A proposal by the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) to convert its School of Engineering (SoE) into a Centre of Excellence in Engineering is awaiting government nod.
The authorities had suggested that the SoE be converted into seven departments, instead of the present nomenclature of divisions in various areas of engineering. The seven departments are in the areas of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Science Engineering; Information Technology; and Safety Engineering.
Each department requires nearly 14 faculty members and a few administrative staff. The departments will carry out research activities in emerging areas of engineering and technology. As per the proposal, government concurrence to the 102 teaching positions and 67 non-teaching posts of the School of Engineering and the Cochin University College of Engineering, Kuttanad, is inevitable for the survival of the institutions.
The government has not yet regularised these posts while stating that the financial commitments (including salary and pension) should be met from the internal revenue of the School of Engineering. The project for restructuring has an estimated expenditure of ₹25 crore as per the proposal submitted by the varsity authorities before the government. It has also requested the Finance department to provide proportional additional grant-in-aid in the annual non-plan allocation of the university to meet the salary expenditure of the teaching and non-teaching staff members.
The faculty members pointed out that their appointments were made exactly in the same manner as in the case of other teaching posts at the university. The promotion of teachers is also effected in accordance with the guidelines of UGC/AICTE and the government, they said.
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