Cautionary Advices to parents / guardians regarding UPES' School of Design, Bidhouli, Dehradoon uttarakhand, before enrollment your student for BDes course in fashion Design
Author -:
Professor Dr Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya MD University of Calcutta Pathology,Fic pathology WBMES ( retired)
Ex Retired Professor,and Head Dept. of Pathology department,
Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine,
108,C.R.Avenue, Kolkata -700073, West Bengal, india
Department of Health and Family Welfare (WBMES wing), Government of West Bengal
Equivalent officiating Rank ,he was retired -: "Special Secretary " to the Government of West Bengal
Post retirement posts he served -:
Ex- Principal / Dean of JMN Medical College, JMN Educational and Research Foundation, UttarPanchpota, Chakdaha, District- Ranaghat ,West Bengal, India, pin 741222 (now under 1rst LOI of NMC New Delhi ; affiliation with WBUHS)
Ex Professor and Head of Pathology Department
JIS School of Medical Sciences and Research ( under JIS University , Nilgange, Agarpara, 24 parganas North ) jagancha
santragachi, Howrah District, West Bengal pin 7111302( under 1rst LOP of recognition of NMC, New Delhi)
At present ( since 19.12.2023 to till date)
Present Principal / Dean of Krishnanagar Institute of Medical Sciences , Bhatjangla Palpara more , Krishnanagar, District -Nadia, West Bengal , India 741101( a upcoming UG private company Medical College under WBUHS affiliation)
Email profpkb@yahoo.co.in
Residential address -:
Mahamaya apartment ,Block B , Mahamayatala ,54 , NSC Bose Road( Spenser gate) po-Garia,PS Narendrapur, Kolkata - 84 ,West,Bengal India
As successive Dean/ Principal of two undergraduate Medical Colleges in West Bengal state of India ,as a retired Professor and Head of the Pathology department JISMSR at JIS University, and retired Professor and Head of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine as class1, Group A officer of WBMES cadres of government of West Bengal, as Special secretary (on detailment ) to government of West Bengal, as ex members & members secretary of West Bengal University of Health Sciences for Pathology, I feel now compelled to share some important information about the UPES School of Design, specially for their BDes Fashion Design courses, situated at Bidholi campus, Dehradun, Uttarakhand .I have seen some many students from West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, Assam, and North east States of India,make the mistake of enrolling them in’ UPES' at School of Design for their B.Des Design courses including from other states of India cracking all India based UPES DAT test . And unfortunately, some of them have come later to regret their decision to enroll their names in UPES in B Des fashion Design courses as students to become honors degree holders as fashion designers and to get a standard job in the market or some become bound to drop from the course in that SOD institute/UPES university asking for transfer certificate and migration Certificate even in 8th semester.
Firstly I want to address the issues of cost UPES has gained notoriety for being one of the most expensive universities in india( making the higher education commercial and pure buisness with a tuition fee of 17-18 lakhs over eight semesters in fashion design BDES course,and for other courses ( 18 -40 lakhs INR) And when it comes to a BDes degree in fashion design, where both theoretical and practical skills and hands-on experience are crucial, this high cost may not be worth at all. In fact, there are numerous government and public universities that offer fashion design
B Des courses at significantly much lower cost, without compromising on the quality of education.
Moreover, UPES' School of Design has been marred with many controversies and allegations of practicing unauthorised ,not UGC/ AICTE recognised (methods of students biometric class attendances recording system , instead of in class roll call registers record), mismanagement from UPES administration and authorities, and in poor infrastructures and doing student’s un necessary scolding , spying against a student, mental ragging, mental harassment to students making students traumatized by the present BDes course coordinator, cluster Head of the department and few faculties there , by rude behaviour & often scolding and by various methods like negetive remarks, preventing few bengali students doing pattern, cutting and stitching in laboratory and by making students successively and repeated failures in their end semesters subjects, in juries (university end semesters), purposefully, vindictively, by not allowing students to finish up their courses in scheduled period and schedule time frame of admission academic sessions and thus she forces students to extend times beyond schedule academic sessions of admission ( say for admission sessions for 2020-2024) and forces to lagg behind time completing course for further two or three extra semesters fees to get degree or make students and their parents bound to take Transfer and migration certificate from the Institute and university ( even paying after UPES Rs 17-18 lakhs INR ) and without offering students any degree or diploma certificates ( as per NEP 2020, though students is in 8 th semester classes and pay full up to 8th semester) or refunding back the full or even 8th semester fees the students or their guardian payed already to UPES
In 2017, this university was highly accused of charging exorbitant fees and not providing students with their promised facilities in their prospects . In addition, there have been reports of students being forced to take loans and facing financial difficulties due to their high fees, due to extending time period of students beyond their shedule time periods of academic session a student gets admitted him / her thus upes earning further huge amount of money from students who gets supplementary in say 14-16 subjects even after 7th semester and has to complete also projects/ internship for 8th semester. UPES SOD Dean or course coordinator, faculties was never helpful to solve this problem of students but they throttle the students in clever and dirty games that the situation becomes dreadful both for students and his/ her parents.
