KARACHI, Aug 28: Sindh Education Department has directed the administration of Government College of Technology (GCT), to get re-affiliated with the NED University of Engineering and Technology to restart Bachelor of Technology (B Tech) classes at the college.

Interestingly, the GCT is still facing acute shortage of qualified faculty, and lab equipment, despite several pledges and tall claims by the education department officials to make up the deficiencies.

The NED varsity had disaffiliated the GCT for holding B Tech (Honours) and Pass programme, a few years back, owing to paucity of qualified teachers and well-equipped labs at the college.

The NED varsity had cancelled GCT’s affiliation with the varsity for three-year B Tech (Honours) and two-year B Tech (Pass) degree programmes after getting approval from the syndicate, which ruled that unless the situation was improved at the GCT, the university would not hold B Tech (Honours) and (Pass) exams of its students.

“GCT administration was given a notice of one year to improve its teaching standards, lab facilities and for acquiring qualified faculty, by the Affiliation Committee of the NED varsity if they wanted to remain affiliated with NED,” an NED varsity official informed, adding that the GCT’s failure in fulfilling the requirements resulted in its disaffiliation with the varsity.

“They (GCT staff) used to perform B Tech practical work at the same labs used for diploma courses, whereas they had hired two diploma holders to teach B Tech courses, which was a clear violation of University rules and regulations,” he disclosed.

He attributed the disaffiliation to lack of interest on the part of provincial education department for providing enough funds and staff for conducting B Tech degree programme at the GCT.

“Although Asian Development Bank (ADB) was willing to provide Rs60 million for the betterment of technical education in Sindh, they (Education Department) showed criminal reluctance in provision of equipment, faculty and other requirements asked by the NED varsity to have it affiliated,” he added.

NED Affiliation Committee placed the case of the GCT before the varsity Academic Council after conducting repeated inspections. Notices and warnings regarding disaffiliation of the both degree courses were dispatched to the GCT authorities for considerations, but in vain, the official said.

Later, the matter was put before the NED Syndicate, which after giving a one-year time period to the GCT, approved the disaffiliation, he maintained.—PPI