ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL ENGINEERING COLLEGES, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AND THE SCHEME
Historical Background 1.01. A large number of industrial projects were contemplated for the 2nd Five-Year Plan period (1956-61). In order to ensure the supply of trained personnel to man these projects, the Planning Commission, in September 1955 appointed an Engineering Personnel Committee (EPC), to undertake an overall assessment of the demand and supply position in respect of engineering personnel-graduates and diploma-holders-during the 2nd Plan period and to recommend the extent to which facilities for technical education should be expanded. The EPC has estimated that by 1960-61, there would be a large gap in the supply position and the shortage will be of the order of 1,800 engineering graduates and 8,000 diploma-holders.
1.02. For fulfilling the recommendations of the EPC, a scheme was formulated for (a) expansion of the then existing 19, engineering colleges and 50 polytechnics and (b) the establishment of 3 new engineering colleges and 23 polytechnics.
1.03. The Government of India decided to implement the first part of the EPC recommendations in 1957. As regards the establishment of the new institutions, it was decided that the matter should be re- examined in the light of the following considerations :
(a) New institutions, both for degree and diploma courses should be spread more evenly to ensure progressively equal opportunities for training all over the country.
(b) In planning the capacity for training courses both in the existing and the new institutions, the requirements of future fiveyear plans should also be kept in view.
The Central Government also decided that the new institions to be established, after a review of the whole matter, should start at least with
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effect from the academic year 1958.
1.04. In order to decide the number of engineering colleges that should be started on the initiative of the Central Government, a statistical and integrated approach on the basis of the nature and scope of the future 5-year plans was called for. However, at that stage these details were not available. Nevertheless, expansion of technical education facilities to the extent possible, could not be delayed since institutions had to be established and courses organised well in advance of the initiation of the development projects. The problem was one of keeping a distant situation in mind and plan for technical education in stages.
1.05. With this end in view, it was decided that during the 2nd Plan period, facilities for first degree courses may be extended to about 11,000 seats from the then estimated figure of 9,000 places that would be available by the end of the 2nd Plan period. The extra 2,000 places were sought to be created in establishing 8 new engineering colleges, each with an annual admission of 250 students.
1.06. These are large-sized institutions judged by the standards then prevailing in the country. The considerations that weighed in this decision were : (1) a large-sized college would be more efficient than the equivalent small colleges, (2) the proposed colleges have to meet the additional requirements of the country as a whole and for that purpose should have to function on an all-India basis. Therefore, the smaller they are in number and the larger in size, the better, and (3) for the same reason as in (2) their locationis important from an all-India point of view.
1.07. It was decided that the 8 new colleges should be established two in each region, as follows:
Eastern Region - Durgapur and Jamshedpur.
Western Region - Nagpur and Bhopal.
Southern Region - Hyderabad and Mangalore.
Northern Region - Delhi and Allahabad.
1.08. Later, however, the college proposed for Hyderabad was established in Warangal. It was initially the intention that the college to be established in Delhi was to take over the degree courses in engineering and technology at the Delhi Polytechnic and that the Polytechnic should be developed only for diploma courses both on full- time and part-time basis. However, the college at Delhi became a separate entity by itself and in its place, the Regional Engineering College at Srinagar in the Northern Region was established. Thus, the 8 Regional Engineering Colleges in the first phase, came to be established.
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1.09. The Government of Orissa was pressing for the establishment of a Higher Institute of Technology at Rourkela, ever since the Government of India decided to locate the first state-owned steel plant there. Rourkela is located in the very heart of the most important mineral belt to India and combined with the facilities that would be afforded in the most modern steel plant along with its ancillary industries, provided the argument for a higher Institute of Mineral Technology and Metallurgy there. This view was also supported by Dr. S. S. Bhatnagar, the then Chairman of the UGC, and the then Central Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri T. T. Krishnamachari. The all-India Council for Technical Education had taken the decision in 1958 that in each of the steel producing centres, Durgapur and Tatanagar, Engineering Colleges should be established because of the special facilities that would be available for engineering education and training in these industrial areas. On the strength of all these factors, the State Government of Orissa pressed for a full-fledged engineering college at Rourkela.
1.10. The all-India Council for Technical Education at its 13th meeting held on 30th of April, 1960, having regard to the fact that Rourkela was fast developing into a centre of Industrial activity, recommended that a Regional Engineering College should be established at that place.
1.11. The Council at this meeting also observed that with the college at Rourkela, 9 out of the 15 States would each have a Regional Engineering College. The Council, therefore, recommended that the question of establishing Regional Colleges in the remaining States should be considered on merits of each proposal that may be received. As a measure designed to provide each State with a Regional Engineering College, 7 more colleges were approved for establishment during the 3rd Plan period.
