Daijiworld Media Network - Kaup (SP)

Kaup, Aug 7: Preparations are under way to see that the first ever AICTE-approved government polytechnic college of Kaup taluk will start functioning at Devinagar, Belapu village, from the current academic year. The college will offer two diploma courses which are new to the district.

The department of higher education had given its sanction for setting up new polytechnics in five places in the state at Channagiri, Honnali, Gauribidanur, Koppa and Belapu. The sanction was given in 2017 and works were taken up that year. The construction began at a cost of eight crore rupees in 2018 in 5.39 acres of government land at Belapu in 2018. The building has been completed and handed over.

AICTE has to give initial approval to start diploma courses in government polytechnic colleges. After getting the AICTE approval, the state government sanctions various courses and posts. Proposal had been sent to the concerned department seeking permission to start technical courses in Belapu government polytechnic college.

Now approval has been received for starting automation and robotics, and cloud computing and big data courses in the college.

In Udupi district, the polytechnic at Belapu would be the third, after the ones in Manipal and Karkala. In addition there is an aided polytechnic at Nitte and three engineering colleges. The government polytechnic colleges in Manipal and Karkala offer civil engineering, computer science engineering, electronics and communication engineering and mechanical engineering departments.

A decision whether admission will be given offline or online has not been decided. After the SSLC result is announced, entry of these students will be taken on first priority. Students from other districts including Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have an opportunity to get admitted to technical courses. Including category reservation and merit, 60 seats have been sanctioned including the three government quotas.

Belapu polytechnic college building has been completed. Computer systems, furniture, air-conditioned rooms, computer lab, machinery for technical education, workshop, students' hostels, residential quarters for the principal and staff, canteen, cafeteria, security systems, compound wall around the college, gate etc are yet to be undertaken. The road leading to the college is in a bad shape and it has to be attended to.

Manjunath Prasad, special officer, Belapu government polytechnic college, says that higher officials have completed inspection and about five crore rupees has been set aside to provide fittings and other things needed by the institution. He said that the process of transfer of staff is being undertaken in a week, and steps are being taken to appoint staff including office staff shortly. He said that the deputy commissioner and MLA have been requested to attend to the development of the connecting road.