TEQIP funding potential underutilised

Updated on: Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Top-ranking private technical institutions in Tamil Nadu have either not applied or have been rejected for funding under Phase II of TEQIP (Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme), monitored by the National Project Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, understandably due to the disinclination of the State Government to pass on the benefits of the project to non-government institutions.

The applications of all 30 private self-financing institutions routed through the State Government for TEQIP Phase II funding have been rejected, official sources said. Having been cold-shouldered by the State Government for funding under phase I, some of the top-ranking deemed universities, including the SASTRA University, Thanjavur, have not applied for Phase II funding. SRM University, VIT and other leading deemed universities had also applied in vain for the TEQIP Phase I funding.

With the World Bank taking keen interest in systemic transformation of India's technical education system to make it globally competitive, the TEQIP was conceived as a long-term programme spread over 10 to 12 years in pursuance of the National Policy on Education 1986 (Revised 1992).

The goal was to improve the quality of technical education and enhance existing capacities of the institutions to become dynamic, demand-driven, quality conscious, efficient and forward-looking, responsive to rapid economic and technological developments occurring both at national and international levels. The Phase - I of TEQIP was implemented in 13 States and covered 127 institutions, including 18 Centrally-funded Institutions. It became effective in March 2003 and completed on March 31, 2009.

TEQIP-I started a reform process in 127 institutions, including 18 Centrally-funded institutions, between March 2003 and March 2009. The project, for instance, brought in remarkable transformation on the teaching and research fronts at the NIT-T. As many as 76 faculty visited high-ranking universities in other countries during the Phase-I implementation period, said the TEQIP Coordinator at NIT-T, Swaminathan.

The sequel project TEQIP - II was planned to sustain and scale up the gains in the system and taking the transformation to a higher level. The objectives of TEQIP Phase II constitute strengthening institutions to produce high quality engineers for better employability; scaling-up postgraduate education and demand-driven Research & Development and Innovation; establishing Centres of Excellence for focused applicable research; training of faculty for effective teaching; and enhancing institutional and system management effectiveness.

Of the estimated project cost of Rs. 2450 crore, the World Bank credit would be to the tune of over Rs. 1,395 crore. The rest of the cost is borne by the Centre and the States. However, Tamil Nadu has apparently not made the most of the funding. Only four institutions: The Centrally-funded National Institute of Technology - Tiruchi (NIT-T) and three State-funded institutions: Manonmaniam Sundarajar University, Tirunelveli; Guindy Engineering College, and Madras Institute of Technology, have qualified for TEQIP Phase II funding. Irrespective of their academic standing, the desire of private institutions to be a part of the TEQIP even on a cost sharing basis has been unfortunately ignored by the State Government, it is learnt.

R. Sethuraman, vice-chancellor of SASTRA University, which topped the list of eligible self-financing institutions for TEQIP Phase I funding, sees a paradox in the State Government promoting the spread of private institutions on the one hand and scuttling their progress on the other. “Due to the negative attitude of the State Government, we did not apply this time,” he said.

Citing the instance of Maharashtra for inclusion of private institutions for TEQIP funding, Dr. Sethuraman appealed to the Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, to ensure that the State Government followed suit in the interests of the student community. Any tangible asset created with the funding is bound to be of utility to the people in the State, he emphasised.

Deemed universities have meanwhile approached the MHRD for direct funding under TEQIP Phase II as done for central institutions, he said.

TEQIP funding potential underutilised

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