CS urged to recognise Murthal varsity’s course

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 9

Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology (DCRUST), Murthal, started an engineering course without mandatory approval from the statutory bodies and closed it three years later, leaving those who pursued it high and dry.

Following an appeal under the RTI, the Right to Information Commission in the state has written to the Chief Secretary recommending special onetime recognition to the BTech (Weekend) course started at the DCRUST in 2010 and closed it after three batches for want of approval from the AICTE.

Around 650 of those who pursued the course which does not provide them with job or promotions have been running from pillar to post since then.

State Information Commissioner Yoginder Paul Gupta heard the appeal filed by a Kurukshetra resident Shashi Bhushan Saharan after the DCRUST failed to give him information regarding the approval of the AICTE to the course. He directed the university to transfer the RTI application to the Additional Chief Secretary (Technical Education).

Sources said the university had started the weekend course for skill development for engineering diploma holders who were already working.The purpose of the course was to give an opportunity to diploma holders to upgrade their skills.

The course started in 2010 in five disciplines, with an intake of 60 students in each discipline. In 2011, about 250 students took admission and 100 in 2012, after which admissions to the course were discontinued.

The university, however, continued the classes till 2015 to enable the students admitted in 2012 to complete their course.

Ostensibly, the course was discontinued after the university failed to get the approval of the AICTE.

Gupta observed in his order that since the course had not been approved by the AICTE, it was also not recognised by the state government for promoting/ recruiting students who passed out of the course.

While recommending the special recognition to the course, the State Information Commission had mentioned that the spirit behind the course was in line with the policy of the government regarding skill improvement.