The Hindu : Deemed university status for KREC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 29, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Deemed university status for KREC

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE JUNE 28. The Karnataka Regional Engineering College (KREC) near here is now a deemed university. A decision of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development in this regard has come at the right time when the new academic year is slated to begin earlier next month.

What will now be known as the National Institute of Technology (NIT) made a modest beginning in 1960. The KREC began with three courses in engineering, mechanical, electrical, and civil with affiliation from the University of Mysore.

When Mangalore University was started in 1980, KREC came under its jurisdiction.

In 1963, three visiting professors from Canada joined the college under the Colombo Plan, and from then on the college marched ahead adding milestones to its credit.

It is one of the first colleges in the country to introduce postgraduate courses in heat power, process metallurgy, hydraulics and water resources, and chemical plant design engineering in 1971 followed by electronics and communication specialisation as an independent undergraduate degree course.

The Union Government sanctioned funds for the development of six laboratories in 1982 in hitech areas such as microprocessor and signal processing, meteorology, mineral dressing, processing control, fluid mechanics, and electro mechanics.

It is also one of the first engineering colleges in the country to introduce a computer engineering undergraduate course in 1986 and a postgraduate course in the same subject in 1988.

Located at Surathkal, 20 km. from Mangalore, on a 295-acre campus, KREC has been adjudged one of the eight best engineering colleges in the country. It is also recognised by the Union Government as a centre for doctoral research under Mangalore University till it became a deemed university on Thursday.

Known for innovations in academics over the years, the college has created some extraordinary facilities of research such as KREC-STEP, continuing education cell, training entrepreneurship development, small business management and consultancy, industry institute interaction, transfer of technology to rural areas, national information on technical manpower, national resources data management systems and centre for excellence, prototype development centre, very large system integration (VLSI) training centre, and educational technology cell.

The thrust areas identified for STEP activities are informatics software development, biotechnology environmental engineering, plastic technology, and engineering design.

The expertise and facilities of the college have been made available for entrepreneurs to develop new products. In addition, entrepreneurship training and skill development programmes are being organised by STEP.

Recently, the college hosted "Nirmithi Kendra", a demonstration cell for low-cost housing technology in rural areas of Dakshina Kannada District.

The research and development cell for tile and ceramic products is working towards rejuvenating the tile industry.

The Principal of the college, P.N. Singh, told The Hindu that it was a well-deserved recognition for KREC, which would be known as the National Institute of Technology, Surathkal.

The college had done some excellent work in the field of academics as well as research, and the new status would take it to new heights.

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