Bengaluru : The first year engineering students of the state engineering institutions whose academic not yet commenced, delayed for about quarter year, will have to undergo more hours in classrooms and to get reduced their vacation holidays to get covered the syllabus in scheduled time.

The students have to be in campus for 10 hours everyday dividing equal hours for theory and practical classes. The academic is expected to commence from Dec 13, 2021.

The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has instructed affiliated engineering colleges to increase the workday and cut semester holidays for first year students.

However, there will be no change for students in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year as their classes have already commenced. The academic year for first year students is likely to begin on December 13 and the first round of counselling for engineering seats by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is under way.

VTU V-C Karisiddappa said that students would have to attend classes for 10 hours a day insteas 8 hours earlier. So that students will not get burnt out, theory classes will be around five hours and the remaining will be devoted to practical examinations, he said.

Besides this, they are planning to cut at least one week from their semester holidays and ask college managements to ensure that they work the entire day on Saturdays.

Despite these measures, we will not be able to make up and complete the first semester syllabus. In professional courses, there is no question of cutting the syllabus. So we will compensate for the portions over the next four semesters, he said.

The university has 212 affiliated colleges. The move has received a mixed response from college managements and students. A professor at one of the engineering colleges in the city said: “We have no choice but to take such drastic measures this year. Next year onwards, the Government should be careful and ensure that the admissions are done on time,” he said.