PANJIM: With the mining industry in the State on the decline and fewer students opting for the three year diploma in mining engineering, Government Polytechnic at Bicholim is set to discontinue the course from the academic year 2018-19.
“Students would join the diploma programme mostly with the aim of finding employment in the local mining industry but now since 2012 it is on the decline. The course is seeing just 10 students taking up the programme and we have 40 seats. Also in the recent past students would leave the course midway and opt for something else,” said a Bicholim Polytechnic official on the basis of anonymity
He said, “Keeping this in mind, we had submitted the current status of the mining department to the DTE and it is 99 per cent sure that the mining course would be closed from this academic year. We have got the clearance from DTE and also State.”
Officials further said that after the 2012 mining ban, the diploma programme had to close temporarily as students didn’t’ take up the course but with the prospects of the mining industry taking off again, the course was revived and continued till date.
Polytechnic officials said the program will continue till the current batch passes out, however, the institute will not admit new students.
Meanwhile, the mining degree course offered at Goa Engineering College (GEC) is also seeing fewer students taking up the course. While the course has 30 seats, about 20 to 25 join the mining engineering course each year.