1.12. Thus, 15 Regional Engineering Colleges were established one in each of the major States. The dates and places in the various States where they were established are as follows :-
1.Andhra Pradesh Warangal 1959
2. Mysore (now Karnataka) Surathkal 1960
(Mangalore)
3. Maharashtra Nagpur 1960
4. Madhya Pradesh Bhopal 1960
5. West Bengal Durgapur 1960
6. Bihar Jamshedpur 1960
7. Jammu & Kashmi Srinagar 1960
8. Uttar Pradesh Allahabad 1961
9. Gujarat Surat 1961
10.Kerala Kozhikode 1961
(Calicut)
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11.Orissa Rourkela 1962
12.Rajasthan Jaipur 1963
13.Punjab (Haryana) Kurukshetra 1963
14.Madras (Tamil Nadu) Tiruchirapalli 1964
15.Assam Silchar Is in the
process of
establishment
1.13. The colleges were intended to have all-India character and to serve the whole country for providing technical personnel required for the successive five-year plans. The all-India character was to be ensured, by each college admitting students from all the other States and appointing the best available teaching staff, on an all-India basis.
Aims and objectives of the colleges 1.14. The foregoing historical narrative shows that the original aim of the decision to establish R. E. Cs. was to create institutional facilities for providing under-graduate education and training in different branches of engineering, with a view to supplying the engineering manpower for the industrial projects and development envisaged under the successive Five-Year Plans. Although this aim has not been further detailed in the official documents, several R. E. Cs. have attempted to identify specific objectives in their reports to this Reviewing Committee. The common objectives stated by many were : to impart instruction in different branches of engineering ; to maintain high standard in education and training ; and to promote co- operation with industry and other technical institutions.
1.15. Considering the background, intentions and later developments, the aims and objectives of the RECs, can be stated as follows :-
(1) To offer courses of instruction in different branches of engineering, mainly at the under-graduate level, to start with, in the overall perspective of general education with a view to developing an integrated personality.
(2) to make the instruction and training oriented towards creating in the students an awareness of and meeting the technological and socio-economic needs of the country ;
(4) to promote research effort among various faculties, preferably on inter-disciplinary projects and undertake post- graduate instruction and training, keeping in view the needs of techno ;
(3) to promote co-operation with industry and other sectors of economy logical growth and taking special note of the requirements of Regional Development;
(5) to maintain an all India character in regard to student admissions and requirement of faculty of high quality; and
(6) to act as an important link in the interaction between the Central and State sectors of technical education.
1.16. In view of the foregoing aims and objectives, we recommend that the Regional Engineering Colleges should appropriately be renamed as Central Engineering Colleges. Accordingly, we refer to these Colleges as Central Engineering Colleges from Chapter 11 onwards in this report.
Elements of the scheme 1.17. Each college is to be regarded as a joint and co-operative enterprise of the Central Government and the State Government concerned. Maximum amount of autonomy-both financial and administrative-was envisaged for each college so that their establishment and development could proceed with speed and efficiency. For this purpose, the colleges are registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI, 1860. According to this, each college is to have a Board of Governors registered with full powers for the administration and management of its affairs and finances. Provision was. however, made in the Articles of Association of the Society that in case the college is not functioning properly, the State Government will have the power to take over the administration and assets of the College but with the prior approval of the Central Government.
1.18. The composition of the Board of Governors and its powers and functions may be seen in Annexure 1.
1.19. The important provisions in the scheme for the establishment of Regional Engineering Colleges are as follows :-
1.20. The colleges will not give their own degrees, but will be affiliated to universities. They may, however, conduct refresher and short-term courses in branches for which a clear need is felt, as and when they are developed and find themselves in a position to offer such facilities. It will be open to the colleges to provide facilities in branches other than those provided for in the scheme, depending upon the need of the State and the region. Such provision will, however, be made in accordance with the normal procedure, viz., on the advice of the All-India Council for Technical Education.
1.21. Not more than 50 per cent of the seats in each college may be utilised by the States in which it is located. At least 30 per cent of the seats shall be made available to other States in the region and the remaining 20 per cent of the seats shall be open to students from other parts of the country. For this purpose, the regions will be as demarcated by the All-India Council for Technical Education.*
1.22. In the larger interests of technical education in the country, the Regional Engineering Colleges will join the scheme of common admission examination for all the higher technological institutes and other technical institutes in the country.