Furthermore, the faculty at UPES' School of Design has also been a big cause for concern. Some students have complained about the mental harassment/ mental trauma/ mental ragging by faculties even by the cluster Head of SOD Mrs jharna Joshi MDes (nift) and her some followers so that students become physically ill, mentally traumatized , depressed ,and chairman of anti ragging committee there ,Dean SOD, Dean students welfare committee and others authorities like VC, Registrar ,COE, including honb . chancellor UPES- remain mumbed on these issues even when they are informed of all these irregularities, officially by letters ,by emails after e mails and also by received hard copies sent by registered post
Many faculties in SOD UPES including course coordinator Mrs jharna Joshi herself are not experienced enough and are not even qualified faculty members according to UGC guidelines of 2022, teachers eligibility criteria / for NEP 2020 gazette teachers qualification criteria and thus leading to a subpar learning experiences there. As a Professor and Head of a department (for the last 18 years, myself), I understand the importance of having competent and knowledgeable teachers, and UPES seems to be lacking in this aspect (0nly 46% teachers have PhD degrees in UPES). But perhaps the biggest issue with studying at UPES' School of Design is the lack of free flow working opportunities and environment for some few targeted Bengali students in the laboratory without permission of the Head of Department like in pattern ,cutting and stitching and asking students to redo & redo & re do by Mrs jharna Joshi to a student. unlike other renowned design schools in India, UPES may have ties with other global / Indian universities or companies for exchange programs or for internships of students in summer internship/ final year dissertation / projects but these are very costly to bear and have to be arranged by the students themselves or their parents in their 8th semester. This severely limits the exposure and opportunities for students to gain practical experience and network with professionals in the industry. As someone who been in the education field for many years, I strongly advise students and their parents to steer clear of UPES' School of Design. The high cost, poor infrastructure, and lack of opportunities , not following UGC AICTE rules, mental ragging by the faculty and cluster Head make it a questionable choice for a degree in fashion design ,unless you are from a very rich family and want to ruin your bright career by getting yourself enrolled there.
In regards to examinations systems, of School of Design ,UPES, the semesters Examinations system they never followed UGC guideline and rules of appointment of minimum one external examiners from outside states of uttarakhand institutions or two internal examiners for one external examiner from outside institute of UPES itself in every subjects of university at end semester or in supplementary examination (as per UGC guidelines and rules of examination clause 5, Para clause k & j of page 7&8 ( UGC ) stating both rules of UPES and of UGC for UG semester examinations, neither they have theoretical papers from semesters 1 to semester 08 , except two during entire course in 2020-24 sessions ). Moreover one internal examiner Mrs jharna Joshi is appointed always found as course coordinator , convener examiners, in all subjects examiner( even besides her expertise) including project mentor, who has no UGC recognised PhD degree in fashion design ( till date) and not even she possess either a BEd or TTE certificate as defined in UGC / NEP rules to be even Faculties in designation of assistant professor onwards and still she is appointed by the UPES as Associated professor, cluster head of department, all in all in final decisions making of all examinations that which students will be considered as passed or who will be taken granted as failed even if those students get good percentage of attendance in classes and obtained good marks in internal assessment and prior to semester exam( jury) by others. some faculty declare under instruction of cluster Head whether that students will pass or will get plucked previous to jury even . UPES COE doesn't publish or speaks a single word regarding marks obtained by a student in theory, in practical and in viva in subjects he or she appeared in jury, even though a student or his or her guardians want to know about division marks and the students obtained in each subjects failed ,to detect what is cause of multiple failure,where the defects of the students for his / her failure
Dean School of Design and UPES authorities never care to give in writing answers to multiple emails or received multiple letters served to them from students/ student's official guardians, even to repeated served Demi official letters to them, addressing to Dean SOD UPES, Registrar, COE, VC , even to Chancellor of UPES , Dean of students welfare, ragging and grievance redressal committee officially and does not even want to receive any complaint letters against them or their faculty members and Registrar himself threaten student/ guardian to ruin his/ her career if complain is done officially against all irregularities and faculties.
UGC by its order said private universities under UGC 12B,&22 & 2f must be maintained as per regulation of UGC act 2003 for establishment and maintenance of all standards for safeguarding students community in all possible ways and against commercialization of higher education in india and under para 3.7&3.8 of teaching learning process and in examinations system in UG/ PG and diploma courses .The policy of SOD in UPES is not found safeguarding students community interest and is just for huge profitable business and commercialisation of higher education in the state of Uttarakhand from students of other states in India like from West Bengal
In conclusion, based on my years of experience in the higher education field, I strongly advise students and their parents to exercise caution when considering enrollment in UPES' School of Design specially from north east Indian States including from West Bengal . The combination of high cost, poor infrastructure, mental harassment, mentally traumatizing students, making repeated failure in many subjects in jury and limited opportunities makes it a questionable choice for a degree in Fashion Design there. Instead, I encourage you to explore other reputable universities in India that offer Fashion Design courses at a much lower cost and provide better facilities. Do not let the glossy brochures and enticing promises of UPES sway you into a costly and regretful decision.