The Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) had been derecognised by Council of Architecture (COA) from 2014-15 and admissions are banned. This information is available on http.//www.coa.gov.in/STATUS.
It is learnt that COA had requested Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) Acting Principal to deposit the payment for mandatory inspection which was due. They have neither deposited the payment nor allowed the inspection. Then COA carried surprise check and their team was not allowed to enter. Now on COA website they have mentioned that admissions are not allowed. According to SMS being sent by Principal to calm down alumni, “these are sinister designs of a particular college, admissions are governed by CBSE JEE (formerly AIEEE) and nothing to do with COA”.
It is a known fact that CCA does not have proper faculty. Posts of Principal and three professors and many Assistant Professors/lecturers are lying vacant from a long time. Repeated representations to Chandigarh Administration/Union Public Service Commission have not yielded any results. Adhocism for the post of Principal which is continuing for the past many years due to non-finalisation of recruitment rules is posing problem as out of the present faculty no person is eligible for the post of principal. Most of the staff has not requisite experience to be eligible for the post of professor.
Certain posts of adhoc lecturers were filled up on the insistence of alumni till the permanent solution of filling the vacant posts on regular basis is found. But acting principal Bhagat insured that these posts are not continued beyond their first tenure of six months and it is alleged that he intentionally delayed the file of renewal of adhoc posts. It resulted in relieving orders of all adhoc lecturers. It was done to ensure that his supremacy continues and no one should interfere in his fiefdom.
Six years ago on April 7, 2008 two senior faculty members have written letter to Chandigarh Administration to merge CCA with PEC University. It was basically aimed at to postpone the retirement of these faculty members. A strong save CCA campaign was launched in April 2008 by involving alumni of COA and Indian Institute of Architects. A meeting was held at Chandigarh Press Club on 10th August, 2008. A resolution was passed and given to authorities to not merge CCA with PEC University as department. Under pressure from alumni, Administration deferred the decision.
CCA was established on 7th August 1961. The post of principal is lying vacant from the date of retirement of Dr SS Bhatti on 30th June 1996. First the acting charge was held by Lt Col JS Bakshi and then by Rajnish Wattas followed by Asst Professor Pradeep Bhagat.
It is against the vision of its founding fathers who established it as an independent college as the academic wing of the Great Chandigarh experiment led by Le Corbusier and patronized by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of India.