This is how UVCE turns them into engineers

The city’s most sought-after engineering college isn’t as good as it claims to be. The University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, popularly known as the UVCE, presented a sorry picture when the Bangalore University registrar (administration), BC Mylarappa, inspected the premises on Saturday.

The college, which hand-picks top talent, had not kept its end of the bargain. Poor infrastructure, dust-laden equipment, and squalid labs were the so-called facilities that the students enjoy.

The lab equipment for the mechanical engineering students is about 80 years old (purchased during the British regime in India). The college staff is also not at liberty to rid of the old and worn-out equipment, as the university has to give them permission to dispose these of.

“The university has scarp worth `5 crore. However, we require permission of the officials to dispose it of,” said a university engineer. There has been no scrap clearance for the past 10 years. The classrooms too were congested. “Over 120 students were accommodated in a classroom which can hold only 40,” said KR Venugopal, principal of UVCE. The college is also in need of more maintenance staff.  “We have eight cleaners for the college. We at least need 20,” he said.

Hostel hostile UVCE’s men’s hostel was even more pathetic than the college infrastructure.  The students have been enduring broken toilet doors, less water in bathrooms and an unhygienic kitchen. More that six students occupy a small room. The hostel, which has 62 rooms are meant to accommodate about120 students; however, currently it houses 300 students.

“Beggars colony is in a better state than this hostel.  Someone is bound to catch a deadly disease here,” said Mylarappa, adding that he will discuss the matter during the syndicate meeting that will be held on Wednesday.