Despite the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) nod, no government, aided or private affiliated institution in Karnataka has come forward to offer three-year engineering programmes (B-Tech/BE) for working professionals.
Following a demand from working professionals, the AICTE permitted institutions across India to start engineering courses through lateral entry and called for applications from affiliated institutions. August 15 is the last date to apply.
According to sources, 170 applications were received by the AICTE, but none of them is from Karnataka.
For working professionals
Earlier, the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), BMS College of Engineering of Bengaluru, and 10 other engineering Institutions were offering evening engineering colleges for working professionals. They were offering three-year engineering courses for diploma engineering pass-out students employed in various sectors. The students were enrolled in colleges through Diploma Common Entrance Test (DCET) conducted by the KEA.
However, with the aim of improving the quality of engineering education, the AICTE withdrew the permission for three-year degree programmes offered at evening engineering colleges for working professionals in the 2019-20 academic year. AICTE stated that if any working professional is interested in engineering courses, they should join regular colleges through lateral entry.
Hence, all evening engineering colleges were closed from the 2020-21 academic year. BMS Evening Engineering College closed from this academic year.
Days later, on July 24, 2023, the AICTE issued another order permitting affiliated institutions to start three-year engineering courses through lateral entry. A maximum of three programmes will be approved by AICTE with an intake of 30 seats each. A batch of a minimum of 10 working professionals will be required to run the course in an academic year.
Now, working professionals are demanding that the State Government start evening engineering colleges in Karnataka.
A ray of hope
Chetan, from Kunigal, said, “I have completed a 3-year diploma course. I am working as a quality engineer in a private firm in Bengaluru. The recent AICTE order is a new ray of hope to gain a B-Tech/BE degree for working professionals. But, all the evening engineering colleges in Karnataka were closed four years ago. We met the management of UVCE, BMS Engineering College, and Bengaluru Institute of Technology with a request to start three-year engineering courses for working professionals. But they are not showing any interest. Therefore, government engineering colleges are our last resort. We met the Higher and Technical Education Minister and submitted a proposal to run evening engineering college in Karnataka.”
A diploma holder and engineering course aspirant, Nithin, from Hassan district, said, “After the AICTE order, we went to many private engineering colleges and requested them to start three-year engineering programmes for working professionals. But, due to a shortage of students, staff salary and other maintenance costs, the managements are not interested in starting evening colleges. We requested the government to start at least five government evening engineering colleges for working professionals in Karnataka.”
‘No decision yet’
Rudra Naik, principal of BMS Evening Engineering College, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, said, “Our management has closed the evening engineering college from this academic year. After the fresh AICTE order, for 15 days, many engineering course aspirants have been visiting us and enquiring about the evening engineering college. But, the management has not taken a decision on resuming the evening engineering college.”
M.C. Sudhakar, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, said, “For many days, the diploma holders have been visiting my office and requesting to start the three-year engineering courses for working professionals. I have already discussed this with our officers, and we will take an appropriate decision within two days. UVCE is an institute of eminence, and it is not possible to start this course.”
