Esteemed Sir,
It is highly encouraging that Islamic University of Science and Technology is now becoming first choice of students in Kashmir for higher studies, as the varsity had taken various steps for uplift of academics. While this is important, but the university suffers from some severe structural issues, which I would like to bring to your kind notice by this open letter, as there is always scope for improvement.
Before going into detail, I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to innumerable engineering students of polytechnic college for insisting me to write extensively on the matter. I have been receiving number of emails from students of your college of engineering, and it is not possible to acknowledge their names in this open letter. In view of that, most of their grievances have been incorporated in this open letter. I hope you will spare time from your busy schedule to go through this open letter.
In the beginning, the students who were enrolled inUniversity Polytechnic College were jubilant to see their selection at IUST.However, later the students regret their decision for joining such programmes,because the University put all of them in a lurch. Students believe their trystwith University was marred with tragedies from the day of enrollment.
The Polytechnic Engineering College, which was set up in 2012 academic session at IUST is yet to get a permanent building causing inconvenience to students. In 2012, the NC-Congress regime had approved Government Polytechnic Engineering Colleges for every district and had directed the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination (JK-BOPEE) to conduct the entrance examination.
While filling up the seats during counselling session, the JK-BOPEE had filled up 180 seats for every constituent college, except for Government Polytechnic College Pulwama, which was later handed over to IUST Awantipora to run the college under its norms, as Government found it difficult to establish a proper campus due to large public outrage, as large number of locals in district Pulwama had demanded that the polytechnic college should be established in their respective areas.
The IUST authorities later advertised the admission notification from office of the Registrar IUST, for admission to various polytechnic engineering programmes, in School of Engineering and Technology with the intake capacity of 60 students per branch. After successfully conducting the entrance examination, 40 seats got filled up under Open Merit category and 20 under the self-finance quota, in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering branches respectively.
The first batch of 2012 academic session was shifted to pre-fabricated and tin made sheds to attend the day-long lectures, instead of providing them accommodation in a regular building; this despite receiving INR 16,000 (Sixteen Thousand) from every student as a first semester fee; those admitted under self-financed category have paid INR 84,000 (Eighty four Thousand) admission fee, for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering branches, and 1.2 lakh for Civil Engineering branch respectively.
The 2013 batch of your University Polytechnic Engineering College, demanded that their fee structure should be same as that of other Government Polytechnic Colleges. Later the University authorities revised the fee structure in sync with other Government Polytechnic Colleges running in the state.
But irony is that before the change in fee structure, the University authorities used to provide laboratories for practicals, browsing center for e-learning, and former Hon’ble Vice Chancellor had promised them to provide accommodation in building, but the Polytechnic students don’t get such facilities from past more than four years. Various times the concerned students approached the former Hon’ble Vice Chancellor and your good office too, with this plea to accommodate the students in some regular building, but all in vain
Some years back, when the team of All India Council forTechnical Education (AICTE) arrived in the campus for inspection, all thestudents were shifted to School of Technology Building in Academic Block-2.Later the students were made to attend their classes again in the sheds.
After establishing Polytechnic College in IUST Campus, the state government and Technical Education Department had allotted a huge chunk of money for upgrading the building and other infrastructure for Government Polytechnic College Pulwama, but still diploma engineering students are taking classes in CGI & bamboo made sheds.
In 2017 academic session the IUST had advertised tender notice namely “Construction of Polytechnic College block IUST Campus Awantipora” vide E-NIT No: IUST/EW/CVL/17/TEND/POLY/04 dated 09-01-2017, later this tender notice was cancelled due to some administrative reasons vide Notification No: IUST/EW/CVL/17/76 Dated: 07-03-2017.
After that IUST had re-advertised a notification from office of the Superintending Engineer IUST , inviting e-tenders on behalf of Hon’ble Vice Chancellor IUST, for electrification of Government Polytechnic College near police station Awantipora, under estimated cost of INR 66,00, 000 under E-NIT NO: IUST/EW/18/ TEND/ ELE/POLY/08 Dated:02-07-2018. This puts every stakeholder in a great dilemma, why University Polytechnic College has been thrown out from main campus to other site, which is 2 Kms away from main campus?
Sir, I visited the campus on 09-01-2018. I was strained tosee that some officials were mounting the sign boards in Academic Block-2 likePoly lecture hall 01, 02, to 08, also setting up the sign boards on all labs,dedicated to polytechnic engineering college, to catching the attention. When Iconfirmed from an university official, whether the Diploma engineeringdepartment had been allotted a building, the response was utterly shocking. Shereplied,”It is only for 4 days, as some officials are visiting the campus”.
While the University has been moving from strength tostrength, but the staff behavior at times, according to some students, leaves alot to be desired. The university employees must know they are working in aPublic institution runs on students’ money. They must know students need to betreated in a dignified manner.
Sir, the Polytechnic College at IUST was meant to expand theavenues and enhance the technical education programmes in this state, but itremains mired in procedural and bureaucratic problems.
The students now are caught in this antiquated maze of an exclusivistadministrative mindset. A large number of students who belong to poor andmiddle class families are doing Diploma engineering programs. They can’t gooutside state and choose some reputed institute. My observations tell me thatthere are certain things that need rectification through proper means.
One, the IUST authorities are not interesting in running thepolytechnic college, as the lack of interest leads to this failure that can’tbe deciphered easily. Reason second is that there is a network of officials,who want to make their job task sophisticated and concentrated that theirprincipal becomes: No body except us should be able to understand and deal withpolytechnic college. Third reason is that, the college is running through asingle window system. Irony is that ever since none of the official deputed atpolytechnic college didn’t ever utter a single word, regarding such academicfailure.
It is therefore incumbent upon you to undertake periodicreview of academics at your engineering college and make it more vibrant. YourHon’ble Excellency must know this that there are a number of negative andunacceptable consequences of this administrative failure. However, somethingneeds to be conveyed to general public from your good office, what was thelogic behind to shift Diploma classes to Academic block-2, during wintervacations? I hope your excellency will bring back the University polytechnic onright track.
Yours
Shah Khalid
(The author is a freelancer, having a Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication & Electrical Engineering from IUST Awantipora)