With a stupendous growth in the number of engineering colleges in the state of Tamil Nadu in the last five years, all attempts have been made to improve the quality of education offered at these colleges and to raise them to global standards to meet the stringent quality expected to be offered at world-class institutions.
The Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) of Government of India has been conceived in pursuance of the NPE-1986 (as revised in 1992). The Programme aims to upscale and support ongoing efforts of GOI to improve quality of technical education and enhance existing capacities of the institutions to become dynamic, demand-driven, quality conscious, efficient and forward looking, responsive to rapid economic and technological developments occurring both at national and international levels.
- The broad objectives of the Programme are to create an environment in which engineering institutions selected under the Programme can achieve their own set targets for excellence and sustain the same with autonomy and accountability, support development plans including synergistic networking and services to community and economy for achieving higher standards, and to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the technical education management system. The effort would provide a flexible platform to performing institutions to acquire excellence in specialized areas and emerge as world-class institutions.
- The Programme will be implemented as a centrally coordinated, multi-state, long-term Programme in overlapping phases. Under each phase, there will be 2 to 3 cycles of selection of performing institutions in a competitive manner. For the First Cycle of the First Phase, six States namely, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana and Maharashtra have been selected to participate in the programme based on their commitment and preparedness. All other States/UTs have the option to participate in subsequent selection cycles depending upon the prepardness of their institutions.
The Programme Components are:
Component-I: Institutional Development (funded on competitive basis ) will undertake
- Promotion of academic excellence in institutions
- Networking for quality enhancement and resource sharing
- Services to community and industry ;
Component -II: Systemic Management Capacity Improvement (Funded on investment proposals)
- The estimated cost of the First Phase of the Programme is Rs. 1550 crores which includes Rs. 350 crores in the Central sector. The centrally funded institutions will get funds through Central budget and States funded institutions through their respective States budgets. During the First Phase of the Programme about 17-20 well performing Engineering institutions will be developed as centers of excellence called Lead Institutions. Each Lead institution will network with 3-5 Engineering institutions called Network Institutions, located preferably in the neighborhood. The Programme will support 50 to 60 Network Institutions. In addition, well performing Polytechnics are also proposed to be upgraded to offer practice-focused degree level programmes as Networked Institutions.
- Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme(TEQIP) of Government of India has been negotiated with the World Bank in September 2002 for upgrading the quality of Technical Education system. The NPIU functions as the facilitating, implementing, coordinating and monitoring body at National level under the guidance of National Project Director (NPD) in the TEQIP implementation.
- The establishment of National Project Implementation Unit (NPIU) was approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in August, 1990 in relation to the strengthening of Technician Education in the country. The major responsibilities of NPIU are:
- Study of the Project objectives and strategies, identification of the corresponding roles of each participating Central institutes and the States/UT, preparation of a national strategy and framework for scheme design within which the Projects would be implemented.
- Orientation of the State Directorates of Technical Education, State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), Polytechnics, Central institutes and other organizations to the national framework.
- Facilitation of the conduct of organizational diagnosis of the institutions mentioned above on request, to identify internal gaps and weaknesses and provide appropriate feedback to the authorities to take corrective actions.
- Provision of assistance to participating States/UT with the help of TTTIs, NTMIS and external consultants for formulating policy, administrative and academic actions to achieve Project objectives.
- Provision of guidance and assistance to the Project States/UT for resource planning and development in the area of civil construction, equipment procurement, information base, staff development, project finance management etc.
- Arranging periodical reviews of progress of the Project through Joint Review Mission comprising of National Project Director, officials of NPIU and a team of the World Bank to suggest initiatives and corrective measures for keeping the project activities on track and reformulate implementation schedules on the basis of progress, problems and issues faced by the States/UT.
- Coordinating with the DGS&D and COFMOW in matters relating to procurement of equipment required by the States/UT.
- Identifying places/institutions for fellowship training, select staff to undergo fellowships and arrange fellowship programmes.
- Monitoring disbursement of Project funds to the States based on actual expenditure and agreed norms and procedures for reimbursement.
- Establishing and operating a computer-based Management Information System (MIS) through effective links with the MIS Center in the State Directorates of Technical Education.
- Liaison with the Department of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the All India Council of Technical Education, the All India Boards of Technician Education and Continuing Education, the National Board of Accreditation etc.
- Preparation of Implementation Completion Report, Impact Studies and final evaluation.
During implementation of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme of Government of India, the NPIU will broadly assist NPD in:
- Planning and execution of the Programme.
- Preparing various documents required for Programme execution and creating awareness among the Programme States and Institutions.
