MITR Students - DTE awaits states approval

Transfer Of Students From Disaffiliated MITR A Challenge As Academic Year Nears End

Pune : The directorate of technical education (DTE) is racing against time to see that the 300-odd second and third-year students from the now-disaffiliated Mulshi Institute of Technology and Research (MITR) are transferred to some other college. Barely three weeks are left for the ongoing academic term to end.
On April 5, the University of Punes (UoP) academic council endorsed the disaffiliation of MITR over an alleged mass copying incident involving 200-odd students from the institute's maiden engineering batch during the exams in 2009. The disaffiliation has put a question mark over the future of 303 students, who have moved to second and third year of their degree course at the institute.
These students were allowed to appear for their first semester examination for the academic year 2010-11 from the Sinhgad Institute of Technology. However, the university has yet to accept their exam forms for the second semester even as the last date for submission of forms has lapsed.
Director of technical education S. K. Mahajan said, the ongoing term is to end on April 28. We will have to see that the transfers are affected before this. We have to secure the state governments approval.
The budget session of the state assembly is in progress, while the government offices will remain closed for the next two days on account of weekends. As such, it is unlikely that the UoPs proposal for transfer of the MITR students will come up for consideration by the minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope, before April 11.
The proposal was moved through joint director D. N. Shingade, who heads the DTEs office for Pune region. On Thursday, Shingade and other officials had visited the UoP vice-chancellor and other varsity higher-ups to discuss the matter. Mahajan said, we have received the joint directors letter, along with the UoP proposal. We will make every attempt to see that the transfer process is through by April 15.
Apart from seeking governments approval, there are issues like assessment of term work of these students and conduct of practical, which the UoP is required to tackle upfront. Then, the UoP will have to seek the consent of the principal of the engineering college, where it intends to affect the transfer.
Mahajan said, I have discussed these issues with vice-chancellor R. K. Shevgaonkar. There are a few alternatives, which are being considered. Director of UoPs board of college and university development (BCUD) Wasudev Gade said, we are fairly sure that the transfer process will be completed in a weeks time.