KARACHI, Nov 19: The Sindh government has sought willingness from the federal government in regard to transfer of Dawood College of Engineering and Technology (DCET) to it, said sources in the government.
A source in the provincial education department said that there had been talks and meetings on the issue of transfer of DCET to Sindh, since after the federal cabinet’s decision taken in 2001 to hand over the control of the college to Sindh, but things had not yet been shaped up.
Now the sindh government, which has already made up its mind to set terms for taking over the college, has moved the federal government on the issue, seeking its view point so that further necessary action in the matter can be taken.
The DCET, established by the Dawood Foundation in 1964, was nationalized in 1972, and at present is controlled by the federal education ministry through a Board of Governors and an Executive Committee.
In view of its alleged pathetic academic and administrative affairs, the NED University of Engineering and Technology had disaffiliated the college in 1998. However, as the crisis hit the college, it was formally given affiliation by the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUE&T), Jamshoro in 1999, when the Governor of Sindh extended territorial jurisdiction of the university.
It was learnt that at a meeting chaired by the Sindh governor a couple of month back it was resolved that the Sindh government would take over the college as offered earlier by the federal government, provided the standing financial deficit and other liabilities of the college were cleared by the federal government.
Over 1600 students are enrolled at the college and at least one batch of successful candidates is still awaiting the approval and recognition of degrees conferred by MUE&T, by the Pakistan Engineering Council which had discredited the college degrees some years back in the wake of alleged academic and professional deficiencies.
The sources said the federal secretary, Ministry of Education, had been informed by the Sindh education secretary that the government might implement the decision of the federal cabinet, provided the federal government continued to extend the required appropriate financial support in regard to recurring and development expenditures of DCET.
Regarding the proposed set of actions in case the Sindh government takes over the college, it was learnt that Sindh government would change the composition of the Board of Governors by including more professional and province-based members.
The Sindh government would also move for change of affiliation of the DCET from NUST/GIK or University of Karachi, and would vest more powers and freedom to the college management. However, the sources were very much clear that Sindh government would be able to take any action towards transfer of the college only when the federal government agreed to provide funds to the tune of Rs282 million for the liabilities, and to meet the future expenditures on upgrade of the existing laboratories.
One source said that two proposals furnished by two different quarters were also considered recently, but those were not found viable for the government. One proposal said DCET could be made a constituent part of NED University of Engineering and Technology, and the amount required on account of liabilities and future development could be transferred to the university.
However, another source said the government wanted to change the existing admission policy of the college; the Sindh government believed that the federal character of the admission policy would not suit provincial-based institutions and it would review the admission policy subject to the approval of the federal government.
It was further said that if the college was given under the provincial control, the existing staff of the college could be owned by the provincial education department as well, instead of surrendering there services to the federal government.
It was understood that the staff position at the college would be reviewed and any surplus staff would be diverted to other educational institutions of the Sindh government,” said a source.
