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This letter of request to the HRM is submitted despite
SASTRA not being in the list of 44 blacklisted deemed universities.
Well-wishers and other interested stakeholders of SASTRA University
will appreciate this move of SASTRA as it has been denied the right
scores by
The Tandon Committee.
The Hon’ble Minister for
Human Resource Development March
10, 2010
Government of India
Shastri Bhawan
New Delhi – 110 115
Dear Sir,
Greetings from SASTRA University!
This letter is in reference to the Tandon
Committee report on Deemed Universities. While we fully welcome &
appreciate the actions of the Hon’ble Minister in streamlining the
Deemed Universities, we have some serious concerns with regard to
the assessment of SASTRA University by the Tandon Committee.
Our concerns are in the following sections:
1.
With regard to the question “Whether all their present
academic activities / programmes could have been carried out without
being a deemed university; how the status of deemed university
became a stimulus for better performance?” the committee has
given us an “F” grade. This is very suprising and shocking to us
for the following reasons:
a.
SASTRA has a research internship programme which enables
students to undergo internship for a semester at MIT–Harvad. Under
this programme, currently 10 final year (B. Tech.) students are at
MIT–Harvard. This is part of the collaborative understanding between
SASTRA University & Harvard-MIT Health Science & Technology
Programme. Over 400 graduate students of science, medicine,
engineering and management from all over the world take their
training at HST. This year, 10 B.Tech. students from SASTRA
University have been selected to undergo 5-month rigorous research
internship in the areas of Biomedical Imaging, Biomedical
Informatics & Integrative Biology and Regenerative and Functional
Biomedical Technologies. Such an internship opportunity for one full
semester is possible due to the innovative course structure of
SASTRA University that can accommodate such forward looking
curricular reforms.
b.
Besides the MIT–Harvard programme, the Semester Abroad
Programme (SAP) of SASTRA University also provides a platform for
students to complete one-full semester at foreign Universities. Some
of the foreign universities that host SASTRA students are:
·
University of Leicester, UK
·
Deakin University, Australia
·
Swiss-German University, Germany
·
NUS, Singapore
·
University of Windsor, Canada
·
Tokyo City University, Japan
·
Georgia Tech University and
University of Wisonsin, Madison, U.S.A.
The course-work completed in partner foreign
institutions are awarded suitable credits as an integral part of
SASTRA’s curriculum. This enhances student’s global mobility and
makes Indian engineering education transcend national boundaries.
SASTRA’s Desh-Videsh Fund provides monthly stipend of USD 200 and
round-trip air-fare for selected students pursuing course work under
the SAP.
c.
The Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) at SASTRA University
gives the students an opportunity to select from a portfolio of
courses which are designated under three different heads. Every
student mandatorily has to register for the core courses (60%) and
the remaining courses are offered as department electives (30%) and
open electives (10%). The department electives provide choice to the
students to pursue on specific areas of interest in the chosen
engineering discipline. The open electives provide the
interdisciplinary flavour with a view to provide an overall
perspective to engineering study. Open elective course range from
management courses like Finance for Engineers, Marketing Research to
unique courses like Vedic Mathematics, Entrepreneurship, etc. The
students also have the opportunity to finish their B.Tech course
work in 3.5 years through an Accelerated Course Registration System
(ACRS) resulting in the entire 8th semester for
meaningful internship in premier research labs, Universities and
companies in both India and abroad. These flexibilities have
resulted in SASTRA being able to send the maximum number of students
under the Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS) fellowships for the last
3 consecutive years and for other internship assignments in premier
organsiations both inside and outside the country.
In the year 2004 Dr.Anandakrishnan headed an AICTE
committee on revamping undergraduate engineering curriculum and
held a consultation workshop in IIT, Chennai. SASTRA University also
participated in this and also discussed on Dr.Aatre committee’s
recommendation of shortening course work period to 3 years and
one-year internship. SASTRA University introduced the CBCS and
ACRS to ensure that bright students embark on long-term internships
in reputed organisations and also complete courses of
inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary nature. While this sytem
is in practice for many years at SASTRA, many public universities
are still grappling with the CBCS and less talked about ACRS.
d.
