Odisha HRD

Development Action Plan for University College of Engineering (UCE), Burla 

UCE, Burla established on 12^th August 1956, is one of the oldest engineering institutes in the country. Although it has had it’s own years of glory and repute, it appears to have faded out of the list of institutional rankings and consequently out of the top choices of students at the B.Tech level. Plus, it doesn’t appear to have incorporated Masters, Doctorate and Research level programmes that would have added to it’s institutional maturity over the years and helped it grow into a national centre of excellence. Also, the College which could have played the role of a vibrant Partner to the State Government in fostering the growth of industrialisation and technical education across Orissa has not actualised. It may be the oldest engineering institute without a strong culture of corporate endorsements and chairs. 

The reasons for the afore-mentioned decline can always be examined and analysed. An attempt has been made to capture some of the key reasons in brief: 

1) Disadvantaged geographic location

2) Lack of a concrete vision and growth plan for the institution; both at the level of Government and at the level of the College – This has led to paucity of budgets, personnel, academic staffs, industry collaborations, etc.

3) Very often, it is noticed that there needs to be a champion to make an institute reach it’s true potential. In the case of UCE Burla, it has not been able to find a true champion and leader.

4) The entrance examination for many institutes / services adds to a substantive part of it’s glamour and helps in mainstreaming it. For example, much of the charm of the IITs lies in it’s entrance examination. Similarly, a lot of prestige is accrued to the IAS / IPS by virtue of it’s selection process only. With the separation of NIT, Rourkela from the State JEE, the said examination is shorn of much of it’s value and fails in attracting the brightest of students to even apply for the same.

5) The world of modern academics has become fairly competitive and institutions are having to innovate and respond quickly if they are to offer new courses, attract the best students, faculties and best corporates in it’s placement process. Probably, the current structure whereby UCE, Burla is a mere constituent entity of BPUT may not be the best model to meet the challenges of the new academic era. It has been noticed that there have been references to BPUT and Department of Industries for certain approvals pertaining to UCE, Burla and the matter has been dealt within the Department in a most conventional and conservative manner as if it is a typical administrative subject. The necessary urgency and understanding in light of modern academic evolution appears to have been missing. 

In this context, the following recommendations are submitted for kind consideration: 

1) A team may be constituted under the chairpersonship of Secretary, Industries and membership of Director, IIT Kharagpur; Director, Technical Education; Managing Director, IDCO and Managing Director, IPICOL. This team may be mandated to spend a week or two on the campus of UCE, Burla wherein intensive consultations shall be done with the alumni, students, faculties and eminent invitees to chalk out a concrete vision and a 10 year growth plan for UCE, Burla.

2) The different stakeholders that include the Government, students, alumni bodies, etc. may not be apprehensive in attempting something drastically new and innovative if UCE, Burla is to regain it’s pre-eminence. Different institutional models may be tried out, different sources of funding may be explored and PPP approaches may be welcomed as part of the revival strategy. Difficulties in undertaking necessary policy or statutory level changes may not be avoided. One of the major challenges for UCE, Burla is to increase it’s national level visibility for which certain new and strategic steps need to be taken up. 
 

Of late, there has been a growing demand by the students and alumni community of UCE, Burla for according the status of a Unitary University to the College. It is of some interest to examine whether the status of a Unitary University would be preferable over that of Deemed University. Some of the observations on the same matter are enclosed beneath for kind perusal: 

1) The process of obtaining Deemed University status appears to take an inordinately long period of time. Applications for the same are pending since the last 04 – 05 years. This would not be the case with Unitary University. 

2) The application for Deemed University is considered at the discretion of Ministry of HRD, Government of India which has circulated a set of guidelines for the same. It is heard from sources that getting the approval of MoHRD may be a cumbersome process entailing politicking and networking at the appropriate levels. This would not be the case with Unitary University. 

3) Besides, it is noticed that most Deemed Universities are either private universities (example KIIT) or centrally funded institutes (IITs, NITs, IISc). There are probably no state funded deemed universities now. IIITs are deemed universities; but they are either centrally funded (IIIT Allahabad) or PPP based (IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Bangalore, etc.) and are not fully state funded. In the context of UCE, Burla which is completely state funded there appears to be no parallel in the list of already approved Deemed Universities.  