1.23. The first Principal of the College will be appointed by the State Government in consultation with the Central Government. Periodical meetings and conferences will be convened by the Central Government for the purpose of coordinating the work and development of the institutions so far as major issues are concerned.
1.24. The following estimates of cost and sharing between the Central and the State Governments concerned were provided for:
(a) Instructional Buildings : A total area of 1,78,000 sq. ft. plinth is provided for colleges offering courses in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. This includes administrative block, lecture halls, drawing halls, tutorial rooms, library and reading room, laboratories and workshops. For colleges conducting courses in Chemical Engineering, Metallurgy and Architecture, the following areas are provided in addition to 1,78,000 sq. ft.
Chemical Engineering 22,168 sq. ft.
Metallurgical Engg. 17,160 " "
Architecture 14,875 " "
(b) Equipment: Estimates of equipment were made as follows:-
Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engg. Rs.29 lakhs
Chemical Engineering Rs. 5.82 lakhs
Metallurgy Rs. 6.16 lakhs
Architecture Rs. 0.64 lakhs
1.25. To facilitate staffing of the colleges on a satisfactory basis, the Central Government may create a pool of teachers, recruit competent persons on an All-India basis, arrange for their training wherever necessary, either in India or abroad and assign them to the individual institutions. Similarly, for the procurement of equipment, both within the country and from outside, the Central Government may make suitable arrangements through the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposal or any other central agency. This will also facilitate the grant of import licences, release of foreign exchange and other facilities.
1.26. The final estimates will, however, depend upon (i) the rate of construction at each location as certified by the State PWD, (ii) cost of services to be provided in each college, and (iii) the current prices of equipment. The detailed estimates will be worked out in stages by the Boards of Governors and submitted to the Central Government for examination and sanction. In preparing the detailed estimates, the actual requirements of special fields, namely, Mining, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, etc., in which the colleges would conduct courses will also be included.
1.27 The cost of establishing and running these colleges will be shared between the Centre and the concerned State Government in the following manner :-
(i) The entire non-recurring expenditure on buildings and equipment will be provided by the Central Government.
(ii) The State Government concerned has to provide free land and also bear expenditure on its development.
(iii) The recurring expenditure will be shared in equal parts by the Central Government and the State Government concerned, ini- tially for a period of five years. After this initial period, the question of meeting the recurring expenditure would be reviewed.
(iv) The Central Government will provide interest free loan for the construction of student hostels.
(v) The Central Government will also provide 50% of the amount for staff quarters as grant-in-aid and the balance 50% as loan at current rate of interest.
1.28. In the scheme, estimates for recurring expenditure were as follows:-
(a) Staff salaries Rs. 14 lakhs
(b) Maintenance Rs. 2 lakhs
(c) Scholarships Rs. 3 lakhs
Total Rs. 19 lakhs
1.29. There is also provision in the scheme for staff quarters at a cost of Rs. 35 lakhs and hostels at a cost of Rs. 43 lakhs.
1.30. The student to staff ratio for the Regional Engineering Colleges was envisaged as 10 : 1, although in the initial period, due to various considerations, including the shortage of staff, it may be necessary to work on the basis of a larger ratio. The staff structure and the scale of pay of various categories of the staff of the colleges may be seen in Annexure 11.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COLLEGES-APPOINTMENT
OF REVIEWING COMMITTEE 1.31. As already mentioned, the scheme for the Regional Engineering Colleges provides for 50% of the recurring expenditure to be met by the State Governments and the other 50% by the Central Government in the initial five-year period. At the end of this period, the responsibility for recurring expenditure was to be reviewed.
1.32. All the colleges completed their initial five-year period by 1969, but the Ministry of Education continued to provide Central assistance in respect of the recurring expenditure to the extent of 50% till 1969-70.
1.33. In September 1969, the Ministry of Finance pointed out that consultations with the Finance Commission showed that the recurring liability by the State Governments had been taken into account and this was covered by the Finance Commission's scheme of devolution of resources and, therefore, the State Governments should meet the entire recurring expenditure from 1970-71.
1.34. This suggestion of the Ministry of Finance was conveyed to the State Governments by the Ministry of Education. Except for Maharashtra, the State Governments have expressed their inability to meet the entire recurring expenditure on this account.
1.35. The arguments advanced by the State Governments for their inability are their difficult ways and means position and the non- fulfilment of the States' entire commitment by the Finance Commission. One of the State Governments even pointed out that in the absence of the Central assistance it was not possible for them to maintain the All-India character of the Regional Colleges or even to retain the existing pay structure of the staff.