KTU had asked Toms College to shut down following complaints The future of over 100 students are at stake The classes in college have been disrupted for past 75 days
Students and parents of Toms College of Engineering in Kottayam have launched an indefinite strike in front of state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. The students are demanding a transfer to other engineering colleges after APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) cancelled its affiliation to college following complaints.
The future of over 100 students belonging to three batches of Chemical Engineering stream is at stake. Two batches come under KTU while one falls under M G University.
The students had approached university officials demanding to ensure that their studies were not affected but to no avail. The classes in the college have been disrupted for past 75 days.
University refused to renew the affiliation of Toms College following allegations of mismanagement, poor infrastructure and harassment on the part of college authorities. An Executive Committee appointed by KTU had also found that the faculty lacked necessary qualification.
The students had also alleged that college chairman Tom T Joseph used to torture children mentally and physically. Girl students also complained that the chairman used to visit hostel at odd hours while there were allegations that students were made to work at the college.
As KTU ordered to shut down college, a list of engineering institutions where students could continue their course was also published. However, 100 students belonging to batch one and two were left out with no alternative.
"We were promised that they would get a transfer after getting guidelines from All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). But, nothing happened even after two months," students said.
The students and parents have decided to continue the strike till the chemical engineering students get a transfer to another institute.
