5 new engineering colleges to set up shop in TN, one near Kovai

COIMBATORE: Five engineering institutions in the state and two in Puducherry have got approval, and they will most probably start functioning from the coming academic year, even as three existing ones will close down. Across the country, 152 engineering and architecture institutions have been given the green signal.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in New Delhi on Monday after the Supreme Court recently gave it back powers over technical institutions.For a year, these institutions were governed by the University Grants Commission. UGC had said it would not approve any new institution for this academic year as the country had seen a proliferation of engineering colleges. However, TOI has learnt that AICTE had decided to reverse UGC's decision.
Sources said among those approved are Jayaram Engineering College at Gummidipoondi, Narayana Guru Engineering College at Kanyakumari, Venkateswara and Raak engineering colleges at Puducherry, Indian Institute of Crop Technology at Thanjavur, PSG Engineering College at Neelambur near Coimbatore and a Government College of Engineering at Bodinayakanur, near Madurai.
These can start functioning this academic year itself if they obtain the required approvals from Anna University. AICTE officials refused to name the three institutions which are being allowed to close down. They can close down after obtaining the No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the government.
AICTE's policy to approve new institutions has been a widely criticised issue. Critics say that with several new colleges allowed to start in the country during the past few years, unemployment among engineering graduates is on the rise and students are not coming forward to study engineering. "Several engineering institutions in the state are facing huge losses and even planning to close down. Thousands of seats are going vacant in technical institutions. In this situation there is no need for new technical institutions," said E Balagurusamy, former vice chancellor of Anna University (Chennai).
However AICTE chairman, S S Mantha believes that institutions which provide quality education will survive. "Those institutions which are unable to provide the required quality will close down. There is no point in complaining about them. With more youngsters, we need more institutions," he said.