Srinagar, Aug 24: A Right to Information (RTI) response from Kashmir Government Polytechnic College, Gogji Bagh, has highlighted a major shortage of laboratory equipment in its Automobile Engineering Department, with only three of 18 listed equipment items shown as available.

The RTI response, issued by the college Principal in reply to an application filed by Junaid Nazir, indicates that most equipment required for laboratory work and practical training is currently unavailable.
The list includes several facilities considered essential for contemporary automobile engineering education, including BS-VI petrol and diesel engine trainers, automatic transmission trainers, vehicle diagnostic scanners, ECU training systems, CAN Bus/LIN Bus kits, hybrid vehicle systems, electric vehicle laboratories, battery management systems and EV charging station trainers.
Other unavailable equipment includes fuel-injection training kits, anti-lock braking system trainers, brake-testing equipment, oscilloscopes for automotive diagnostics and CAD/CAM and simulation laboratory facilities.
Of the 18 items listed, only three have been marked as available—emission testing equipment, a MIG/TIG/Arc welding machine and a vehicle for driving-training practice.
However, the emission testing equipment is non-functional, leaving only the welding machine and training vehicle operational. In effect, just two of the 18 listed facilities are currently available and functional.
The infrastructure gap is particularly significant as the automobile industry is rapidly shifting towards electronic diagnostics, electric and hybrid vehicles, advanced emission-control systems and computer-based vehicle technologies.
The absence of such equipment could limit students’ practical exposure and create a gap between classroom instruction and the technologies increasingly used in the automotive sector.
The college, however, stated in its RTI response that it remains committed to strengthening laboratory infrastructure and practical training facilities for Diploma students. It also referred to the availability of funds and the required approvals under applicable rules and procedures for procuring equipment.
Interestingly, the response noted that three vehicles previously lying non-functional were restored by students themselves during practical work. The vehicles are now being used for driving and demonstration purposes.
The information was provided under the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2005, following an application submitted on August 7, 2026.
The disclosure has raised questions over the adequacy and modernisation of practical infrastructure at the institution. With most of the listed equipment unavailable, Automobile Engineering students appear to be facing a substantial gap between the technologies prescribed in their curriculum and the facilities available for hands-on training.