However, some Deemed Universities do get UGC funding (example BITS, Pilani) while most do not. It is not clear who gets and who does not get and the reasons for the same. Hence, there appears to be no surety of getting UGC funding if UCE, Burla were to be made a Deemed University. Perhaps, this is the reason why Bengal Engineering & Science University (BESU) which acquired a Deemed University status in 1992 changed it’s status to a State Unitary University in 2004.

4) Vis-à-vis a constituent College of BPUT, the status of Unitary State University may offer a window of opportunity for claiming UGC funding. A State University is eligible for UGC funding provided it gets the “fitness for grant” under 12B status as under UGC (Amendment) Act 1972, UGC (Fitness of Certain Universities for Grants) Rules 1975 and UGC (Fitness of Technological Universities for Grants) Rules 1978. 

Currently, BPUT does not receive any UGC funding as it does not have the 12B status. UCE, Burla may receive some funding to the tune of a few lakh Rupees as an autonomous college.  However, as a Unitary University with 12B status, it becomes eligible for proper UGC funding. The onus will, of course, be on the Vice-Chancellor to dynamically work towards getting the 12B status. 

5) Vis-à-vis a constituent College of BPUT, the status of a University may be preferable if the College is to attract a top-notch visionary as it’s leader. A reputed professional may like to join the establishment as a “Vice-Chancellor” rather than as a “Principal”. A “Vice-Chancellor” occupies a status senior to Principal Secretaries to Government in the State Government’s table of precedence. Example of that of BPUT, which has been able to attract personalities like Professor Damodar Acharya and Professor Omkar Nath Mohanty as Vice-Chancellors whereas the same persons may be unwilling to join as Principal of UCE, Burla. However, this depends more on the personal motivation of the concerned individual who may not be conscious of these status related aspects. 

6) One of the serious attempts may be of making UCE, Burla as an Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST) in the long-run (since IIT and NIT may not be possible). The chances of it being accorded the status of an IIEST appear to be very remote at the moment. For this to happen, UCE will have to first become a much improved entity with University status along with more budget, improved infrastructures and strengthened faculties. This process may be initiated at the earliest and the State Government may make a strong pitch to GoI for according IIEST status so that the same can be achieved over the next 02 – 03 years. The Unitary University status in this context may help as the Deemed University status may take a lot longer to happen. Most important however is the launching of a concrete development action plan for UCE, Burla. Case studies are Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh which have launched comprehensive sectoral strategies for enhancing quality of technical education and also individual selected institute level development plans. The Maharashtra Government has engaged Tata Consultancy Services to assist in it’s initiatives. 

For granting IIEST status, the Central Government constituted the Anandakrishnan Committee that submitted a report in 2006 on the transformation of selected technical institutions into a new system of institutes of national importance. The features of this model are that it is an institute of national importance formed by an Act of Parliament with a nomenclature, Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST). All IIESTs will together constitute a new system of institutions in technical education, developed by transforming promising existing technological institutions. It’s governance system will be comparable to that of the IITs, including a Common Council for all IIESTs. It’s policies for admissions of students and appointment of faculty and staff will be analogous to those of the IITs. It should possess adequate space for development of facilities. It’s primary source of financial support will be the MoHRD, Government of India. 

The Anandakrishnan Committee recommended five institutions on the basis of academic achievements, infrastructure and governance system for upgradation to IIESTs – 1) Bengal Engineering and Science University 2) Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University 3) Cochin University of Science and Technology 4) College of Engineering, Andhra University 5) University College of Engineering & Technology, Osmania University; provided the institutions at Varanasi, Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam are delinked from their respective parent universities.

The engineering and technology departments of Jadavpur University and the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University were rejected for IIEST status as both the institutions have constraints of spatial reconfiguration of existing engineering and technology departments into a contiguous and identifiable institutional entity. However, considering their academic merit, a one-time support of Rs. 50 crore each was recommended to enable engineering & technology departments of the Universities to develop into specific Centres of Excellence. 

