Sunday, September 18, 2011

No admissions for two years, aircraft engineering college on verge of closure. (India)

Patiala Set up nearly 30 years ago by the Punjab government, it boasts of producing more than 350 engineers, now placed with reputed national and international companies. However, as things stand the prestigious Punjab Aircraft Maintenance Engineering College at Patiala may soon ground all its operations.

With Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) refusing approval and no admissions for the last two years due to non-availability of Jet Engine Aircraft for training purposes, the only batch of 22 final year students of the three-year-diploma in aircraft maintenance engineering (AME) would pass out in June 2012, leaving the college without any students.

Earlier, the college used to train its students trained on Light Aircraft Piston Engine before the DGCA came up with new norms making it mandatory for the AME institutes to train students on the Jet Engine Aircraft. Sources add that as per the DGCA norms, the model of the aircraft used to train students need not necessarily be air worthy.

The final year students, pleading anonymity to avoid being reprimanded, say that the vested interests have virtually sounded the death knell for the institute. “Vested interests are acting as a roadblock. Patiala is state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh’s stronghold and (Parkash Singh) Badal would never make any efforts to arrange the required aircraft to save the college as long as he is the chief minister of the state,” said a student.

Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary Vishwajeet Khanna, however, said he took up the matter with the Union civil aviation ministry a number of times with the proposal that students from the institute can be sent for training at those companies that had such aircraft . “Even a non air-worthy model would cost between Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore. I have suggested that we may send the students for training to the companies which owned such aircraft. DGCA has to take a final call on this,” Khanna told The Indian Express over phone.

Punjab Civil Aviation Advisor and manager of the college, Capt Abhay Chandra also presented his case. “We have arranged 18 mock tests to meet the training parameters. We have also tied up with a Madhya Pradesh-based aviation academy to train our students on Jet Engine Aircraft. But, DGCA is not considering our case,” Chandra said.

“Such an aircraft that has lived its life is not available in India. Then there are issues pertaining to import license in case we decide to procure it from abroad. Also, technical persons like engineers would be needed to maintain the aircraft and in case some untoward incident takes place other emergency equipment would be needed,” Chandra added, questioning the viability of the condition laid down by DGCA. “If DGCA gives its approval today, we can start enrolling students and start a batch with even 12 to 15 students,” he added.

No official from DGCA was available for comment. 

http://www.expressindia.com

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