Research A Must For Engineering Students   

Hyderabad: Students of engineering in the state will now have to do research in the field of applied sciences with the higher education department planning to make research and development a compulsory parameter for renewing the affiliation of engineering colleges.
While the state government has asked all the engineering colleges to prepare research material and set up labs in their campuses, the colleges have dumped the task of submitting research projects, term papers and dissertations which can be showcased as ‘research work’ on their students to keep their affiliation intact.
The students who are already groaning under the burden of heavy syllabi will now have to turn out two ‘research projects’ to be submitted to the inspecting affiliation officers of the universities.
The college managements, however, said that they did not have enough funds to implement the new rules of affiliation which involve starting their own research laboratories and appointment of staff to conduct technology research with the help of faculty members and students.
“To engage in serious research activities, the colleges will have to pump in extra funds. Many colleges which are already in deep financial crises will lose their affiliation if the higher education department insists on implementing the new rule,” a college management representative said.
M e a n - while, the officials of the higher education department said that they would stick to the decision to give 25 per cent weightage to research while grading colleges with a view to improving the quality of education in the state.
M D Christopher, APSCHE secretary, however, added that enough time would be given to colleges to bring out quality research and development work. The decision which is meant to encourage colleges to start post-graduation and Ph D courses in engineering was taken by the three Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Universities (JNTUs) earlier this week.

Source : The Times Of India , Hyderabad , 15th April 2010