Engineering graduates lose out on opportunities as colleges withhold certificates

HYDERABAD: Months after being rapped and issued show-cause notice by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU)-Hyderabad, its affiliated engineering colleges are now using marksheets as a bait to collect project fees from students who passed out this year.  

Students, who have not paid the project fees or bought it from outside, have not been issued marksheets on the ground that they have dues, ranging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 13,000 to clear.

Unable to obtain the marksheets even after months has cost several students their career as without educational certificates they cannot apply for jobs, government or private.  

N Narasimha, a B.Tech graduate from a private engineering college at Ghatkesar, has been waiting for months now for his marksheet that he hopes holds the promise of a better future. Son of a mobile repair shop owner, Narasimha had to sell off his mother’s gold ornament to pay college fees. When the Telangana State Public Service Commission issued notification for recruitment of 1,857 Forest Beat Officers in the forest department (EFS&T) of the state, he wanted to apply.

“The college administrative officer refused to give my marksheet stating that I have pending dues. I pleaded with them to at least give the photo copy so that I could apply for the job but they did not heed my request,” said Narasimha who is currently jobless.

To supplement the classroom teaching, all engineering students are required to submit a mini project in their third year of the course, followed by a major project in their final year. They carry 50 and 200 marks respectively and are deemed an important criterion for recruitment too. As per the rule book, students can either do this with the help of college faculty or through private organisations. Over the past few years, these projects, students allege, have become a means to fleece them, with colleges ‘selling’ them for anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 15,000.

‘Such fee collection is against norms’

JNTUH registrar N Yadaiah said that collection of such fee from students is against norms. Such activities are against the guidelines,” he said and added that JNTUH was only concerned with regulation of quality of academics. “We issued notices to all colleges and showcause notices from those we got complaints.But, it is government that has to take action,” he said. However, since show-cause notices were sent to a handful of colleges, others continue to employ cheap modes of making money.