Decision on JU evening engineering courses today

Kolkata: Jadavpur University on Friday will decide on the fate of its evening engineering courses for working professionals. Started three decades ago, it has had few takers since All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) de-recognised the courses in 2020.

The courses had been introduced to allow a large number of professionals to pursue their engineering dreams. But following AICTE move, the university engineering department feels it does not make sense to continue with the courses.

JU has five-year B Tech evening programmes for civil engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. JU had the AICTE recognition till 2019-20 academic year for evening courses and admissions were conducted through JELET which used to conducted by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Board. But that stopped after Covid when the university began conducting the tests itself.

JU pro-VC Chiranjeeb Bhattacharjee said, “There is a mismatch between AICTE prescribed norms and existing structure of these evening courses. The board of studies of different disciplines sent their inputs and the decision will be taken after discussing it. But, students’ interest will be top priority.”

An official said there is a huge difference in terms of value of pass certificate between AICTE-approved courses and a certificate issued without AICTE nod. “In the latter, students will face a challenge when they try to land a job,” he said.

There is also a mismatch between contact hours and credit points as in evening courses, classes are held for three hours for five days, which is 15 hours a week, while AICTE norms say classes should be held in normal day timing or seven hours per day for five days a week.