Considering the above parameters for upgradation to IIESTs (which appears to be the next best long-term option for UCE since upgradation to an IIT is not possible), it needs to be delinked from it’s existing parent university and substantive attention needs to be given to improving it’s academics, infrastructure and governance systems. With all of these pre-conditions met, the State Government will be in a position to propose for the candidature of UCE, Burla as an IIEST. 

In this context, UCE may have to be delinked from BPUT and posed for the status of a Unitary University.  

7) It may be accepted that there are very few Unitary Engineering State Universities across India. BPUT, etc. don’t count in the said list as they are not unitary in nature. Perhaps, the only three State Unitary Engineering Universities are University of Roorkee, Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) and Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). While Roorkee was the first technical university, then a state university later upgraded to an IIT; the other two have been approved for upgradation to IIESTs. 

There are, of course, many quality engineering colleges that are not standalone or Unitary Universities. But, the track record of the three afore-mentioned establishments in getting themselves upgraded in future to IIT / IIEST is one worth noting. Hence, it appears logical that the student community of UCE, Burla is claiming for State Unitary Engineering University if UCE is to be on a later date posed for upgradation to the status of an IIT / NIT / IIEST. 

If not anything else, the accordance of State Unitary Engineering University to UCE, Burla may draw national level visibility and attention which is otherwise sorely missing. 

8) There are certain caveats though along with the opportunities that a Unitary University may present: 

• A mere change of status may not mean an improved institution.
• Obtaining the 12B status for UGC funding is an arduous task requiring concerted efforts by all stakeholders. But, it will pressurise UCE, Burla to create new academic programmes, improve it’s faculty strength, augment it’s infrastructure and streamline it’s governance system.
• The Government of Orissa must be open to substantially increase funding and also make a pro-active attempt to foster PPPs within UCE, Burla so as to make it a top-notch technical university in the country. Till date, there is a noticeable absence of any State Government attempt to involve the private sector in a meaningful manner for the development of UCE, Burla.
• A lot depends on the dynamism exhibited by the Vice-Chancellor under the new structure. Young MBAs and engineers with a passion for institutional growth and technical education sector may be appointed as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) with negotiated remuneration and on tenure basis to give shape to the vision and development plan.
• Any adverse impact on BPUT due to the separation of UCE, Burla may actually be a boon in disguise; the separation move may catalyse BPUT to implement and establish it’s own graduate / post-graduate programmes along with the originally planned 05 research centres.

 

9) The Government of India and the National Knowledge Commission have a vision of more number of universities and greater UGC funding. Shri Sam Pitroda, Chairman of National Knowledge Commission during his last visit to Bhubaneswar in the early part of 2008 said that a provision of Rs. 7,000 crore has been made in the XIth Plan to incentivise State Governments for creating and expanding more numbers of institutions of higher learning by providing a grant up to one third of the capital cost of such expansion or establishment of new institutions. Besides, the Central Government shall also share 50% of the expenses to be incurred on strengthening existing universities so as to get eligibility for 12B recognition under UGC Act. 

To be able to leverage these funds of the Central Government, the Unitary University status for UCE, Burla may help. 

10) Today’s academic world is also one of collaborations and tie-ups. If UCE, Burla is to forge partnerships with other international universities (U2U) or with corporate houses (U2B), the status of a University would help in the same. A Harvard University would more likely tie up with another University rather than a mere constituent College. Same is the case if UCE, Burla wishes to tie up with engineering giants like Siemens for transfer of modern technology and it’s applications. Becoming a University would accord the necessary flexibility, independence and social status to UCE for forging partnerships and alliances. 

10) The location of greenfield IIT in Bhubaneswar appears to have caused some unhappiness in Western Orissa which may be mitigated by quickly declaring UCE, Burla as an independent State University. 

11) In concluding, there appears to be no significant negative in making UCE, Burla a Unitary State University, but there appears to be a stream of huge potential benefits if it is accorded the said status and is made to embark upon a time-bound and well-concerted development action plan.