Engineering colleges in state - up for sale!

Hyderabad: It is almost final. The heyday of private engineering colleges seems to be over with the latest harsh realities they are facing. With massive number of seats remaining vacant coupled with the raids of the Task Force teams, many colleges have decided to close down.

According to unofficial estimates, more than 100 institutions, which are mainly in second tier towns, have been staring at the grim reality of closure by next academic year.

Two rounds of counselling for convener quota seats did not yield impressive results. Same is the case with a number of colleges with regard to filling up of their quota seats. Out of a total of 3.4 lakh engineering seats in the state, nearly two lakh seats have remained unfilled according to top officials of Higher Education department.

It might be recalled, as many as 23 colleges have recorded zero admissions, six colleges have just one student, twenty colleges have 8 students each, 27 colleges have 16 each, another 27 colleges have 25 each and 18 have less than 50 students etc.

The State Higher Education Council (APSHEC) has directed all colleges to submit report on joinings by this Wednesday. Less than ten colleges have reported that just five out of their allotted sixty students have taken admission while more than 125 colleges learnt to have informed that their admission record was abysmally low, i.e. less than 40-50.

Colleges which recorded few admissions are in a dilemma whether to conduct classes or make arrangements with nearby colleges. The chain colleges may have no problem as they can adjust students from among their branches.

The remaining colleges have been facing a very precarious situation of either to close down or send students to nearby colleges for classes and exams by making an agreement with them. Of course, the students have to write exams in the name of the colleges they have actually taken admission in.

Last year, as many as 120 colleges had faced this awkward situation which urged the APSCHE to cancel all their admissions. Students faced a tough time and by the turn of the academic year, they themselves opted for some other college and left.

This time, the number of colleges having poor admissions is said to be double than last year and it remains to be seen how many colleges would opt for cancellation of admissions

To run a college comfortably with proper returns, it requires at least 60% of seats filled up. That means, out of a total 240 seats in a college, a minimum of 100 out of 168 seats under convener quota have to be filled up.

But a majority of rural colleges find no takers and some could not even get more than 25-40 students. Colleges situated at and in the suburbs of major cities i.e. Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Vizag, Guntur, Warangal and Nellore have been doing a little better but the situation of remote colleges is rather pathetic, according to sources.

Leave alone profits, some managements have even expressed readiness to sell off their colleges if any buyers come forward. With no takers for their colleges, they are unable to repay bank loans and meet the salary bill.

If the situation continues, there is every possibility to land in debt trap, they fear. Hence they want to get rid of these loss-making institutions, which are, according to estimates, numbering nearly 50 out of total of 720. Almost all of these fifty colleges were started in the last four five years, it is said.

Observers blame lack of government control over engineering institutions which has led to this situation. 'Government has neglected monitoring of engineering education for the past several years.

As a result, the standards have taken a nosedive and virtually there was no teaching at all at several colleges. It is the responsibility of the government to see that every student is imparted qualitative education. Government shall take control of colleges and ensure this' Lakshmaiah, General Secretary of SFI felt.

But the managements found fault with the government's alleged lack of seriousness on admissions which led to this situation. 'The prolonged litigation on fee hike, reimbursement issues forced many students go out of the state and join in colleges in adjoining states and other deemed universities.

If this trend continues, no doubt 100 to 200 colleges may have to be closed down by next year' Nimmaturi Ramesh, president of Consortium of Professional Private Engineering College Managements, warned.