GCE vows to catch up with NITs

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-08
PANAJI- The Goa College of Engineering has set a target to achieve the standards of National Institutes of Technology within next 24 months so as improve the employability of its students.
The decision came at the second meeting of the specially constituted governing committee for the GCE, which also chalked out details for reaching this goal.
The meeting, which was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the Goa University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dileep Deobagkar in the absence of the committee chairman, Dr Ashok Mishra, the director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, decided that the GCE needs to attain high standards if it is to be included within the top 25 non-NIT engineering institutes around the country.
Raising standards at the GCE will not only result in the hike of the salaries of the college faculties but also attract better faculties to the institute, the meeting observed.
The governing committee co-chairman, Mr Manguirish Pai Raikar told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the meeting decided to rationalise the academic schedule of the college so that the students would get more opportunities for industrial visits, projects and assignments through adequate spacing of examinations.
“The dean of the engineering colleges in Goa will be empowered to convene a related meeting,” he added.
The governing committee also decided to improve and upgrade the infrastructure existing for the faculties of civil, electrical as well as mechanical engineering, which were set up in 1967, and had become outdated during the past 40 years. A list will be prepared for the purpose, jointly by the heads of various departments at the GCE and the public works department.
Mr Raikar informed that a classroom-cum-studio under distance education project is also being planned at the GCE wherein the college students would be able to interact with the IIT faculties in this studio, which will also be equipped with video conferencing facility.
“In yet another decision, post-graduation courses will be run at GCE in electronics and telecommunication faculty,” he informed.
It was also informed that the college would procure equipment before the end of this year, while the buildings for IT and electronics faculties as well as the new girls hostel would soon be completed.
Mr Raikar stated that the governing committee meeting has decided to organise an entrepreneurship workshop on January 24, 2009. “The workshop, which would be attended by leading CEOs of various companies in the mechanical, electrical and electronics sectors, beside academic experts, would also have participation of the other two engineering institutes in Goa,” he pointed out.
Replying to a question, Mr Raikar said that any technical educational institute, including the GCE, requires the approval of the All India Council for Technical Education, and the AICTE also conducts regular inspection of the GCE, every three years, to ensure that the basic educational facilities are maintained.
“This does not mean that the GCE will close down if it lacks anything,” he stated, pointing out that the college would be provided with best of facilities, with the college alumni association and the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry fully supporting the engineering institute for any input.