AGARTALA, April 25 (TIWN): Tripura Institute of Technology situated at Narshingarh is elevated to a degree level engineering college from erstwhile Polytechnic College in 2007 allegedly without basic minimum infrastructure. Allegedly a section of corrupt officials in All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) approved the B Tech courses despite knowing the fact that it is not having sufficient classrooms, laboratories, library and hostels besides, qualified teachers.

Tripura government with it’s influence allegedly recruited all under qualified diploma level teachers in the college as Assistant Professors for degree level teaching violating all norms set out by the Government. They alleged, “At least 70% regular faculties at TIT hardly know their subject well, as a result the students are deprived from quality education.”

There are a total of 12 faculties for degree courses at the college, whereas another 6 faculties for diploma courses. However the students further added that the college at the present stage has been running through faculty crisis.

The students of TIT alleged, “College canteen turns into a den of corruption where canteen staff and non-teaching staffs accept bribe for getting admitted students with poor marks in the college every year.”

“All the issues were taken up to Chief Minister, Education Minister, Principal Secretary, Director and Principal repeatedly but everybody is dump to it. All illegal activities, corrupt practices and criminal functions are netted in the canteen with the staff of the college. Some teachers are also involved in the nuisance because of their proximity with the party in power and ministers,” they alleged.

However, on Friday Director of Higher Education Bipradas Palit visited the college for the second consecutive day and chatted with the students, but allegedly Palit avoiding the complaints of the students dosed them with a series of lectures acting on behest of the state govt.

The students also alleged, “College canteen turns into a den of corruption where canteen staff and non-teaching staffs accept bribe for getting admitted students with poor marks in the college every year. All the issues were taken up to Chief Minister, Education Minister, Principal Secretary, Director and Principal repeatedly but everybody is dump to it.”

However the students also alleged that inspite of the DoNER ministry has sanctioned a fund of Rs. 120 crore to set up a separate TIT degree campus, the state govt. has built no department yet today except the only electronic department. The fund was sanctioned during the year 2005 but till date the separate campus has been functional with only one department. The students said, “that too has been built using a low quality materials as the recent rainstorm had demolished some parts of the building.” They said, “The sophisticated instruments kept at the department are getting damaged due to the rain thus need a good care.”

Upon enquiry it is revealed that AICTE has allowed the B Tech courses to run without any mandatory inspection after 2007. In manipulating the records, the college authority runs both degree and diploma courses in same building and infrastructure with same teachers and laboratories flouting the norms for years together. The matter has been reported to AICTE and Tripura University several times but no action has taken yet, said another student.

A student of TIT complained, “The library is not equipped with qualified manpower and adequate books, internet facilities and computer. The non-teaching staffs in library, laboratories and ministerial staffs are always misbehaved with the students if they asked for their legitimate demands. Neither Principal nor the Director of Higher Education could do anything to them even if you lodged complaints. In some cases, students are getting life-threats from non-teaching staff and a section of teachers if we raise voice against malpractices.”

“Because of political influence all under qualified and inexperienced employees are posted in the laboratories. As a result, practical knowledge of the students getting degree from TIT is zero. They are become ‘No use product’ in the professional field.” The student alleged.

Recently, a section of agitating students of TIT have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister seeking his intervention to restore the academic atmosphere but no solution has been brought yet today.

The agitator students said, “The government is putting all its effort to make TIT is a breeding ground of future criminals using their power and we the students are fall prey into their obnoxious design. There doesn’t have any students’ body to look into the welfare issues of the students though teachers have everything whatever is required.”

We have resorted to some agitation and gradually it’s gaining ground. Soon it will turn violent unless it is taken due care and action, said the students.