Higher Education Digest – September 2022 – 25 Must-Watch Engineering Colleges in India – 2022

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September 2022 Vol - 4 Issue - 12

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Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

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There is a stark difference between qualification and skill, especially in Indian engineering education. Over the past few decades, India has produced a humongous number of qualified engineers who go through a rigorous four-year formal education. Unfortunately, most of these graduates are labelled unemployable by the industry as they lack the required skillset to spend minimal time on on-the-job training. In fact, 80% of employers in the information technology, engineering and manufacturing industry identify skill deficit as a problem, says Skill Report 2022 by Wheebox, an online remote proctored testing firm. However, the good news is that BTech degree holders have emerged as the top demographic for highly employable resources domain-wise, which means professional engineering colleges in India have improved the number of employable engineers in the recent past. However, deciding on a course and college to pursue engineering is not easy for an Indian student. As per the official statistics from the All India

The Tussle Between Qualification and Quality

Council of Technical Education for the year 2021-22, there are 5926 engineering colleges in India with a total intake of 23,66,656. Nearly 25 lakh students are admitted annually to various engineering colleges in India. So, what are the parameters students need to consider while finding the best college for them? Factors like facilities, faculties, fees, placement, academic partnerships and college ranking are essential aspects to consider.

To help students and their parents take an informed decision on their engineering saga, we have come up with 25 MustWatch Engineering Colleges in India that are performing exceptionally well in the technical education sector over the years. On the cover, we feature Meerut Institute of Engineering & Technology (MIET), which has earned the reputation of being one of the most preferred institutes by students and parents all these years.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi)

Chief Human Resources Officer, Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA

Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB.

Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE.

Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

Mr. Dean E. Hoke, M.S, B.A Co-Founder of Edu Alliance, LTD, UAE and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group, USA

Thakur Former CEO ( ASEAN), Arc Skills

Mamta

Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Former Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com

CEO at BMR Innovations, Ex Senior General Manager at Panasonic, LG, The Hindu, TATA, Author: Moment of Signal & The Roaring Lambs, Motivational Speaker & Leadership Consultant.

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Dr. Khyati Shetty Ph.D (Marketing)., SFHEA (UK), MBA (Marketing), PGHRM, BA (Marketing & Economics)

Dr. Hans A. Andrews Ed.D. Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership, Olney Central College, Illinois,USA

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Senior Director - Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting - Connecta® , Head of Advisory BoardHigher Education Digest® & K12 Digest® , Adjunct Faculty - Assumption University, Former CIO - Athena Education, Former Global Director TechnologyGEMS Education

GUIDING STUDENTS TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE WORLD

COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

INSTITUTE OF INDIAN AVIATION AND ALLIED MANAGEMENT STUDIES Soaring to Newer Heights Amidst the Aviation Industry 34

MUST-WATCH

COLLEGE OF THE YEAR - 2022

42 MEDIA MASS COMMUNICATION

ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE CURRICULA UNIT XAVIER INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Offering an Excellent and Liberating Media Education

54

SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY, ASSAM DON BOSCO UNIVERSITY

Accentuating Industry Collaborations in Education

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ICFAI UNIVERSITY, TRIPURA

Grooming the Next Generation of Engineers with Intellectual & Practical Expertise

INFINITY MANAGEMENT AND ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Preparing the Next Generation of Conscious Engineers for the Real World 82

JK LAKSHMIPAT UNIVERSITY

Creating Future-Ready Students for the Corporate World

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

KALINGA INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY (KIIT)

Creating Global Leaders Driving the Contemporary Urban Industrial Landscape

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

LAKIREDDY BALI REDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING (AUTONOMOUS)

Imparting Quality Education & Training to the Technocrats

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

MENTOR’S MANTRA

14

COACHING THE COACH AND THE CULTURE

Dr. Milind Pande, Pro-Vice Chancellor, MIT World Peace University, Pune

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

30

Niranjan Gidwani, Consultant Director, Member UAE Superbrands Council, Former CEO, Eros Group Dubai

AI FOR ALL

DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OBSERVED IN TODAY’S EDUCATION SYSTEM

116

ACADEMIC VIEW

Pankaj Sharma, President, The Lexicon Group of Institutes

78

HOW ARE CUSTOM PROGRAMS GAINING POPULARITY FOR WHITE-COLLAR JOBS?

