Date:23/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/23/stories/2005042308250500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Nod for new engineering colleges opposed

Special Correspondent

Memorandum submitted to Arjun Singh

NEW DELHI: An association of rural engineering college managements of Andhra Pradesh has urged the Centre to withdraw letters of intent to 17 colleges on the ground it will further push up the number of seats.

In a memorandum to the Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, and the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Self-Finance Rural Engineering College Managements' Association, said as of date there were 240 engineering colleges in the State with an intake of 82,500 seats as against 50,000 aspirants. Besides, the number of candidates appearing for the entrance examination had too come down from 1.56 lakh to 1.18 lakh.

The association said it had approached the State Government requesting not to grant new engineering colleges and adding seats. The State Government in turn communicated to the AICTE not to issue any more no-objection certificates. However, the AICTE issued 17 letters of intent and there were reports that 10 to 15 more colleges were in the pipeline.

The association said most of these colleges were in urban areas in Ranga Reddy District and it would affect the intake of rural colleges.