New Delhi: With agitations and demonstrations surrounding the Delhi Technological University’s (DTU) status, its students are left stranded on a no man’s land, belonging to neither of the institutions.

The former Delhi College of Engineering (DCE), a brand name in itself, now no longer operational, has left students all alone in a lurch.

"Although DTU may boast of an excellent placement scenario but this time, the recruiters had to be explained that we belong to the old DCE and not DTU. A couple of companies have even given second thoughts upon re-visiting the campus," said a student.

Moreover, students are irked upon the rejection of their applications submitted to foreign universities for higher studies on the same ground.

With recruiters too failing to recognize DTU in the same way, students said that, "The problems arising out of the conversion from DCE to DTU were realized gradually. Facing the difference added to our daily problems as the infrastructure was not upgraded according to the intake of students whose ratio was more in September last year after DCE became DTU."

In order to make their voices heard, students decided to even boycott their mid-semester examinations on Monday.

Founder of Binary Semantics and a DCE alumnus of 1984 batch Akhil Choudhary, while stating the incidents as unfortunate and that the move of converting DCE to DTU had killed the brand DCE, agitatingly said that it is a usual picture to consider state run institutions as a second fiddle to that of their central counterpart.

He further added that, "Instead of it been upgraded to DTU, DCE should have been converted into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or even to National Institute of Technology (NIT). The burden of a university has been placed on that of a college management due to which its brand value is at stake. It might also degrade the positions of the DCE alumni across various sectors."

Since the present four batches are still under DCE banner, the placement scenario would obviously see a gradual adverse effect; however, Choudhary claimed that, "Even these four years would bring forth the adversaries."

Former MD of Panasonic India and an alumnus of DCE 1985 batch, Shrikrishna Kulkarni, openly supported the cause and shared the same concern as of the students, faculty members and the alumni.

"The stakeholders of DCE, that is, the student's body, alumni, teachers, staff as well as the society which it was serving since 69 years, all stand on the brim of a drastic change in its destiny which directly affects them," said Kulkarni.

"This single move has depleted the brand name of DCE. By referring to the name DCE, I cover the awareness, the expected quality standards from DCE students as well as the tie-ups, which the national and international organizations make with the brand while interacting with its alumni, students and teaching faculty," he said.

He further made his point clear that if it was a necessary step needed to upgrade the institution then the authorities should have decided to take it a step forward and should have made it at par with that of an institute like IIT.

"The government already mulls to increase the number of seats in IITs, so it is quite natural to expect DCE upgraded to IIT status. It is not for the first time that such an action would have been taken. College of Engineering Roorkee, IT-BHU etc have already shown that this is possible. Then this would be the right path for DCE's growth which would be a win-win situation for all stakeholders," he added.