VTU withholds ‘controversial’ text

After getting into a controversy for dropping former vice-chancellor Prof K Balaveera Reddy’s name from a textbook, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has now decided to stop distribution of the textbook to colleges until further notification.

The second edition of the textbook titled ‘A Primer on Computer Aided Engineering Drawing,’ for students of first year engineering, has been withdrawn from distribution by the university’s four regional offices in Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga, and Belgaum.

VTU’s regional office in Bangalore had issued a circular on October 1 to principals of engineering colleges to pick up copies of the textbooks paying money through demand draft at the rate of Rs 75 per copy.

However, following the announcement by Reddy that he was preparing to go to court over his name being dropped from the textbook, it appears that VTU has backtracked.

On October 6, the Bangalore regional office issued a new circular, undersigned by the special officer on the distribution of the new textbooks saying, “Due to unavoidable reasons, the Computer Aided Engineering Drawing (CAED) textbooks cannot be distributed.

The distribution of the textbooks will be announced later.” When Express contacted the Bangalore regional office, an official said that the order had been issued from VTU’s office in Belgaum.

TNIE had first reported on October 2 that the name of former vice-chancellor Reddy had been dropped from the second edition of the textbook, and had been replaced with that of current vice-chancellor Prof H P Khincha.

A comparison of the two editions by Express showed that the material in the two textbooks were virtually identical.

Shortage

Principals of engineering colleges said that the non-availability of the said textbook had hampered teaching of the subject.

The principal of an engineering college in Bangalore said, “It has been more than a month since the classes began and students have not received the textbook.

We are currently making do with copies of the older edition. ” When contacted Khincha, he said he had no comments to make on the matter.

VTU V-C setback in book row

In a setback to the Visvesvaraya Technological University(VTU) Vice-Chancellor H P Khnicha, the group of authors that prepared

an engineering textbook have objected to the dropping of former V-C K Balaveera Reddy’s name as chief editor.

In a meeting held on Friday at the VTU campus in Belgaum, the authors have termed VTU’s action a ‘mistake’ and have asked the University to rectify it.

The textbook, titled ‘A Primer on Computer Aided Engineering Drawing’, authored by a nine-member editorial board headed by the

then V-C Balaveera Reddy, was first published by VTU in 2006.

Express had first reported on October 2, about the row that had broken out after Reddy’s name in the second edition of the textbook was

replaced with that of the present V-C Khincha. It is learnt that at the meeting convened by Registrar K V A Balaji on Friday

evening, the authors disagreed with VTU’s contention that the sitting Vice- Chancellor should be the de-facto chief editor of the

textbook.

“Prof Reddy was deeply involved in authoring the textbook. It was prepared mainly at his initiative. In such a situation, it would be

wrong to drop his name,” said a member who has part of the meeting. Unconfirmed reports say that the Vice-Chancellor may

apologise to Reddy. Both V-C Khincha and Registrar Balaji were unavailable for comment. The controversy broke

out when VTU decided to issue the second edition of an engineering textbook – virtually identical to the first one -- but with Khincha’s

name replacing that of Reddy as chief editor. Subsequently, VTU has held back the distribution of the textbook, with the books

lying locked up at the four regional centres in Bangalore, Belgaum, Mysore, and Gulbarga.