Evening engg classes go dark as Telangana govt sits on permission

Despite AICTE approval for evening engineering and diploma programmes, the Telangana government has not permitted private colleges to offer them, leaving hundreds of working professionals disappointed. While Osmania University College of Engineering continues to run courses, other colleges await clearance.

Hyderabad: Evening classes went dark in Telangana as the State government has not approved private colleges to offer engineering and diploma for working professionals. This is depriving working professionals of earning a diploma or engineering degree, without the need for leaving their job, for promotion or increment, and better career opportunities.

This comes at a time when the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved undergraduate and diploma in engineering programmes for several private engineering colleges to be offered this academic year.

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The officials and private college managements pointed out that allowing the programmes will not burden the government finances as the fee reimbursement is not extended to such students.

Now, this issue has left hundreds of working professionals frustrated, and there is demand from them to offer these programmes. In fact, a large number of ECIL employees recently approached the State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET) to offer diploma programmes for candidates with ITI certificates.

Similarly, some employees of a defence establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently visited a private engineering college seeking admission to the electrical engineering programme.

However, they had to return disappointed after the college turned down their request citing lack of permission from the State government.

Previously, the AICTE permitted 12 engineering colleges in the State to offer engineering courses – CSE, AI and ML, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering for working professionals during the academic year 2023-24.

While Osmania University College of Engineering (OUCE) commenced courses, 11 colleges did not receive a nod from the State government.

In the following academic year, four private engineering colleges, including CBIT, Stanley Engineering College for Women, Methodist College of Engineering and Technology and Matrusri Engineering College were allowed to run the programmes. Presently, only OUCE is offering engineering programmes for working professionals.

“There is huge demand for evening engineering programmes among the working professionals. We ran only one batch, which had a large number of DRDO employees in the electrical engineering programme. Earning an engineering degree will aid them in promotions and better career opportunities. Despite there being no impact on the State’s finances, the government has not approved,” lamented an owner of a private engineering college.

According to the SBTET sources, the Board will seek approval from the government to introduce diploma programmes for working professionals with ITI certificates in government polytechnics from the next academic year.