M A I L B A G

Posers to technical education teachers

I want to raise some questions related to our technical education system and want logical replies from the persons concerned.

Q 1: In our engineering colleges, more than 50 per cent of teachers are those who have never seen the face of industry. So how can they prepare the students to meet the challenges of industry?

Q 2: How can they train the students to take working pressures of the industry (which is sometimes 16 hours a day) when they themselves take three or maximum four lectures per day?

Q 3: How can they give a clear idea of an engineering theory to students when they have never used it even once for any practical application?

Q 4: And what is the benefit of those Ph.D. fellows who have never done a little bit of research work during their multi-decade career and never given even a single engineering theory or formula (whether useful or useless)?

These are not questions. Actually, these are some of the answers to one bigger question: “why is India 100 years behind the USA in technology?

I just want our policy-makers to think over the spoiling of careers of our innocent Y-generation engineers in the low-graded and ill-directed technical education system.

I appeal to the teaching staff of all engineering colleges in Punjab that they should stop behaving like speaking books and instead launch themselves as efficient and concerned coaches of their students so that their students can also win the technical world cup.

RAJEEV PRASHAR, Ludhiana

B. Tech courses

This refers to the letter by Mr Tejinder Singh Shergill (July 11). As per the directions of the Supreme Court and the state government, the courses run by a university teaching department do not require approval from the AICTE. The Supreme Court has observed: “If we look at the definition of a ‘technical institution’ under Section 2(h) of the (AICTE) Act, it is clear that a ‘technical institution’ cannot include a ‘university’.... The definition of ‘technical institution’ excludes from its purview a ‘University’.

The regional campuses at Jalandhar and Gurdaspur are part and parcel of Guru Nanak Dev University and are under its direct control. Thus the B. Tech courses run at these centres do not require the approval of the AICTE.

The building for holding the classes at the Regional Campus, Jalandhar, is ready and the classes will start on July 15.

DIRECTOR, Public Relations, G.N.D.University, Amritsar

Speed-breakers

I went to Hardwar with my wife last week by car from Sirhind Mandi. On the way when we entered Ambala Cantt suddenly there came a dangerous speed-breaker. We had a narrow escape. When we entered Uttar Pradesh we saw that each and every village has its own speed-breaker in its own style. These are so dangerous that in case you do not detect these in time you are bound to damage your body as well as vehicle.

SANDEEP GUPTA, Sirhind Mandi

Billing for canal water

In Haryana canal water is charged not on the basis of its volume but of the kind and quantity of crops grown with it. Such a concessional method of billing has no place in the present age of water shortage, and more so, because its implementation is prone to corruption. This requires collection of farmer-wise field data by a patwari. This method is not computer-friendly. The ground situation is that in other to avoid inflated bills, every farmer bribes the patwari who returns the favour by undervaluing his bill.

The remedy lies in changing over to charging by volume. This can be computed for each farmer by using such data as is already available. The billing can be streamlined by computerisation. This dispenses with the need for employing any data collector and is hence fool-proof against corruption. Farmers are never likely to demand or agitate for this innovation as they cannot become aware of it. The government can win over farmers by introducing it on its own for the sake of liberating them from the clutches of a corrupt method and particularly when its capital and maintenance costs are zero.

S.P. MALHOTRA, former Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation, Haryana, Panchkula

Pre-poll promises

In its election manifesto the Congress had promised that, if voted to power, it would enhance the fixed medical allowance of govt. employees from Rs 250 to Rs 300 a month and grant house rent allowance to pensioners @ Rs 100 a month. The promises should be given practical shape now.

A.S. KANDHARI, Ludhiana

Road in need of repairs

The whole new Rohtak Road, especially from the Sarai Rohilla bridge to Liberty cinema need to be overhauled urgently to avoid accidents and protect the environment and vehicles.

RAJESH RAWAL, Delhi

AIDS control

Apropos of the editorial “Growing AIDS threat” (July 4), it is incorrect to say that there is no central authority for the implementation of the AIDS control programme. NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) is the nodal agency charged with the responsibility of looking after the various aspects of this programme and is based in Delhi.

M.K. BAJAJ, Yamunanagar