Maybe I should rephrase that to ‘Why don’t the majority of engineering colleges affiliated to Anna University have a student union?’. This has been bothering me for one very good reason. Every Arts and Science College I see has one and they seem to do some pretty good stuff. Even with a 3 year course schedule they manage to find time for student unions and week long culturals while engineering colleges despite their 4 year course can just about find time for a one day symposium. I just don’t get it.
Lack of time due to a cluttered course schedule isn’t an excuse. Technically, we’ve got a whole extra year to work things into the schedule. No one in their right senses would say that there isn’t a need for a student union. On an average, Engineering colleges charge more than Arts and Science colleges so funding shouldn’t be a problem. So there, they’ve got the need, the time, the money and the students. Whats their problem then?
Another sad observation is that its becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish a symposium from a carnival. Nobody ever discusses anything worthwhile and half the time the food is what is most interesting. Its heartening though, to see IITM get it right. They seem to know exactly what they’re doing when organising Saarang and Shaastra. Why can’t their model be replicated? They’ve shown it can be done.
