According to news reports, the academics has become a casualty in the National Institute of Technology as a consequence of mismanagement. The mess in the institution of national importance is causing anguish to the student fraternity. They are facing burning issues like inadequate hostel accommodation, lack of minimum laboratory facilities and even problems in academic matters. Unfortunately there is no grievance redressal mechanism that could help the aggrieved. The NIT’s controls being elsewhere, the voice of the aggrieved invariably goes unheard. With the result there is no reform in the functioning of the institution resulting in a steady simmering discontent. This was not the case when institute was under the control of state government under the name and style of Regional Engineering College. The reports suggest that authorities are allegedly discouraging RND schemes and many already approved research projects have been shelved. This is a very serious issue which merits attention. In the recent past complaints have been  sent to ministry of Human Resources Development and even to the Board Of Governors alleging therein inordinate delay in publication of the list of candidates selected for the M Phil and PhD programmes and demanded release of the same to end the agony of the aspirants. All is not well with the institute. There is a total chaos in the Institute as the faculty and management appear to be at loggerheads. The students have been lamenting that in absence of adequate infrastructure in their labs and class rooms they are not in a position to study. And in absence of a grievance redressal mechanism they are feeling increasingly disenchanted and dissatisfied with their Alma mater. Dearth of faculty in different departments, partial implementation of 6th Central Pay Commission recommendations and the alleged misbehaviour with senior academics by the authorities are the other sources of discontent. This is no way a healthy development for the institution which in its REC form had been credited with producing some brilliant and outstanding engineers. The NIT has been in news for quite some time now only for wrong reasons. Incidents of academic and administrative failure have surfaced from the Institute from time to time, particularly after it was renamed as NIT from   Engineering College. The situation as has been obtaining there calls for some radical treatment. Addressing the issues like providing adequate hostel, lab and class room facilities as also providing sufficient number of teachers should receive the priority attention of the powers that be if they want it to prosper and become a centre of excellence. It is therefore imperative to have an academic and management audit done so that the deficiencies are pinpointed and corrective measures taken. Some local administrative authority needs to be involved in serving as a watchdog for the institution instead of exercising remote control mechanism of command and control. This would go a long way in bringing in reformation in the functioning of the institution where the problems facing academics and students are taken care of.  There can be no two opinions about the importance of getting the campus accommodation meant for students and presently under the possession of Para militaries vacated and restored to the students so that they have the necessary congenial atmosphere for studies. The Board of Governors or BoG is understood to have asked the state government to find alternate accommodation for the troops so that they are relocated. It is a decision in right direction and should augur well for the NIT. The BoG after having an interaction with the students, faculty and the administration should be in a position to take all the corrective steps to put the NIT back on rails and seek an end to the messy situation.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST