Affiliation of 7 polytechnics, 3 pharmacy colleges cancelled

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 17

In a swoop on private technical education institutions, affiliation of seven polytechnics and three pharmacy colleges across the state has been cancelled by the State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training.

Another eight private polytechnics have been given partial affiliation. Two new pharmacy colleges have been denied fresh affiliation for academic year 2018-2019.

The unprecedented action follows surprise checking of 162 polytechnics and 65 pharmacy colleges by 33 different teams of experts, comprising members of the Technical Education Department, government universities and government medical colleges.

The inspections revealed inadequate infrastructure and teaching faculty in the already running polytechnics and pharmacy colleges that are supposed to be annually inspected by the board authorities. The premises of two disaffiliated pharmacy colleges were also being used to run a degree college and a nursing institute.

Sharing details of the inspections, Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Technical Education Minister, said as there were complaints of poor infrastructure and teaching faculty and the board authorities in the past were not doing proper inspections, experts from government universities and medical colleges were roped in to do the annual inspections.

To bring transparency in the inspections, panel of experts heard the view of the authorities of affected colleges and checked the reports of the inspection teams before recommending action against the erring colleges. A petition against the disaffiliation filed by three affected pharmacy colleges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court was dismissed last week.

Sending a strict message to the private institutions, the 10 disaffiliated institutions were not allowed to admit students for the academic year 2018-2019 and eight other polytechnics were given affiliation for only those courses against which the institutes had adequate infrastructure, said Chander Gaind, Secretary, State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training.

Paying the price for poor infrastructure

• Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Global Polytechnic College, Indergarh, Moga
• Baba Deep Singh Polytechnic College, Muktsar
• Doaba Polytechnic College, Raipur, Nawanshahr
• Jiwan Jyoti Polytechnic College, Jalalabad
• Patiala Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Patiala
• Krishan College of Pharmacy, Budhlada, Mansa
• Maa Saraswati Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kala Tibba, Abohar
• Punjab Polytechnic College, Raipur, Bahadurgarh, Patiala
• Radiance Polytechnic, Pahuwind, Tarn Taran
• Vidya Jyoti College of Pharmacy, Kotla Lehal, Lehragaga

Government institutions register increased enrolment

The immediate fallout of the checking is that admissions to private polytechnics and pharmacy colleges have dropped to 27,249 this year, against 38,599 admissions last year. August 15 was the last date for admissions. At the same time, admissions to government institutions have touched 82 per cent, against 60 per cent last year.