College loses aero engineering course to oversight

Park College of Technology represented by its principal N Krishnakumar had contended that they had obtained affiliation from All India council of Technical Education (AICTE) in six branches of Engineering including Aeronautical Engineering. But, Anna University while granting permission on April 30, 2018 for the academic year 2018-19 offered affiliation for all courses except for Aeronautical Engineering.

Pointing out that they have wrongly surrendered the Aeronautical course while their intention was to surrender Agricultural Engineering, the plea sought the Court to direct Anna University to consider their representation sent on June 22, 2018 in this regard. 

Anna University in its counter has stated that though the college had obtained AICTE approval for the Aeronautical Engineering with intake of 60 students for the academic year 2018-19, the college while making their application for affiliation had failed to seek affiliation for the Aeronautical Engineering, and hence affiliation was granted only for the courses sought for.

Justice S Vaidyanathan on disposing the plea, said “The petitioner has submitted his application only on the last date April 30, 2018. That apart, the cut-off date has expired on May 15. This court cannot extend the date already fixed by the Apex Court, unless the decision of Anna University is arbitrary and illegal.”

However, the judge on holding that from the above narration of events, there is a possibility of over-sight in surrendering the BE (Aeronautical engineering) instead of BE (Agricultural Engineering), said “This court is of the view that in case the petitioner fulfils the conditions required with regard to affiliation of BE (Aeronautical Engineering) for the next academic year (2019-2020), the same shall be considered, for the present academic year, the petitioner college would not be entitled to the relief.”