Daijiworld Media Network: Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 9: Between 2016 and 2018, 128 engineering institutes downed their shutters in India. Of these, five colleges were from Karnataka.
According to the data by HRD Ministry, Telangana topped the list with 26 engineering colleges being shut in the state. This was followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, both having 14 colleges shut, closely followed by Uttar Pradesh with 13, Tamil Nadu with 12 and Maharashtra with 11. The Ministry also added that All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has not received any new proposals to start engineering colleges.
According to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), the five Karnataka engineering colleges which are winding down their operations are Nandi Institute of Technology, Prassanna College, PNS Institute of Technology, Yellamma Dasappa Institute Technology and Sri Vidya Vinayaka Institute of Technology.
VTU vice-chancellor Karisiddappa told media that the closure was due to insufficient enrollment in the recent years. Also, unlike earlier, Karnataka does not have a large number of students opting for science in PU, he points out.
Meanwhile, HS Nagaraj, who has served on the board of directors of several engineering colleges, said Karnataka was a leader when it came to privatizing engineering colleges. This attracted students from other states. However, in the recent years, engineering colleges started mushrooming across India, and their number dwindled.
He also points to a shift in the courses, students are opting. Unlike earlier, where many preferred technical courses, the trend has shifted towards commerce and management.
Former AICTE chairperson R Natarajan cites placement opportunities was the reason why engineering colleges were popular. However, enrollment is affected as industries are cutting ties with low-quality colleges. He also stresses the need to keep up with the times and change the engineering programmes offered. “Newer programmes like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning need to be brought in,” he said.