In view of low student enrollment, the technical education department is contemplating to close 20 polytechnic colleges in the state. The students of these colleges would be shifted to nearby colleges and the teachers deployed there would be transferred in the colleges where they are required.
The secretary in charge, higher and technical education, Ashok Kumar told The Pioneer that the department has identified these colleges. He said that in these colleges the number of students is very less and in many cases the students are less than five. Kumar however added that a final decision on closure of these colleges has not yet been taken.
It is learnt that the technical education department is in contact with the higher education department to explore possibility of use of the building and other infrastructure of these poly technique colleges by government colleges.
On the question of decrease in employability of the students of polytechnic colleges as reason of decreasing interest of students, Ashok Kumar said that the employability percentage in state is 40 percent. It is pertinent to mention here that there are 71 polytechnic colleges in Uttarakhand with a capacity of 17220 students.
The technical education department is under pressure to operate the polytechnic colleges on the norms prescribed by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).
In this endeavour the department is now focusing on closing the colleges with less students and starting new courses.