Though undergraduate programme in Biotechnology has been
offered in various institutions in the country, it is very pertinent
to note that many institutions including Anna Unviersity, Chennai
have modelled theirs against SASTRA Biotechnology curriculum. As a
matter of fact, the School of Chemical & Biotechnology has been
ranked No 1 in the country for the second consecutive year in the
private category by an independent survey conducted by Biospectrum,
India’s largest Biotechnology publication.
e.
SASTRA was the first to introduce a M. Tech. programme in
“Medical Nanotechnology’ in the year 2005 and this programme is
supported by the Nano Mission Council, Department of Science &
Technology, New Delhi which also appreciated the innovative
curriculum and course design.
f.
SASTRA University is also offering a unique collaborative M.
Tech. programme in Nuclear Engineering jointly with Indira Gandhi
Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkan, M/s L&T Heavy
Engineering, Mumbai and the University of Windsor, Canada. In this
joint programme, the students complete the first semester at SASTRA,
second & third semester at University of Winsdor and return for
internship in the final semester either at IGCAR or M/s L&T,
Mumbai. This unique programme will augment the human resource
requirement in the area of Nuclear Engineering especially at a time
when India needs it the most. The studnets will also earn a M.Eng.
degree from University of Windsor making this the first of its type
intitiative in India.
g.
After becoming a Deemed University, SASTRA has introduced the
integrated M. Sc. B. Ed. Programme in Mathematics and Computer
Science along with M. Com. B. Ed. & M. A. B. Ed. with the sole of
aim of providing quality teachers at the school level. As teaching
profession is being considered on par with medical, legal and
engineering, the idea was to provide an opening from +2 level itself
instead of choosing teaching profession as a last resort for the
students who could not get admission in professional courses. This
innovative course was introduced to attract intelligent and bright
students with an aptitute for teaching. In fact, the UGC
constituted a committee to examine the innovation in this programme
in which Prof. M. Anandakrishnan was a member. The committee
acknowledged the innovation of the programme and approved the
introduction of the integrated programmes. Thus the integrated M.
Sc. B. Ed., M. A. B. Ed. & M. Com. B. Ed. programmes were then added
under section 22 of the UGC Act 1956. as approved nomenclature of
degrees by the MHRD. SASTRA University conducted two workshops for
framing the curriculum and spent nearly four years seeking approval
from NCTE,UGC and MHRD.
h.
SASTRA’s innovative thinking led to the introduction of the
MCA programme for employees of M/s Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
recruited under Project Ignite of TCS. Ignite recruits Science
graduates for the mainstream software sevrices business. SASTRA has
designed and is offering a customised MCA programme for all the
Ignite Associates. This programme integrates workplace training and
projects along with SASTRA’s course curriculum and levarages various
ICT tools in its delivery and evaluation. This first of the type
industry-instiute interaction is rated as the largest continuing
education programme in India. Similarly many innovative &
collaborative programmes have been introduced with
industry/government support:
§
M.Tech. in Bioinformatics, funded
by DBT, Govt. of India
§
M.Tech in Advanced Manufacturing
jointly with M/s Lucas-TVS
§
M.S. by Reserach jointly with M/s
ECIL, Hyderabad
§
B.Tech in Mechatronics jointly with
M/s Brakes India Ltd.
§
Introduction of TCS & Infosys
training programme as 8th semester course-work for the
B.Tech. students campus-recruited by these companies. This was
suggested by SASTRA and well received by the comapnies and has
reduced the training time for the companies.
Page 17 of the committee report states “Deemed
Universities were expected to introduce new programmes in emerging
areas with attendant innovations in quest for excellence…”. It is
very unfortunate that the Committee has missed out on the various
innovative measures highlighted above and has mentioned that these
could be achieved being a regular college in our regimental
University affiliation system. SASTRA’s innovative initiatives would
have been curtailed but for its University status.
In fact, when the Information Technology sector was
gaining momentum in the country, I had written to the All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for approval to start a
B.Tech. programme in Information Technology on 27.12.1989. The
matter was represented to AICTE by the State Government on 1.2.1990.
