Govt Moots Academic Autonomy to CET

The State Government has decided to sanction academic autonomy to the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) from next session for better functioning of the institution.

The State Government has decided to sanction academic autonomy to the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) from next session for better functioning of the institution.

While the autonomy is likely to be granted in July 2014, the college authorities are pressing for complete autonomy which is akin to a university status.

CET principal SP Mohanty said though academic autonomy is a progressive step, the college needed complete autonomy to function better. If the college gets university status, besides getting a free hand in its administration, the college will be entitled for more grants.

Earlier this year, the State Government had enhanced student intake of CET to 390 but the college’s existing infrastructure and faculty position are not in commensurate with the seat-strength augmentation.

The college had 64 sanctioned teaching positions which was woefully short of the requirement.

The Employment and Technical Education and Training (ETET) Department recently sanctioned 83 teaching posts to deal with the intake hike but the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), which is mandated with conducting the recruitments, has not floated the advertisement till date.

The college currently receives financial support from the World Bank. But the support would cease if it fails to attain complete autonomy within two years of receiving the funds.

According to WB rules, the colleges that receive its funding need to have managerial, financial and academic autonomy.

Funds apart, infrastructure has been another problem for CET as the college has taken a building on rent to accommodate first year students. If additional classrooms are not constructed before next session, the students will face major problems, Mohanty said.

Even the spending limits of the principal and the faculties of CET is very less but the Government has assured that the statute governing the expenditure limits will be amended soon.

A senior college official suggested that if the State Government was unsure if the CET can handle autonomy, it can be done on an experimental basis.

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