E-Paper
Vrat goes beyond UPTU failure rate
WHEN PROF Prem Vrat, new vice-chancellor (VC) of UP Technical University (UPTU), started analysing why as many as 37.4 per cent students in Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharma) had failed in their first year, he discovered one of the reasons that is halting UPTU?s march to the top.
Pvt colleges behind poor show
WHEN PROF Prem Vrat, new vice-chancellor (VC) of UP Technical University (UPTU), started analysing why as many as 37.4 per cent students in Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharma) had failed in their first year, he discovered one of the reasons that is halting UPTU’s march to the top.
For along with B Pharma, he got the details about the situation in other streams too.
A high number of students — 17.45 per cent — he gathered had failed in their B Tech too! What’s more, of these merely 9.43 per cent students were those who had taken the UP State Engineering Entrance (UPSEE) exam to qualify for admission. A whopping 90.57 per cent of the failed students were those who got admitted through the management quota.
In simpler terms, what this means is that despite government orders not to make any direct admissions through the management quota, several private engineering/technical colleges in the state were still admitting students without their having taken the UPSEE. The reasons for that are not far to seek. As the poor results indicated, several colleges, unmindful of the quality of students, kept on admitting the non-deserving lot for a price taking the excuse of management quota. Result? As many as 975 students of the 2004 batch (I year) who had failed to clear their papers, despite chances to redeem themselves through the back and the special papers, have been asked not to continue with their course. And if you add another 5.97 per cent II year students of 2004 batch who have been asked not to continue the course, the figure becomes abnormally large.
“That’s a shockingly high number of failed students,” the V-C, known for bringing about a turnaround in IIT-Roorkee’s fortunes, gasped. The rate of failed students was the lowest (1.75 per cent) in MBA followed by MCA with 6.48 per cent. The V-C has now decided to focus on the problem areas that are impeding the varsity’s progress. He has asked all the first year students who have just entered the UPTU fold, to sign an ‘honour clause’.
“The clause is a set of rules that we expect a student to follow during their stay with us. Quality is of paramount concern,” he explained. To make it clear that he means business Prof Vrat has also sent a letter to all directors on the Teacher’s Day. The letter, after greeting them on the occasion, urges the directors to delve into the reasons for the high rate of students either failing in their first year or taking back paper exams among other things. Varsity insiders say the new V-C has set about the task of streamlining things in UPTU. “He has been in IITs for 44 years, conducted a record 35 PhDs under him and transformed the fortunes of those IITs where he was associated. He truly means to bring about a change,” an official said.
