Notes From The Machines

• BSP's Akhilesh Das runs a cluster of colleges under the banner of Babu Banarsi Das Institute
• BSP's former minister Naresh Agarwal owns IMS Engineering College.
• UP tourism minister Vinod Singh runs KNI Engineering College in his
  constituency, Sultanpur
• Former BJP minister Om Prakash Singh is associated with Sardar Patel Institute of Dental Sciences in Lucknow
• Congress's Sanjay Singh owns the Raja Rananjay Singh Memorial College of Engineering in Amethi
• Congress's Pramod Tiwari started the SP Engineering College in Allahabad

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Given the nature and reputation of rough-and-tumble politics in India, one might update Dr Johnson’s famous comment and say, ‘politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel’. But in the 21st century, Uttar Pradesh—that heady patchwork of political activity—has education as the last refuge of the politician. It’s with a reason that politicians have brought about a change in policies that gave rise to the growth of private institutions for higher technical education. A large number of private engineering, medical or dental colleges in India’s most populous state have the financial backing of politicians. A number of private campuses are thriving around Lucknow on sprawling plots acquired by prominent politicians or their kin over the years (see box).

As of today, there are as many as 689 private professional schools in the state. These include 280 engineering colleges—in sharp contrast, there are only seven government-run engineering colleges apart from the famous IIT Kanpur. “The bulk of UP’s private professional institutions have come up in the last five years,” says Vrinda Sarup, state principal secretary (technical education). “These have gone a long way in throwing open the doors of higher professional education to UP students who had to go all the way to southern states to pursue their academic quests,” she says. Sarup, however, declined to comment on the quality of education at these centres of learning, which most agree are mere teaching shops that are churning out technical graduates armed with ornamental degrees, but without the skills that would land them decent jobs.

As a former director of technical education, who prefers not to be named, tells Outlook, “Technical education has become the favourite destination of many politicians because of its potential to multiply their investments.” He adds, “politicians preferred setting up engineering colleges as compared to medical colleges, because of the relatively lesser infrastructure needs.” What tempts them is the “easy money” that comes largely out of the 15 per cent quota colleges are allowed in the seats. Moreover, the vacant seats vest into the discretionary quota of the promoters, who make the most of it.

As for the faculty, less said the better. Observes a veteran professor at the state-run Institute of Engineering and Technology in Lucknow: “It is rare to find a properly qualified faculty member in most private colleges that have sprung up in the recent past; mostly these run largely on ad-hoc arrangements.” Politicians are believed to be quite blase about flaunting their association with such institutions. “Every time they are questioned on rules being bypassed or about violation of regulations, they do not hesitate to even intimidate the person concerned,” points out the former director.