‘Good faculty, more laboratories needed’

It’s not just the question of AICTE approvals which bothers the students pursuing BTech courses in Delhi University colleges. Their courses do not match the standards of other prestigious AICTE-approved technical institutes; and their colleges lack teachers, classrooms and good laboratory facilities, the students say.

“The issue of AICTE approval and upgrading of course content and quality of teaching go hand in hand and that’s the reason we are raising the issue of AICTE approval.

We know that unless DU colleges match the standards prescribed by AICTE, they will not get recognition from the technical regulator,” says Piyush Panwar, who is pursuing a BTech in computer science.

“Students doing BSc (honours) in computer science have better course content than us. This four-year B Tech programme is a complete farce and if our syllabus is not updated for our remaining five semesters, we will have to do another course from some other technical institute to upgrade our skills.,” says Panwar.

Rahul Upadhyay, his batchmate, says “The syllabus is not well-designed and structured. What we study in the third semester is being taught in the sixth and seventh semesters of AICTE-approved institutes. Similarly, topics they have already covered will be taught to us in our last semesters. ”

“In the absence of AICTE approval, we can’t apply for government jobs and go for higher education. On the other hand, lack of good teaching will let us down during placement in good private companies,” he says.

However, professors and principals of various colleges dismiss these allegations. “The whole syllabus and teaching standard is excellent and at par with any best technical institute of the country,” says S K Garg, principal, Deen Dayal Upadhyay College.

Many BTech students are in the meanwhile looking for alternate academic options.

Nikita Khanna, a student of computer science, says “Besides my B Tech course, I am preparing for an MBA entrance exam so that if I do not get a valid BTech degree I will have something to fall back on.”