Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Rourkela

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 28: The state government has made a move to save its tech institutes from the hassles of applying for an All-India Council of Technical Education affiliation year after year.

The cabinet has given its nod to an amendment to the BPUT Act, 2002, to redefine the term “constituent colleges”, which would bring five institutes — created after the act came into existence — under the ambit of the varsity. The change will be officially notified once governor S.C. Jamir gives his assent.

“As affiliate colleges, these government-created colleges had to seek annual approval from the council to operate. Now, after getting the constituent college tag, they will not have to follow such a procedure,” said joint secretary of the technical education department Ratnakar Rout.

He said the Government College of Engineering at Keonjhar, Parala Maharaja Engineering College at Berhampur, and Government College of Engineering, Kalahandi, at Bhawanipatna would now be brought to the BPUT fold. “The government will continue to make policy decisions for them, apart from providing grant-in-aid and create staff positions. However, their day-to-day affairs will be looked after by the university,” said Rout.

The Institute of Management and Information Technology, Cuttack, and the Centre for IT Education, Bhubaneswar, would also be included under the university by way of transfer from Utkal University, said an official, adding that the city-based College of Engineering and Technology was already identified as a constituent institute.

Two other colleges that are yet to be converted from “affiliate” to “constituent” of BPUT are the International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar, and Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology at Sarang in Dhenkanal district.

In a related development, the cabinet has allowed changes in the Odisha Diploma Engineers’ Service Rules, 2012, which came into effect in January. Henceforth, there will be no age bar for candidates applying for junior engineer posts and they will be allowed three consecutive attempts at competitive exams conducted by the Staff Selection Board.

“A maximum age limit of 32 was creating discontentment among diploma holders, who used to cross that age waiting endlessly for the commission to advertise for appointment. Now, they will be allowed to sit for three consecutive recruitment tests to be conducted here after they have fulfilled other conditions of recruitment,” said an official.