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will benefit students. Those who are students. Out of the 440 colleges engineering programmes. And with
already enrolled should be allowed that participated, 208 were able to the number of vacancies in the state’s
to complete the course from the fill only 10 percent of their available engineering colleges increasing it is
same institute or accommodated in capacity. These colleges survive by better to shut colleges where admis-
nearby affiliated colleges. However, renting their premises for wedding sion is less than 10 percent,” says A.
these colleges should not be permit- receptions and film shoots which Ramachandran, former director,
ted to take new admissions from the tend to disturb the studies of the climate change and research, Anna
next academic year. There are many few students on campus. In the University.
reasons for low enrolment. But the circumstances there’s growing According to Ramachandran,
major reason is that enrolments in consensus that these colleges should the on-the-ground situation may
conventional branches of engineer- be shut down. Academics opine that be worse than reported as some
ing such as civil and mechanical low enrolments limit networking privately promoted colleges inflate
have become stagnant. Students opportunities, reduce diversity of their enrolment numbers to attract
who graduate in these specialisation perspectives in classrooms, and admissions. Although politicians at
are experiencing hard time secur- adversely affect the overall quality the Centre and in the states continue
ing employment. Computer science, of students’ educational experience. to trumpet that India is the world’s
data science, blockchain and AI Moreover, such colleges are likely fastest growing economy, quite
programmes are the flavour of the to be poorly resourced in terms clearly the manufacturing sector
season. Discontinuing the affiliation of infrastructure — labs, libraries, which absorbs engineering gradu-
of such colleges may seem harsh but faculty — and churn out graduates ates, is not growing fast enough.
such pruning is required from time under-prepared for industry School-leavers who refuse to enroll
to time,” says Mudgal. workplaces. in engineering colleges providing
During two rounds of counseling “More than arts and science traditional mechanical, civil and elec-
held in July-August last year, 37 colleges, engineering colleges are trical engineering programmes seem
engineering colleges in Tamil experiencing greater difficulty in to know better than government.
Nadu failed to attract any new attracting students to traditional Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

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