Q: Recently, the Madras High Court directed the Anna University to release the ranklist of engineering colleges (now on hold) based on the examination performance of students. Can we join a college if its students have performed well in the semester examination? - Namadevan, Vellore The pass percentage is only one of the many factors that help in determining the quality of a college. We have to examine other factors such as the organisational culture, infrastructure, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, faculty competency and placement level. In the absence of any other information, the ranking based on pass percent would provide a fair indication about the quality of teachers and other facilities available. The most critical factor is the quality of teachers. Many colleges do not have the required number of teachers with high calibre.However, this kind of ranking must be based on the results of at least three or more semesters and not just one semester results. A student must note one aspect before judging a college based on the ranking. Since there are five Anna Universities of Technology, each one would release a separate ranking. Aspirants must keep in mind that a college which is ranked number one in one region could be as good (or as bad) as the last ranking college in another region.The best way to overcome this problem is to make the NBA Accreditation mandatory for all colleges.Q: Last year, I read in newspapers that students of some self-financing engineering colleges were complaining about lack of facilities in their institutions. The students said they had joined the college through single window counselling conducted by Anna University. My son is an engineering aspirant. I want to know if all colleges listed in the single window counselling this year are good and trustworthy.-Albert Appasamy, ThoothukudiNot all colleges listed for counselling under single window system are good. Listing is only based on the affiliation status of the institution and not based on any quality criteria. It is an open secret that sometimes approval from the AICTE and affiliation to the Anna Universities of Technology can be obtained easily through right “contacts” and backroom dealings. Hence, there is no wonder that the students from a large number of self-financing engineering colleges are complaining about lack of infrastructure and other facilities. Based on certain quality criteria, we can classify colleges as ‘Very Good’ (A Category), ‘Good’ (B), Average (C) and Bad (D). Before choosing a college, we must therefore check the rating of the college in terms of not only the pass percentage but also the overall facilities available. According to a recent ranking by the AUT Chennai, only less than 10 percent of the colleges belong to ‘A’ Category, while more than 50 percent belong to the ‘D’ Category.Surprisingly, more than 10 percent have less than 10 percent pass percentage in examinations. Very bad indeed!Q: When I went to a self-financing engineering college for a seat under the management quota for my daughter, they demanded a higher capitation fee for ECE course and only Rs 2 lakh for Mechanical Engineering? Does this mean that Mechanical Engineering does not have any value in the job market? -R Shanti, KancheepuramBoth the courses have good employment opportunities. However, ECE has got better scope in IT industries and a BE graduate with ECE might get slightly higher remuneration.However, that does not mean that Mechanical Engineering does not have any scope. I know an engineering college in Coimbatore which collected a capitation fee of Rs 16 lakh for Mechanical Engineering this year. The manufacturing industry in India is estimated to grow at 20 percent or more in the next few years. India is ranked second in terms of manufacturing competence and is fast becoming a global manufacturing hub. Therefore, there would be a good demand for mechanical engineers in India as well as abroad. Q: If a student takes a seat in the Guindy College of Engineering or Madras Institute of Technology and does not join the course, will the seat be included in single window counselling again?-Gandiban, Madurai.Such seats in the constituent colleges of Anna University will remain vacant.(concluded)
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