AICTE wanted to know the difference between CSE and IT through their
Advisor Prof. B. E. Sangameshwara, which was explained by us.
Unfortunately, it took about 8 years for the babus at AICTE
to realize the importance of Information Technology and the approval
was granted only on 29.08.1997. Subsequently every institution
started the course and the country is benefitted by the Information
Technology graduates.
Similarly, an attempt by SASTRA during the mid-90s to
introduce an engineering programme in Artificial Intelligence &
Robotics (AIR) was withdrawn due to the lack of knowledge of the
affiliating University. Under the guidance of Dr.Vidyasagar (Center
for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics) a B.Tech. programme on AI&R
was designed and submitted for approval. The affiliating University
appointed a local committee which wanted to rename the course as
Production Engineering. Shocked at this ignorant response, the
institution withdrew the application out of sheer frustration.
The Tandon committee has failed to appreciate the
various curricular reforms undertaken by SASTRA University by
constructively using its University status for better performace.
This being the case, we strongly feel that the “F” grade may be an
oversight or the committee members have omitted to take note of the
above despite having copies of the UGC review committe report in
which the UGC committee had commended SASTRA for introducing
innovative and need based programmes. Similar complimentary
observations have also been made by the NAAC committee during its
re-accreditation visit.
2.
SASTRA is recognised as a Scientific & Industrial Research
Organisation and is engaged in research for various agencies like
DST, CSIR, DRDO, DRDL, DBT, AYUSH, ICMR, etc. besides other private
organisations. Currently, SASTRA is engaged in more than 40 R&D
projects funded by various agencies.
At present there are 25 & 354 research scholars
pursuing full-time & part-time Ph.D. programmes at SASTRA. To
encourage full-time doctoral research, SASTRA has established a
Teaching Assisstantship fund to pay salaries (Rs 10,000 per month)
for the full-time researchers without having to rely on government
grants. It also provides in-house seed money to faculty members to
pursue research and also award various incentives to faculty members
for quality publication, supervision of Ph. D. students, etc.
Moreover, the invetsment for research in the last five years is
Rs. 45.7 Crores. In the last 3.5 years, SASTRA has 456
publications in SCI, SCOPUS and non-zero impact factors journals.
SASTRA’S research pursuit has resulted in establishing the following
research centres:
·
TIFAC-CORE in Advanced Computing &
Information Processing
·
Center for Nanotechnology &
Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB)
·
Center for Advanced Research in
Indian Systrem of Medicine (CARISM)
·
National Facility for Metal
Toxicity Studies
·
National Mechatronics Facility
·
Center for Advanced Research in
Environment (CARE)
·
DST-Ramanujan Chair for Discrete
Mathematics & Number Theory
Some notable achievements of the above centres are:
1.
CARISM disputed the findings of two researchers from Harvard
and Boston Medical School on the issue of heavy metals in
traditional medicine. Their publication in the Journal of American
Medical Association was disputed by CARISM which conducted an
in-house study and disproved their findings resulting in a joint
collaboartion between SASTRA & Boston University in the area of
traditional medicine.
2.
CeNTAB is engaged in high-end Nanotechnology based research
for healthcare and energy applications resulting in high quality
publications and Innovative Young Biotechnoligist Award from the
Department of Biotechnology.
3.
CARE successfully completed a research on integrated water
supply management in the deltaic region of Thanjavur and this
landmark research is significant considering the ongoing Cauvery
water dispute.
Besides these, more than 10 reputed corporates have
come forward to establish Chair Professorship for research at SASTRA
University.
