ICFAI University does not need AICTE approval: VC

By PRABEER SIKDAR

DEHRADUN, 26 May 2009: Professor Prabhakar Anant Kulkarni, VC of ICFAI University, Dehradun, who is in the eye of the storm following the varsity’s BTech students (848) demanding AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) recognition of their courses, is pretty much acquainted with the latter’s working.

“Previously, I worked as AICTE’s Western Region member for 10 years,” Kulkarni told Garhwal Post, while appealing to the agitating students to join classes.

Speaking exclusively to Garhwal Post, Kulkarni said that following their agitation since 27 March, the students had fallen behind their academic schedule by 4 weeks. “All semesters should have ended by 27 April,” he said, reasoning that final year BTech students (about 70 in Biotechnology, Electronics and Computer Science) had appeared for their final year exam today.

The agitation also forced the varsity to postpone its semester exams for Ist and 2nd year, which were scheduled for 13-14 May. “If normalcy returns, we are ready to reschedule our academic calendar. The management is even ready to hold extra-classes to complete the remaining syllabus in 18-20 days before holding their exam,” he added.

Interestingly, and quite inexplicably, while on the one hand, while final year BTech students took their exam today, their juniors chose to continue their agitation near the Assembly. “Some of the agitating ICFAI students have become tools in the hands of opportunists,” the VC alleged.

“If their agitation had merit, then the final year BTech students would not have appeared for their exam today.”

Affiliation issue

Answering an issue, which was raised by the agitating students (See Garhwal Post story, published yesterday), Kulkarni said that Section 8 (r) of The ICFAI University Act, 2003 had wrongly mentioned the word ‘AICTE’ after and. “The word ‘covered’ does not mean affiliation from AICTE,” he said, adding that ‘had the lawmakers intended the University seek affiliation from AICTE, they would have clearly mentioned it in the Act itself’.

“Section 8 (r) is in conformity with sec 22 of the UGC Act, which prescribes the nomenclature of the degrees that can be given by a university. But AICTE, with no such nomenclature, was wrongly inserted in the 2003 ICFAI Act.”

Admission wrangle

On the other issue of ICFAI’s plan to give admission to students from ICFAI’s other independent institutions based in Bangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad, etc., he said the 2003 ICFAI Act permitted them to do so. “Section 8 (u) permits us to admit students from other institutions,” he said, clarifying that in 2005, following the closure of Rai University, ICFAI Academic Council had given admission to 4 of its students in Dehradun.

(However, when contacted for his opinion, Kaushelendra Singh, ICFAI Student Union leader said, “As per law, transfer of students can take place from one UGC recognized university to another UGC recognized university.” According to him, ICFAI BTech students of Doon would suffer if others are allowed in as it would affect quality of teaching…)

On the question of whose responsibility it was to see whether ICFAI University, Dehradun conformed to the AICTE norms or not, the VC stated that their Board of Governors and Board of Management included nominees of the government/UGC.

“While, in the ICFAI Board of Management, the state government can nominate one Principal Secretary/ Secretary to the state government, Higher Education, for the Board of Governors, the UGC has already nominated Prof Ashish Dutta. Similarly, the State Governor has also nominated two members –Mrs Brar (Welham Girls Principal) and Shalendu Neogi (ex-Director GAIL),” he asserted, adding that in case of any requirements they are authorised to bring it to the notice of the University.

NAAC rating

Kulkarni emphasised that in view of the importance of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) ratings among employers, ICFAI University, Dehradun ‘is planning to apply for it’. “In 2/3 months time, we would be applying for NAAC ratings for all the courses of the varsity,” he said, adding that being an autonomous body of UGC, for NAAC ratings, a prior existence of five years for a varsity ‘is mandated’.

“Apart from this, ICFAI University, Dehradun has also been accorded provisional membership to the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). In due course, we would become a full-fledged AIU member,” he said.

http://www.garhwalpost.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=Dehradun&article=1184