Patna: Bihar’s Science and Technology Department has decided to upgrade the faculty infrastructure of its 13 polytechnic colleges to maintain quality demand driven technical education and rationalisation of evaluation system.

As part of the move the department has sought services of consultants to prepare detailed project report (DPR) for setting up e-Learning and computer laboratories in the polytechnic colleges.

Besides, the government was also going to appoint faculty members on contractual basis to meet the staff crisis in the polytechnic colleges.

Exposure to latest educational tools will boost up Diploma holders to find a suitable job and also benefit those who want to excel as entrepreneur, a Department official said.

“The aim of Polytechnic education is to create a pool of skill based manpower to support shop floor and field operations as a middle link between technicians and engineers,” Science and Technology Department Principal Secretary Arun Kumar Singh said.

Bihar has only eight engineering colleges (0.6 per cent of total engineering colleges in India) with intake capacity of 1, 905 and 13 polytechnic institutions (one per cent of total polytechnic colleges in India).

Not only that, while 25 of 38 districts in Bihar have no technical institutions; non-availability of qualified faculty with Master’s and PhD qualifications – particularly in discipline like Computer Sciences, Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Information technology – is a real problem adversely affecting the quality of teaching,” he said.

Singh further informed that as the Industry prefer to employ Diploma Holders having special skills in reading and interpreting drawings, estimating, costing and billing, supervision, measurement, testing, repair and maintenance, the department had decided to absorb them as entrepreneurs.

“We have also launched e-Learning programs, with all its four stages— Technology, Tools, Standards and Contents—to provide high value integrated learning,” he added.