FOCUS

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
Lowering Standards

CONTINUED recession in the construction industry has lowered considerably the demands for architects in Goa, and only candidates with credible capabilities find a suitable niche in the rather fluid architectural field. In a situation where things don't really go the way the young architects would prefer, one did not expect the educational authorities to make matters worse for them.

Unfortunately, authorities in charge of education in Goa appear to care neither for the calibre of instruction imparted nor for the career of the students. Citing lack of admission to the College of Architecture, the Directorate of Technical Education suddenly opted to lower the percentage needed for admission and aptitude test from 60 percent to 50 per cent and 50 per cent to 40 per cent respectively. The College of Architecture in Campal has a capacity of nearly 37+3 seats but only 16+2 candidates secured admission this year. Lowering the percentage to 50 is being justified as bringing Goa at par with Maharashtra and other States.

To contain the contingency of the sagging graph of admissions, the Directorate did not care to pause for a moment and consider the detrimental effect their decision would have on the students, their careers and the overall credibility of the college. The decision naturally sent the students of the College of Architecture in a tizzy, triggering a boycott of classes from September 22 to October 13. The Students' Council even felt that their college might face de-recognition and filed a writ petition.

"The Mumbai High Court at Panjim dismissed the petition on the strength of a written undertaking issued by the Council of Architecture, Delhi, stating that the College will not be decognised and that the entrance percentage prescribed at the all-India level was 50 per cent marks," says Jerry Cherian, chairman of the Architecture College Student's Union.

Lowering the admission norms will hardly bring in candidates, who would turn out into outstanding graduates. The wise men justify their stand by citing examples of Maharashtra and other States. But the students have not yet ceased to wonder why they should go to other states for paid seats, when there are 21 free seats lying vacant in Goa. Says Cherian, "Though the percentage for admission is low in Maharashtra, the college there has comparatively better facilities."

Parents have mixed feelings on the issue. Those whose children have scored lower marks are quite content with the Department's decision. But Dean D'Cruz, a visiting lecturer at the College of Architecture since the last 13 years, secretary of the Indian Institute of Architecture (Goa Chapter) and an exponent of natural architecture, maintains that reducing the criteria for admission will affect adversely the standard of education. The requirement for the aptitude test (oral exam) was further reduced to 10 per cent.

D'Cruz says, "Good students will suffer because the entire procedure is designed to suit the needs of weaker students. The number of seats was also increased from 20 to 40 last year but the permission from the Council of Architecture, Delhi, came in only two months ago. Taking into consideration the recession in the market for architects, the seats should be rolled back to 20."

It is said that the Council of Architecture states in its 1995 handbook that 60 per cent is the eligible percentage but this aspect was not gazetted. The lapse helps a questionable stand. However, lowering the eligibility norm has increased the number of admissions merely by two, in the third round of admissions in September 2000.

Dean D'Cruz and other senior architects including Sarto Almeida were called by the Education Minister on October 16 at 3.00 pm to discuss the issue. The minister seemed to have spent quite some on the knotted issue, being unacquainted with architecture. So the architects were reportedly taken in the office only at 5.45 pm. Of course, nothing tangible turned out from the meeting as the minister remained quite noncommittal.

With de-recognition turning into a non-issue now, the students are still fighting on two other counts: a capable principal for their college and adequate hostel accommodation for the students. If the Directorate were conscious enough of the actual needs of education, they would have appointed a worthy educationist to the post of a principal, lying vacant since July 2000, when Cho Padamsee left. A committee led by architect Sarto Almeida is said to have zeroed on two suitable candidates to fill the bill but the government played spoilsport by not agreeing to the salary expected by them. With another influential person already angling for the desirable post, they are unlikely to look for any other principal.

Cherian says, "We need hostel facilities for at least 200 students. The students are presently housed at flats in Altinho, Taleigao and St Inez (six students per flat). Though the college came into existence in 1983, it came into the limelight only when Cho Padamsee came in as a principal." As a principal, Padamsee helped a virtual turnaround for the institution. He efforts to get adequate accommodation for the students, however, proved abortive.

Since the demands of the students are genuine, they seem to have the support of the ABVP as well as of the NSU. It is to be seen as to when wise counsel prevails and the Directorate comes out with a sensible solution. On the other hand, they may eventually shackle the college with a principal unwanted by anyone else.