BSNL to set up Technical University for
Engineering and Management courses
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) PSU has begun preparations for
launching a technical university for engineering and management courses. The
telecom company will likely approach All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) for formal approval of the BSNL
Technical University sometime in the next eight months.
"BSNL
has sufficient infrastructure to meet AICTE guidelines for engineering and
management education. We also have sufficient supporting staff to meet norms as
laid down by UGC. Our staff is working on it. We should be able to send it for
formal approval in 6-8 months," BSNL director (Consumer Mobility) Anupam
Shrivastava said to PTI.
He said
it should not be difficult for BSNL to get necessary approvals as some steps
were taken by the Human Resource Development Ministry in 2008 to boost
educational system.
"Due
to the initiatives of HRD ministry, institutions running short-term courses
such as Defence Institute of Advance Technology have been converted into formal
and autonomous education institutions. We should also have no issues in getting
approval," Shrivastava said.
The
Public Enterprise Selection Board has selected Shrivastava for the post of
chairman and managing director of the company, succeeding the present CMD R.K.Upadhyay.
BSNL
has formed a committee under its senior general manager G.C.Manna to work on
the detailed project report.
Shrivastava
said at present he cannot share the exact number of seats that BSNL's technical
institute will have but said the company's campus will have a capacity to train
1,500 to 3,000 students at one time.
"We
have a centre in Ghaziabad which is aided by United Nations but is
under-utilised. It has a capacity to train between 2,500-3,000 students.
Similarly, we have a centre in Jabalpur. There are other 16 centres which have
a minimum capacity of 1,000 students," Shrivastava said.
He
added that BSNL will add formal courses on cyber security at the centre to
contribute in government's target of creating 5 lakh professionals skilled in
this domain by 2018.
"Cyber
security is an emerging concern. We have the infrastructure to train people.
Today, we have a crunch of cyber security experts. This initiative will not
only help us but also other organisations with skilled workforce. It will be a
dynamic course and its format will be decided after due deliberations,"
Shrivastava said.
BSNL's
plan to set-up a technical training institute is part of its asset utilisation
plan and help it in reducing losses.
