Bhubaneswar: Dual degree programmes will be introduced in five different engineering streams at the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Rourkela from the next season.
The BPUT Board has approved a proposal to start the Integrated MTech programme from 2022-23 academic session in its meeting on July 16.
The students will be offered the programme in five existing technical courses — electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electronics and communications engineering and computer science engineering.
According to the varsity vice-chancellor CR Tripathy, the five-year programme will help students save one year as it usually takes six years to get both BTech and MTech degrees.
The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) committee will conduct the admission to the integrated courses based on JEE Main ranking.
“We are also planning to offer dual degree in more such programmes and advance courses such as artificial intelligence. We will offer these programmes after filling up the vacant teaching posts in the university,” the vice-chancellor was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
Despite the decision, the BPUT doesn’t seem to have the wherewithal to conduct the courses. Among the 25 sanctioned faculty members for the five existing programmes, 17 are lying vacant. Currently, it has one professor, four associate professors and three assistant professors for which the university has to depend on guest faculty members.
However, given the varsity will admit 40 students for each dual course, it has decided to increase hostel beds to make space for 400 to 1,000 students in future.
OPECA opposes move
The Odisha Private Engineering College Association (OPECA) didn’t welcome the varsity’s dual degree programme move in view of their struggle to fill up BTech seats.
According to OPECA secretary Binod Dash, the decision may affect the private colleges further as over 60 per cent seats are lying vacant.
Instead of creating UG infrastructure, BPUT should focus more on MTech courses and establish centres of excellence to promote research in the university, Dash felt.
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