Karnataka government directs engineering colleges to get NBA accreditation

The projected downturn in the IT sector is expected to directly hit campus recruitments. Engineering students graduating from colleges are sure to widen their search for jobs. But if the colleges do not have a National Board of Accreditation tag, chances are that their prospects will be all the more limited.

Courses offered by only 10 engineering colleges in Karnataka -five colleges in Bengaluru and one National Institute of Technology in Surathkal -are equivalent to engineering degrees offered in 17 countries that have signed the Washington Accord. That is because these colleges hold Tier-1 accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

There are 205 engineering colleges in the state, out of which 10 are government institutions.

None of the ten government engineering colleges, including the famed University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), has NBA accreditation.

In a desperate attempt to remedy this, the government has directed all state-run engineering colleges to get their courses accredited by the NBA. The directive, however, has government-run engineering colleges, most of which have insufficient infrastructure, worried.




UVCE, Karnataka's oldest engineering that is celebrating its centenary , has 99 teachers against a sanctioned strength of 175. This works out to a faculty-student ratio of 1:60; whereas the All India Council for Technical Education stipulates 1:15. “This is a major deficiency that could hinder our accreditation prospects,“ Bangalore University's dean of engineering HN Ramesh said.

Only five students from the Government Engineering College, Ramanagara, were placed through campus hiring in the past three years. The college does not even have laboratories for mechanical and civil engineering. “It's a chicken and egg situation. Without funds, we can't develop infrastructure. We may not even qualify to be eligible,“ an official from the college said, requesting anonymity . “Government engineering colleges need `100-200 crore to be improved.“

“A key positive with accreditation is that courses are recognised in countries that have signed the Washington Accord, which helps movement of engineers,“ said Shekhar Sanyal, country head, Institution of Engineering and Technology . “But most government colleges are affiliated to a university, which doesn't allow them to make curricular changes or work independently. And because the concept of accreditation is new, they are mystified.“

Director for technical education HU Talawar, however, rubbished concerns. “Those complaining are the ones who don't want to work hard. I was also principal of a polytechnic college that got NBA accreditation. Let's first learn to apply for accreditation.“