NEW DELHI: Thousands of engineering degree holders from distance mode, who were asked by the Supreme Court in November last year to reappear in an examination to revalidate their degrees, many of them from southern states, are now demanding an intervention by the Prime Minister and the President in the matter.
The Apex Court in November, 2017 while hearing a case on the validity of engineering programme offered via correspondence from four deemed universities had said that engineering degrees granted through correspondence secured from 2001 onwards were invalid.
The universities included JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Rajasthan, Allahabad Agricultural Institute and Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation in Tamil Nadu.
The court, while asked students who took admission between 2001 and 2005 to revive their degree by undergoing a fresh examination by the All India Council for Technical Education, those who passed out after 2005 were offered no such option.
The engineering graduates, who passed out between 2001-2005 are however contending that it will be “practically impossible” to write and clear the examination over 10 years after completing their course and the order has thrown their lives out of gear as their jobs are at stakes.
Though nobody knows the exact number, AICTE estimates that about 2 lakh of such degree holders will have to take the test—registration for which is to be done by February 5—to get their degrees re-approved.
“We are about 85,000 of us from JRN Vidyapeeth alone and at wit’s end as the order has brought a tsunami of sorts in our lives,” said Vasudevan T from Chennai who did his aeronautical engineering from JRN.
“It was only after two year into the course that we realised that the programme we were pursuing was in distance mode as we were doing regular class room course with even practicals. It was fault on the part of the institute and the University Grants Commission for which we are being penalised now,” he said.
Another graduate from the university who works in an IT form said that “Most of the students who are being asked to reappear for the test are into mid 30s and settled with families.
“It is ridiculous and ironical that we have been thrown in such a situation now—even our employments will be jeopardised if the degrees are cancelled. So we want top government functionaries—PM and the president to look into the issue with empathy,” he said.
A group of such students has sought time with the PM and is also looking to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court after their review petition was dismissed by the Court recently.