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Delhi College Of Engineering




Delhi College of Engineering is one of the oldest engineering colleges in India. It was established in 1940, originally as Delhi Polytechnic and was under the direct control of Government of India. The college is presently under the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi since 1963 and is affiliated to the University of Delhi since 1952.

The Cabinet Committee of Government of Delhi has approved the deemed-to-be-University status to DCE and the proposal is under active consideration of AICTE and MHRD, Government of India. Although considering the way Indian governmental works proceed, it is expected that the college will not become deemed university for another couple of years.


HISTORY


Beginnings

Delhi College of Engineering (initially Delhi Polytechnic) came into existence in 1940 to cater to the need for trained manpower in the Indian Industry. The Delhi Polytechnic consisted of a technical high school and specialized senior departments.

The senior departments offered courses in the following disciplines:
#Arts
#Architecture
#Commerce
#Engineering
#Applied Science (Chemical Engineering & Technology)
#Textiles

The main building of the Technical High School was, in 1639, the library of Dara Shikoh at the present day Kashmere Gate and the colonnaded portico was added by Sir David Ochterlony, British Resident at the Moghul Court, at the beginning of the 18th century. Prof. Walter William Wood, the father of technical education in India became the founder Principal of Delhi Polytechnic The National Diploma awarded by the Delhi Polytechnic was considered equivalent to a B.E. Degree by the then UPSC.

Prof. D.S.Kothari, the then Dean Faculty of Science, Delhi University was on the Advisory Body of Delhi Polytechnic. He took initiatives and introduced B.E. Degree courses after pre-engineering/ I.Sc. /F.Sc./ 1st yr. pass in B.Sc of Delhi University. The Delhi Polytechnic was affiliated to the Delhi University and B.E. Degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Textile Engineering were awarded to the students under the Faculty of Technology, University of Delhi since 1952. The B.E. degree course in Civil Engineering was introduced in 1955. The selection procedure consisted of a qualifying examination, test and/or interview.


Inception of DCE

Until 1962, the college was under the direct control of Ministry of Education, Government of India. In 1963, Delhi Polytechnic was taken over by the Delhi Administration and the Chief Commissioner, Delhi was made the ex-officio Chairman of the College. It became a Union Territory College and 75% of seats were reserved for the candidates who passed their qualifying examination from a school situated in the Union Territory of Delhi.

In 1965, the Delhi Polytechnic was renamed as Delhi College of Engineering and became the first engineering college of Delhi. Professor S.C. Sen, the then Principal led the college successfully to become a unique institute of higher technical education and research. An M.Sc. (Civil Engineering specialization in Structure) full time (2 yr. duration) and part-time (3 yr. duration) courses were introduced in 1966 and M.Sc. Engineering courses in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from the academic session 1971.

The year of 1972 exhibited an enormous growth in the academic activities of the college under Professor R. C. Narayan. A B.Sc. (Engineering) course of 5 years duration was introduced in Electronics & Communication Engineering and all the departments started M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs. In 1973, the Department of Electrical Engineering introduced M.Sc.(Engg) courses in Instrumentation & Control, and Advanced Electronics; the Department of Mechanical Engineering introduced M.Sc. (Engg) courses in Thermal, and Production; the Department of Civil Engineering introduced M.Sc. (Engg) courses in Structure, Hydraulics & Flood Control, and Public Health Engineering. Electrical Engineering Department introduced M.Sc. in Power Systems in the year 1977.

The year of 1979 brought a change in the engineering curriculum. Introduction of 10+2 system demanded a change in the duration of B.Sc. engineering courses, which was reduced from 5 years to 4 years and the degree was renamed as B.E. The Department of Physics started an M.Sc. course in Applied Physics in 1981 while Department of Chemistry started an M.E. in polymer technology in 1985. The college also started B.E.Tech. Courses in Civil, Electrical, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering in the year 1982.B.E. degree course in Production & Industrial Engineering was started in 1988 while the B.E. degree course in Computer Engineering was started in 1989.

The college continues to be one of the top technical schools in the country after the IITs, and its graduates being in high demand by the industry. It also boasts of regular placements to the top B-Schools of the country, including the IIMs and to the top technical institutions including MIT and Harvard. Admission to the colege is considered difficult. Additionaly, high quality projects in fibre optics(TIFAC-CORE) and Automobile Design (International Competitions) are being undertaken in the college at the UG level.


Campus life at Kashmere Gate

The life at the old campus revolved mostly around the sessionals which used to be held every Monday and Thursday. However, the time between periods was very well utilised at places like "Makhan Lal Tikka Ram" whose sweet Lassi and Poori-Aaloo were just unmatched.

The old wall around the centre playground must have been the most used wall in the world for sitting. So heavily was it used that the edges of the Brick wall had smoothed out into circular-silky texture.


Campus life at Bawana

The Bawana road campus is larger than kashmere gate. But it suffers from the problem of being situated in the outskirts of Delhi. The result is that the students, particular hostel students have no recreational facilities around them. Also, the conservative and restrictive attitude of college principal Mr. P.B. Sharma has ensured that there is little freedom given to students, whether it is with regard to internet usage, or with regard to timings open. Unjust rules have been imposed on students. Boys are not allowed to go out after 10 PM, and girls cannot go out of their hostels after 8 PM. This attitude of the principal, along with geographical location of college and the fact that it is in the development stage has ensured that students have been dissatisfied with their on-campus and in-hostel experience. They can frequently be found complaining about frequent electricity cuts, poor quality food in mess, lack of a library or computer senter on weekends, shortage of computers, a lowly 4 Mbps internet connection shared by entire college and many more things. They have frequently been found to be complaining about lack of cleanliness in bathrooms and toilets, apart from broken taps etc. Of late, action has been taken regarding these problems, with a proactive approach. The hostels have been upgraded and power backups installed in some hostels. Also, sanitation and cleanliness are taken care of. The campus is now Wi-Fi enabled, therefore providing better connectivity to the students. Apart from this, teh college has spurred on development in the nearby locality, accelarating the setting up of food joints, pool and recreation centers, and book stores.However, An internal poll done by college students themselves showed students as being most harassed by the administration block workers. All in all, life at Delhi College of Engineering is improving and infrastructure is of top quality. Considering the reputation of the institution and quality of projects undertaken here, it remains one of the top technical schools in the country.It is highly recommended that one should join this institute if one manages to secure a seat.


The Undergraduate courses at DCE

Following is the list of undergraduate courses offered at DCE:

1) Computer Engineering

2) Electronics and Communication Engineering

3) Electrical Engineering

4) Information Technology

5) Mechanical Engineering

6) Polymer Science and Chemical Technology

7) Production Engineering

8) Civil Engineering

9) Environmental Engineering

10) Biotechnology


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