The rules & regulations of the Ph.D. programme at
SASTRA has been carefully designed without compromising on the
quality of doctoral research. The Research Advisory Council headed
by Prof.V.S.Ramamurthy and comprising senior academics and
researchers like Dr.A.Gnanam, Dr.O.P.Agarwal, Dr.N.Jayasankaran,
etc. provide the reaseach guidance to SASTRA and also audit the
doctoral work of the Ph.D. scholars. The rules of the doctoral
programme insist on a minum of two publications in reputed
international journals, external evaluation of thesis by 2 members –
one Indian and the other foreign, successful completion of 4
courses, etc. These are quality reinforcement measures in the
doctoral programme which many State Universities have not followed
and only trying to implement in the recent times. In fact, one State
University introduced the concept of coursework recently only after
perusing SASTRA’s rules and regulations for Ph.D. work.
As per the committee’s report, Article 4 (a) (i) of the
UGC guidelines also contemplates the need for innovative and very
high academic standards in teaching programmes at the Master’s
and/or Research level. This being the case, awarding “C” grade for
Doctoral & other research degree programme is not justifiable
considering the quality of research projects, doctoral and master’s
level degree programmes.
3.
Admission Process:
SASTRA’s admission process has won public acclaim for its
transparency and merit. 70% of the students are admitted based on
their normalized higher secondary examination marks and the
remaining 30% are admitted through the All India Engineering
Entrance Examination (AIEEE) for which counsellign is conducted by
Central Counselling Board of the MHRD. It is a well known fact that
SASTRA follows a transparant, merit-based admission procedure and
does not collect even a single rupee as capitation fee or donation
since it is against the morals and ethos of the Management. In
2007, when the government of Tamilnadu appointed a committee under
the Chairmanship of Dr.Anandakrishnan to scrap the Common Entrance
Exam, Prof. M. Thangamuthu, the then Vice-Chancellor of
Bharathidasan University and member of this committe, sought inputs
from SASTRA on the procedure of normalisation and how the ranking
list was issued. Whilst so, it is imperative that the Tandon
committe in which Dr. M. Anandakrishnan is a member, should have
fully appreciated the admission process of SASTRA.
The Industrial Economist Editor Mr.Viswanathan was a
witness to the admission process in the year 2007 and published in
his magazine an article titled “SASTRA – No capitation fees”
and appreciated the transparent and merit based admission system of
SASTRA. It is also the practice of SASTRA to invite senior members
of the fourth estate to witness the admission system of SASTRA every
academic year. This only proves the transparent admission system at
SASTRA which has received public acclaim and appreciation from
various visitng teams.
We have been awarded with a “B” grade and equated with
other institutions known for collecting capitation fees, etc. and
this has indeed hurt our morale. I am sure that such inaccuracies
in grading would be not be tolerated by the Hon’ble Minister and
would be rectified immediately.
4.
We have been awarded “C” grade with respect to governance. I
would like to submit that SASTRA as erstwhile Shanmgha College of
Engineering had applied for accreditation to the National Board of
Accreditation (NBA) when it was introduced in 1996 and had got good
grades. Subsequently all the visiting teams, from both the NBA and
NAAC have appreciated the efforts of the Management in providing the
right governance and strategic leadership. The committes have also
appreciated the vision of the management and its financial support
(without collecting capitation fees) to run the University. In fact
our Management needs to be lauded for this effort and instead the
Committee members have looked with a narrow vision by awarding only
“C” grade.
It is very apparent and in my own opinion, the
Committee members have unfortunately gone into the task of reviewing
the functioning of certain Deemed Universities (including SASTRA)
with prejudice. To substantiate this, I would like to bring to your
kind attention that 2 Deemed Universities having the same NAAC grade
and score have been placed in different categories by the Tandon
committee. As you may be also aware that NAAC grades are
awarded after a team of highly qualified academics undergo the
meticulous exercise of visiting the institute for three days to
assess curriculum, teaching, learning & evaluation process,
Research, Infrastructure, Student Progression and Governance apart
from their interactions with students, faculty, parents, alumni,
etc.
Needless to mention, there is a totalling mistake and the score of
SASTRA in the present rating mechanism is 22 and not 21. In addition
to this, we request the Hon’ble HRD Minister to look into the
aberrations of the Tandon Committee and kindly instruct for proper
evalaution & grading and set right the distortions.
Thanking you with regards.
Yours faithfully,
Prof. R.
Sethuraman
Vice-Chancellor
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