More PG progs at tech institutions

Times of India, Feb 28, 2015
BHUBANESWAR: In a massive expansion of post-graduate studies in technical institutions, the state government has decided to introduce MTech and MSc programmes in 30 new subjects at various institutions from the academic year 2015-16. 

According to a government notification, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology will offer integrated dual degree, BTech and MTech programme, in 10 subjects. Besides, it will launch five-year integrated MSc courses in mathematics, life sciences and organic chemistry, MTech in robotics-CAD-CAM and instrumentation and control. All these PG courses will have 18 seats each. 

The Parala Maharaja Engineering College would offer MTech in four new courses while Government College of Engineering Kalahandi, Bhawanipatna, will start MTech in two subjects from the coming academic year. 

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Sarang, will introduce MTech in nine subjects with an intake capacity of 18 each. 

With the new courses, the total number of MTech seats in the state will go up by 540 from the current 1,690 to 2,230. 

Technical education secretary Chandra Sekhar Kumar said the move was aimed at increasing the available pool of manpower for teaching jobs in technical institutions. "It is a precarious situation. Technical colleges don't get enough eligible applicants for various levels of faculty members as most students are taking up jobs right after BTech while masters degree is needed for teaching jobs," he said. 

Kumar said the government planned to introduce new MTech courses of around 1,000 capacity at Biju Patnaik University of Technology after upgrading its infrastructure. The state government has granted around Rs 150 crore to the varsity. 

Apart from the masters programme, the sought-after College of Engineering and Technology (CET) would open a four-year degree course, Bachelor in Planning, to churn out urban planners. It would have an intake capacity of 40. The colleges would also significantly increase the intake capacity at the BTech level. 

The Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, will double its intake at the undergraduate level in mining engineering (from 30 to 60), mineral engineering (20 to 40) and metallurgical engineering and material science (20 to 40). 

The technical education secretary said the decision to increase capacity and open new courses was taken after considering the 'Infrastructure Development of Technological Universities and Engineering Colleges' scheme during the 12th Plan period.