vacant in engineering colleges? The reason is not the poor quality of education in some institutes but also the high fees charged that “prevents poor students from taking admission,” Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). said here on Monday.

Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, chairman of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was conferred the honor of D Sc (Honoris Causa) at the 15th convocation of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University on Tuesday. Governor Ram Naik (left) and AKTU VC Vinay Pathak (right) are also seen in the picture. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

The AICTE, a regulatory body for technical institution, is now looking to reduce the cost of higher education in engineering colleges across the country to make it accessible to poor students.

Throwing light on the changes being introduced by the government for engineering colleges, Prof Sahasrabudhe said engineering students will undergo yoga sessions in morning, join group discussions in the afternoon and have fun and recreation the evening. Students will follow this new schedule for three weeks after admission in engineering colleges, as a part of their induction programme, he elaborated.

Speaking on Monday at a dinner to mark the 15th convocation of the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University on Tuesday, the AICTE chairman said, “Many a time students come from different regions. They speak different languages. And when teachers start teaching them in English, they find themselves at a loss. To help students strike a rapport with teachers, AICTE has decided to start this induction course.”

“Instead of heading straight to the class after taking admission, the new entrants will be encouraged to mingle with each other. Teachers will also be involved so that they may also know the students better,” he said.

Likewise, newly recruited teachers will only be confirmed in their jobs after they compulsorily complete six months’ faculty training programme. “Normally, it is the MTech pass out students who become teachers. But they may not have teaching skills. In this training course, they will be taught how to teach in class,” Prof Sahasrabudhe added.

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