- Facilitating negotiations with the World Bank.
- Coordinating with the States to prepare Composite Proposals, and selection process in all cycles of the First Phase of the Programme.
- Facilitating Liaison with the Central Government Ministries/Departments, States and the funding agency.
- Organizing educational research studies.
- Conducting bi-annual Joint Review Missions to monitor Programme activities.
- Assuring Quality of Technical Education through Programme Implementation Plan.
- Facilitating and ensuring implementation of policy initiatives.
- Ensuring adequate and timely fund flow to the institutions.
- Facilitating institutions in their interaction with industry and community, and provide guidance for enhancing services to community and economy
- Training procurement related officials of State Project Facilitation Unit and Institution and carryout procurement of large value equipment during the first year of the Programme and monitor procurement of goods during the Programme period.
- Collecting and compiling audit reports of each centrally sponsored institutions and prepare reimbursement claims based on inputs from the institutions and conduct efficiency, quality and capacity.
- Checking and forwarding all reimbursement claims to CAA&A.
- Implementing and monitoring of Tribal Development Plan (TDP) in the participating institutions.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India through the Department of Secondary and Higher Education has launched a Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) with a total outlay of Rs.1,555.00 crores to improve the quality of technical education in the degree and diploma level engineering institutions across the country focusing on important areas like modernization of laboratories and workshops, faculty and staff development, curricula improvement, course flexibility, interaction with industries, research, development of management skills, creation of Centres of Excellence, service to community, tribal development programmes, adoption of bottom-up approach, merit-based selection and upgrading existing Institutions.
The Tamil Nadu Government has been included in the Second Cycle of TEQIP project and is one among the seven States selected. The total life time allocation of the project is Rs.96.1627 crores. The project which was started in April 2004 will be in operation up to the end of December 2007.
- Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar has been at the helm in implementing TEQIP in Government College of Engineering, Salem which has been granted a life time allocation of Rs.10.96 crores apart from guiding the administrative tasks of the college as its Principal.
- Due to the comprehensive planning, painstaking execution and successful commissioning of several projects under TEQIP, he has been identified as a natural leader at the administrative level by the Directorate of Technical Education, Tamil Nadu. He has acted as a catalyst for Government College of Engineering, Salem propelling it to become a premier institution through strategic allocation of resources under TEQIP.
- Some of the noteworthy ideas that were implemented by Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar utilizing the TEQIP funds include:
- Procurement of several valuable and essential laboratory equipments for the six departments of the college, thus bringing in state-of-the-art laboratories for students and research scholars.
- Organisation of a mammoth 5-day Career Guidance Programme for more than 20,000 students of the district of Salem by bringing in experts from Chennai and the college to guide the +2 students of the district with detailed and extensive knowledge of career opportunities, entrance examinations and pursuance of professional studies throughout the country.
- Community Service: Using the costly equipments purchased for the laboratories by surveying the inaccessible terrain of Palamalai and several tribal hamlets in Yercaud.
- Installation of solar street lamps in tribal hamlets.
- Training and strengthening technical knowledge of teachers in technical institutions by conducting more than 40 faculty development programmes on emerging trends and advanced technologies in the different fields.
- Community service by imparting training to unemployed youth, housewives and students in the neighbouring villages in fields as diverse as ‘Wiring and Maintenance, Computer Aided Garment Design for Self Help Group Women, PC Troubleshooting, Automobile Servicing and Maintenance’ to name just a few.
- Networking of the entire campus to offer students and the faculty the facility of being connected to the world outside.
- Signing of MoUs with industries to offer students the benefit of access to industries and to co-ordinate with these industries to improve the technical expertise of students, faculty and experts from the industries to have a exchange programmes and to become a preferred partner with the industries and community.
- Training the faculty with Management Programmes to mould them into Educator-Managers.
- Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar on assuming charge as Principal, Government College of Engineering, Salem focused on giving new life to the sprawling college campus of more than 210 acres, abutting the Salem – Bangalore National Highway – 7.
- Under his visionary leadership, the institution has seen a complete transformation. Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar remains the architect in the rebirth of the campus which was established in the year 1966. Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar took up the following measures to achieve this task.
- Renovation of buildings
- Modernization of obsolescent laboratories
- Designing of aesthetic landscaping and much needed lighting in the campus
- Laying of roads with kerbs
- Creation of state-of-the-art conference halls for all 6 departments
- Erection of sign posts and directories in the Campus.
- Written ‘ Tirukural’ on the compound walls of Government College of Engineering, Salem facing the Salem-Bangalore National Highways .
