Is the Protest DCE to DTU Justified
Think Seriously. The purpose of this write up in this issue is to share with you the correct information as also to appeal to you not to go by emotions alone or by instigation from uninformed quarters.
Remember that the repute of an institution is build over years but can be destroyed in one day, if we act in a irresponsible and unjust manner.
The Engifest 2010 and Techfest 2010 comprising Innova, troika,karyon etc have been succefully concluded with unprecedented participation and cooperation from all quarters including DTU Student community, their leaders & caring support provided by the management of DTU. We have also received excellent sponsorship & support from the corporate world for the activities.
It is beyond our understanding of what has gone wrong overnight after such a Joyce celebration of our success on all fronts including E-Summit 2010 which witnessed for the first time celebrities like Dr. Kiran Bedi & Sh. Rahul Bose & large number of CEOs appreciating our institution now a university.
It appears as if someone from outside had suddenly injected poison & continues to misguide the DTU (DCE) community.
Let us look at the some of the issue & concerns raised by the student leaders of the agitation
Choice is yours, we are only here to keep you informed about the developments. The DTU times(DCE times) team would be grateful if you could go through the following paragraphs.
Raised Issues - Quick Links
Campus placement
One of the major issues being voiced in the media by the leaders of the agitation is that after the conversion of DCE to DTU, renowned MNCs & PSUs shall not visit DTU.
The fact is that all major MNCs including Microsoft, Nomura, Bank of America, Mckinsey, JP Morgan etc & India s leading companies like Tata Moters, Samsung engineering,L&T and major PSUs like Indian Oil, NTPC,BHEL, & EIL plus DRDO, Indian Navy are among the 90 plus which have already recruited this year and have made 514 offers as per the placement figures in the T&P. Many more companies are in pipeline.
What pains us in the DTU times is the fact that, on the day of protest (March 4th 2010) India’s leading PSU namely EIL and two software MNCs Huawei and ZTE mobile were present in the campus during the agitation. How could such a blasphemy could spread unless there are motivated & prejudiced minds lead the agitation.
Conversion of DCE-DTU
The agitators say they were better of as DCE with DU affiliation. Do they know that DU apart from signing degree and that on some occasion even with wrong spelling on the degree title have paid no attention what so ever to the academic issues . In matters, such as course curriculum & examination reforms in a premiere professional institution such as NSIT and DCE both affiliated to DU, the university paid no attention. How it is otherwise that the course curriculum of DCE & NSIT affiliated courses remained stagnant for the last several decades. It is not fair for DU leaders to say that, it is responsibility of the institution. Course curriculum & examination are the integral part of the prime responsibility of the university & are neither determined nor finalized at the institution level . it is not engineering courses alone, DU could not revise course curriculum of many non professional courses also & it is still struggling for the semester system in its colleges. Remember that the day when DTU students started agitation (March 4th), the DU teachers were also on strike for their protest for the implementation of semester system in DU colleges.
In what way we got a better deal can any student present or even pass out would inform DTU times, if they have received even a penny contribution/funding from the DU for any of the professional/cultural/research and innovation activities during last many years ?
The university is meant to nurture & lead the academic & research environment in which an individual student’s aspirations find expressions, develop his/her capabilities & make him/her worthy for his successful life on living the university. We find that while the DCE authorities stretched their limits to support students even when DCE was a govt institution, no support was ever forthcoming from DU.
Ever since DTU came in existence the course curriculum has been revised, updated and innovated for the DTU new programs. New Interdisciplinary programs have been introduced both at UG & PG levels. Engineering Physics, Automobile & Software engineering at UG Level & Microelectronics, VLSI Design and Embedded system & Nano -science and technology at PG Level. What is more that the DTU committed as to nurture & strengthen the vital synergy between science & engineering & has entered into a tie up NPL in this respect.
Many more initiatives have been earlier reported in DTU times. Student community may like to see themselves rather than being dragged into a misinformed debate.
Shortage of faculty. Is there any?
The agitation leaders have raised the issue of shortage of faculty in DCE/DTU. Ever since DTU came in existence in July 2009 not only the university has added to its faculty strength in good number, new regular faculty who were selected earlier joined the university in addition to around 60 contract faculty on regular scale has also been recruited. Further near 93 lecturers position (including the positions for new programs) were advertised in DEC 2009 and as per the information with DTU times approx. 3500 applications have been received and that the regular faculty recruitments through the duly constituted selection committees (as per the DTU act) have already begun from March 5th 2010 are continuing. This is one of the major decisions taken by DTU to provide quality faculty for its academic programs. To our knowledge never before such a major recruitment drive has ever happened and that to with a compressed time frame.
We should appreciate the initiative rather than condemning as the student community will be the major beneficiary from the quality faculty in DTU.
Infrastructure development
DTU campus already a massive one having approx 1.5 lacs sq.m builtup area, a well developed academic plaza, hostels & residential facility is not a small campus even then the classes for the first year (UG Program) are being held in new air conditioned smart classrooms. As per the information with DTU Times 14 new classrooms are coming up in the existing academic plaza. Planning for a multi-story modern academic block, research centres, and new hostels for boys and girls have already received the approval from Finance committee & Board of Management of DTU. And the consultant architect engaged for the purpose is world renowned for his green building architecture capabilities. Further you all know that DTU is committed to generate 1 MW solar power, utilise its green waste for the power generation & recycle and reuse of its waste water. These are not minor initiatives. None of IITs (all of having campuses bigger than DTU) have yet come out with such like initiatives.
We should take pride of a university which has a vision & drive to secure our future & save our Alma mater as a world class technical university.
Appriciation of DCE to DTU from Distinguished Alumni
In his recent feedback on DTU Mr.Vinod Dham Father of Pentium chip has remarked in a mail to Hon’ble Vice chancellor “Congratulations for the outstanding accomplishments –I am proud that you are transforming DCE to DTU as the institute for 21st century Learning”
Let us look at another leader of DCE first supermilage team which won the best visual appeal award in US in 2005, Himanshu Almandi who is currently with Myrill Lynch wealth management as its Vice President has remarked in his mail to Hon’ble Vice chancellor “ I am sure this(DCE to DTU) would prove to be an important milestone in the institution’s journey towards excellence”. May like to see other feedbacks from the issues of DCE Times/ DTU Times on www.dcetimes.org
These feedback are from the people who build the repute and brand DCE. They are not ordinary people nor are their words for their Alma mater can be ignored by us, the student community of this great institution.
Negative Impact of Agitation
Lastly, let us calm down & ponder seriously on the effect of the agitation. The whole world is watching the present DCE (DTU) Student community as you have already put a lot of mud on the face of our alma mater, through facebook, press & media. How this will help our Alma mater to retain its brand both nationally and internationally? This will affect our own career.
Do not forget when you apply for higher studies & when you join a job your identity is with respect to your Alma mater. The internet, media & press shall speak a volume on the damage you may cause by your continuous agitation to your own future.
Choice is yours, we are only here to keep you informed about the developments. The DTU times(DCE times) team would be grateful if you could go through the above paragraphs.