Delhi University seeks Rs 100 crore from UGC for starting three BTech programmes

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University has sought Rs 100 crore from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for starting three BTech programmes -- Computer Science, Electronics and Communications and Electrical Engineering -- under its Faculty of Technology for setting up infrastructure facilities.According to a proposal submitted by the university to the UGC, it has requested that positions for teaching and non-teaching staff be sanctioned at the earliest so that the programmes can be initiated.

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"In order to implement this initiative and further the cause of implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) through introduction of the Btech courses mentioned above, the university would require Rs 100 crore as financial support to set up infrastructure facilities in terms of state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms and other attendant facilities. “The university would require Rs 25 crore annually for next four financial years with effect from 2021-22," according to the proposal.

In line with the NEP, the BTech programmes will have multiple exit options with students being awarded a certificate on exit after completion of one year of study, diploma on exit after completing two years, advance diploma on exit after completing three years and BTech degree on exit after completing four years of study. The three BTech programmes by the university would require a total of 72 teaching positions and 55 non-teaching staff.

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The Delhi University had constituted a committee under Professor D S Chauhan, former vice-chancellor of Uttar Pradesh Technical University and Uttarakhand Technical University, to deliberate upon establishment of departments under Faculty of Technology in the emerging areas of engineering and technology. The committee was supposed to consider the scope and feasibility of establishment of departments under the Faculty of Technology, structure of the departments, areas of academic endeavour the departments are required to accomplish, structure and nomenclature of the courses of study the departments would envisage to run, requirement and qualification of the faculty members necessary to smoothly conduct teaching, learning and research in the departments.

DU's BTech courses

According to the minutes of a meeting of the committee, "...Both Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) and Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) which formed integral part of Faculty of Technology became Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) with the status of Universities by Notifications of the appropriate authorities, thereby severing the umbilical relationship with the University of Delhi over the past years.

“Presently DCE is known as Delhi Technological University (DTU) with effect from the year 2009 and NSIT is known as Netaji Subhash University of Technology (NSUT) with effect from the year 2018. These contemporary developments in the present scenario have necessitated revisit of the areas which are fast emerging as dominant areas of teaching learning and research in the field of Engineering & Technology."

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The minutes said the central theme of the New Education Policy 2020 envisages a "holistic, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach in imparting education with observance of innovative practices and methodologies to encourage young minds of our nation" to explore those areas of knowledge and understanding which not only makes them eligible to be gainfully employed thereby adding to the skilled workforce but also makes them inclined towards conceptualisation and implementation of successful startups as well as contribution in the research and development.

"Taking a cue from the Central theme of the New Education Policy, the University finds it relevant and appropriate to delve in the emerging areas of Engineering & Technology through the existing departments under the Statute 9 of the Statutes of the University under the Faculty of Technology," read the minutes.

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The student intake for each programme would be 120 with two sections of 60 students each. The total intake would be 360 and the total strength over four years duration would be 1440, according to the minutes of the meeting. The committee also recommended that the mode of admissions would be through the Joint Entrance Examination (Mains).

"There will be no ward quota, ECA quota and Sports quota for these programmes," the committee said. The structure of the BTech programmes would be designed in such a manner that there would be a minimum of 50 percent weightage to the major subject area of study with a maximum of 65 percent weightage and remaining weightage would be to the minor subject areas of study, it said.

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"The student would have complete flexibility to choose any subject area other than his/her major subject area," it added. "The syllabi of these programmes would be devised taking into consideration the contemporary requirement of the programmes and its synergy with the industry and other premier engineering and technology institutions offering similar programmes of study at this level to make the students globally competitive both in terms of development of trained man power as well as their acceptability for conceptualisation and implementation of successful startups through innovations," read the delibrations of the committee. The student-teacher ratio would be 1:20.