- Prof. Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar has transfigured Government College of Engineering, Salem into a revenue generating giant and has made it proudly stand as a distinguished institution in the zone, looked up to for leading from the front as a natural leader. He has also initiated steps to make the institution grow into a globally recognised institution by taking it into the ambit of accreditation and corporate recognition.
- Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar prepared the proposals for Accreditation for THREE B.E. degree programmes and methodically guided the faculty and students in all aspects of equipping the institution for the accreditation exercise such as preparation of documents and conduct of evaluation exercises by experts for the visit of Expert Committee of the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) which visited the campus in February 2006.
- It was almost entirely due to his motivating leadership that the accreditation status was awarded for the THREE core branches, namely, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering for a period of THREE years.
Placement Achievements from 58% to 98.6%
- Realising the importance of the reciprocal relationship between education and employment, and since the placement statistics was 58% in 2005 – 2006, at the time of his taking over as the Principal, he had his primary focus on the placement of the students in Government College of Engineering, Salem.
- He observed that M/s.TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES, had not been associated with campus placement of the Institution. He spared no means and persuaded M/s. TCS and invited them to fullfil the Accreditation process, which was the mandatory criterion for the campus placement of the Institution.
- GCE, Salem got Accredited by M/s. Tata Consulatancy Services in the year 2006 - 2007, and for the first time the TCS Campus placement had taken place. He had also indentified many more industires and organizations invited them and organized the placement excersises. This has enabled the placement statistics of GCE, Salem toget raised to 95.10% in the year 2006 - 2007.
- Being the Mentor of Government College of Engineering, Salem and Coordinator for State Level Placement Programme of Anna University in the Salem Zone, Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar he inspired the students to go beyond their own expectations and took up initiatives in consultation with industries and invited them for campus placements.
- He invited expert teams from both software and core companies to visit the institution and took note of their suggestions to improve infrastructure and students skills.
- The students were given all the necessary facilities for conducting Aptitude Tests, Group Discussions and Mock Interviews. Regular training programmes were organized to motivate the students towards strengthening their personal, intra-personal and technical skills.
- These efforts have borne visible and immediate results with 95.1% of the students being placed in various software and core firms in the year 2006-2007, further raised to 98.16% in the academic year 2007-2008, in Government college of Engineering, Salem.
- As an academician, Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar has worked untiringly to establish a digital library which will give his students and teachers unlimited access to global knowledge. He has thus been instrumental in setting up a digital library at a cost of Rs. 1 crore funded by State Government under Part-II scheme. He has envisioned this library to have the facilities such as, Reference Section, Audio & Video Visual Hall, e-Learning & e-Journals facilities through internet. This e-library will earmark professional programs using the internet and subscription to e-journals and will promote creation and application of knowledge to maximize public benefit.
- All the buildings in the entire 210 acres campus have been connected through Campus wide Network Scheme through 936 nodes set up at a cost of Rs. 1.09 Crore allotted from the TEQIP fund. Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar saw its completion through his continuous monitoring of and involvement in making the campus a ‘connected campus’. This step has streamlined and given autonomy to both the teachers and learners in the college.
- The need for effective communicators has always been acknowledged by Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar and he has spared no efforts in building the best infrastructure for a Language Resource Centre (LRC) at Government College of Engineering, Salem.
- This LRC will enhance communication skills and help train students in English and other foreign languages, thereby giving them the global edge when it comes to language skills. It possesses all modern equipment to make it a state-of-the-art Multimedia Language Laboratory. It is equipped with LAN, Audio and Video Infrastructure and a well-stocked software library of language CDs and DVDs. Its unique design and excellent acoustics have been designed by Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar with farsighted vision and desire to always give the best even to the non-engineering departments, having realised the need to give full-fledged education to the students.
Interaction with DST Advisor
- Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar realizes the need to tap funding resources in government and other sectors in order to keep the momentum of scientific inquiry and spirit of research in technical institutions. He has arranged special Faculty Interaction Meeting with Dr.G.J.Samathanam, Advisor, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to help the faculty of Government College of Engineering propel to higher standards in research and technology development.
- During his tenure as Principal, Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar has constantly encouraged his faculty of various departments to undertake research. 12 members of the faculty registered for Ph.D. studies and two of them successfully applied for patents for two of the products developed by them during the course of their studies. This was the first time ever in the history of the college that members of faculty were encouraged to take their research into the application stage and transfer their technology to the community.
