Bhubaneswar, May 7: The technical education department today decided that no student would be allowed to take transfer to another institute within a radius of 50km.

The issue cropped up following complaints of irregularities in the process of transfer of BTech students from one college to another.

Several people complained that students with low ranks were admitted to lesser-known technical colleges and later got transferred to top government colleges citing health reasons.

“The department today decided to set up a medical board constituting government doctors, who will examine the requests made on “health grounds” and recommend to the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) board of management. This will be applicable from the current academic year,” said Mihir Nayak, registrar BPUT.

“Transfers will be allowed only under extraordinary circumstances and rare situations.

Not more than five students each year for each programme (BTech/ BPharm/ MBA/MCA) will be allowed from one institute to another on medical grounds,” said technical education department secretary C.S. Kumar.

The extraordinary BPUT board meeting held today also decided to regularise the admissions of nearly 1,600 students of the Regional College of Management (RCM).

The students enrolled in the college during the past five years have not been issued certificates by BPUT and it had led to a series of agitations in the past.

“We do not want the students to suffer. So, it has been decided to regularise all the batches of students, who have taken admission between 2009 and 2013. A detailed batch-wise list of students will be prepared for the MBA and the MCA and certificates will be distributed in a month’s time. Students who were admitted outside OJEE will also be given certificates,” said Nayak.

However, a decision regarding 27 MBA students who were admitted to MBA (tourism) programme of RCM was not taken up at the meeting.

In 2009, RCM had already filled up 180 MBA seats when BPUT sent 27 students through JEE counselling forcing it to adjust the students in MBA (tourism) course.

“Regarding these 27 students, we have decided to write to the AICTE and seek their opinion,” said Nayak.

The board also decided to take action against the institute and officials who were involved in the goof up.

“An inquiry will be carried out to find out who were involved in a goof up like this and why no steps were taken at the right time,” said C.S. Kumar.

The other issue that was discussed related to granting of affiliation and its extension to technical and professional colleges. The Supreme Court in April last year had barred the AICTE from regulating technical educational institutes and handed over the responsibility to the UGC.

Subsequently, the BPUT had sought for applications for affiliation from technical colleges of Odisha.

However, the Odisha Technical Colleges’ Association (OTCA) moved the Supreme Court challenging the decision. The apex court had on April 17, passed an interim order allowing All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to have regulatory control over technical educational institutes in the country for the 2014-15 academic year.

The latest order has created confusion among technical colleges in the state who have applied to the BPUT for re-affiliation.

The department also decided that it would write to both the UGC and the AICTE asking for a clarification on where the colleges would apply for affiliation.