- Under the stewardship of Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar, Government College of Engineering, Salem signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share knowledge, exchange faculty and experts, utilize facilities at the institution and the industry and create scholarships for the deserving students. MoUs were signed with the following premier academic institutions and industrial organisations for the first time in the history of Government College of Engineering, Salem.
1. National Institute of Technology – Trichy
2. SISCOL (Southern Iron Steel Company Limited) – Salem
3. HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited)
4. Frontline Electronics (Renasys – Singapore)
- Alumni Tracer Programmes have always been an integral part of his personal vision. Twice a year the alumni had been invited to meet to give suggestions and to start threads of discussions to improve the college in terms of quality, facilities and interaction of alumni entrepreneurs etc. He fostered love for the alma mater through his open-armed welcome to the alumni of the college. A strong network of alumni was created in the college through the unceasing efforts of Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar. The Alumni Tracer Meets have been highly successful and once again, for the first time in the history of the college an extensive Alumni data has been created.
Co-Curricular & Extra Curricular
- Prof. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar accorded great importance to the mental health of technical students. He invests in the belief that technical students must develop societal consciousness and contribute to the growth of the community through curricular and co-curricular activities.
- To avoid the "mental and physical pressure" on students and the fear of failure that they would lose out in placements, necessary steps had been taken to form class committees and to appoint student counselors for each class.
- A number of innovative concepts had been generated and introduced to ensure that the quality of the teaching by faculty is improved in addition to other extra and co-curricular activities.
- Through the LEO club, Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar expounds the values of Leadership, Experience and Opportunity. Under his personal supervision, Government College of Engineering, Salem plays a proactive role in enhancing the student's leadership qualities and skills.
- Working in tandem with the Lions Club of Salem, the parent club of LEO club of Government College of Engineering, Salem, he had initiated measures that would go a long way in instilling confidence in students and in giving them the power to lead.
- Every Saturday, personality development classes were held. Topics like public speaking, interpersonal relationships, passport & VISA application procedures, and importance of human values were discussed. Students had affirmed that these classes inspire and motivate the students.
- Every Sunday, students were encouraged to visit old age homes, orphanages, blind schools, home for mentally challenged and other places. As a part of their projects, students spend time with people who are physically and mentally challenged, thus making them socially responsible and committed professionals. Societal responsibility and national needs were thus addressed by his students.
- The LEO club enhances the opportunity in increasing the experience for gaining leadership qualities among the young engineering students. Many seminars and paper presentation competitions were held for students which help in developing their technical knowledge.
- Prof. Dr. A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar, who was the Chairman, constantly monitored the activities undertaken through regular discussions with the Coordinator and Students representatives (Chairman, Secretary, and Office Bearers).
- This helped the Chairman to become acquainted with the student’s problems and interest. The students of First Year, Second Year and Third Year were involved in these activities. This is an extension of Rotaract Club of Salem West Zone. Rotaract Club inculcates the spirit of service and molded the students with humanity and wisdom in their practical lives.
- Students were trained to gain engineering knowledge, to imbibe a helping tendency and to involve them in service to the society. There were about 300 Rotaract members actively participated in the club’s activities of this institution.
- Prof. Dr. A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar was committed to education for a cause – ‘The cause of societal advancement and knowledge with a purpose’. He had the vision of contributing to the amelioration of the quality of life of the poor and the uncared for through his engineering students who pass out from the portals of the institutions. His unstinted support for the betterment of the students was reflected in several activities that he spurred the students to take up.
- As project leader, he organised weekly projects like visiting and helping the orphanages and old age homes in and around Salem.
- The students arranged guidance classes for higher secondary and state board students of the very poor rural schools. They also provided some essentials in some homes for infants or small kids.
- Activities for students like personality development classes, placement training, and career guidance classes were being conducted in the college during weekends.
- Under the able leadership of Prof. Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar, services had been rendered to the Self-Help Women’s Groups by encouraging them to learn the basics of computers and by teaching them the entrepreneurial skills of self-employment.
- The Treasury Officials of Salem had been trained under his guidance to learn the basics of e-governance by using computers and networks.
- The YRC movement of Government College of Salem was motivated to form a directory of blood donors from the students of the college. So valuable and life-saving had been his initiative, that the blood donors of Government College of Engineering, Salem had been presented with accident insurance covers by the Director of Sri Gokulam Hospital of Salem.
- The NCC Wing has won national level appreciation at the camps and the NSS camps organised by the college under the mentorship of Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar were eagerly welcomed by the neighboring villages for their valuable services. Community bonding has always been one of the ideals of Prof.Dr.A.Ebenezer Jeyakumar.