John Kallelil, Founder and Director, XED

130

104 SUSTAINABILITY AND YOUTH: THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING ECOSYSTEM

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN JAVA/ PYTHON/C++

Girish Singhania, CEO, EduBridge

Manil Agarwal, Founder, Sustenable

MENTOR’S MANTRA

Coaching the Coach and the Culture

Niranjan Gidwani, Consultant Director, Member UAE Superbrands Council, Former CEO, Eros Group Dubai

There’s a famous quote by my favorite management Guru and author, Peter Drucker. It says “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Which actually means that strategy is extremely, critically important, but without a strong culture, even the best-laid strategies can backfire.

Ask any senior head or owner of an organization what are the key areas they are focused on, and the most likely answers would be financial management, super customer experience, business development, valuations etc. All of these are hugely critical areas to focus on, but one key ingredient often gets overlooked in any meaningful discussions: Culture.

The last thing any organization wants, no matter what level of growth they are at, is to start losing great talent to a culture which is either not well-defined or too superficial and political

Comingfromahumble,middle-class,extremelyvalue-basedbackground,NiranjanGidwaniistheConsultant Director, Member UAE Superbrands Council and Former CEO of Eros Group Dubai. Mr. Gidwani is known for his vision and his ability and expertise to build regional groups and organisations into brands. He is a degree holder in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Management, Pune, India. He has also attended several top management courses at institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad,theSevenHabitsprogramunderDrStevenCoveyandseveralothersacrosstheworld.Mr.Gidwani hasover38yearsofhard-coreseniormanagementexperiencewithastrongexposuretohandlinginternational business.Outofthese38years,hehashadworkingstintsinIndia,HongKong,Germany,SingaporeandDubai. Dubai has had the longest stint of 28 years.

The last thing any organization wants, no matter what level of growth they are at, is to start losing great talent to a culture which is either not well-defined or too superficial and political.

Aside from retention, culture can be a powerful competitive advantage because it is built over a long period of time and difficult to replicate easily. With the advent of technology, handicap levels have dropped across many industries, and the playing field is becoming flatter. Hence, any competitor who has the funding can, over time, replicate everything else. Yet, the unestablished norms in any company that is driven by a deeprooted positive culture would be difficult to quickly replicate.

Global research has indicated that when any organization crosses a critical mass of about 100 employees, cultural issues get more complicated if not addressed determinedly and quickly.

One thing is undeniable: quantifying employee sentiment can provide every organization with the tools it needs to ensure culture preservation as it scales up its size and business volumes.

The role of a CEO, or head of any business or division is extremely crucial in two key areas –driving for performance, growth, success, and at the same time also driving the right kind of culture. While the very same individuals give so much emphasis to create the right kind of culture at home and in the family, why is the same kind of dedication and passion lacking in the workplace. Why the double standards.

In today’s world of rapidly scaling-up businesses, startups, major geopolitical disruptions, funding winters, perhaps a head

The beauty of a good coach is that he or she does not have to be better than us, but instead should be a great observer and reader, besides consistently walking the talk

of a company or a business also needs a coach who can play the role of the third eye. A small difference can be the defining criteria between a good player and a great player. And that’s where perhaps coaching a coach can come in extremely handy.

A driver and a mechanic cannot be exactly the same. A doctor and a nurse cannot function exactly the same. A good jockey and a trainer cannot be the same. A lawyer and a judge cannot be the same. We all need someone outside of us to have an objective view of what we do and what we don’t.

Inspite of all the advancement in technology, a good player cannot watch his own game objectively. This is precisely the reason why auditors, boards of directors, coaches for champions exist. Someone outside of us needs to observe and reveal the real and, more importantly, improved version of us to ourselves.

The beauty of a good coach is that he or she does not have to be better than us, but instead should be a great observer and reader, besides consistently walking the talk. He or she may not be able to achieve what the person he is coaching may be able to achieve. Yet the commitment lies in making the one he is coaching become a super achiever. That is the reason why so many good teachers and professors create global successes while continuing to keep doing their good work for a lifetime.

It is a proven fact. Any institution, or organization which focuses on building a great culture can hold on to their talent a little better, a little longer even if their packages were to be slightly lower than the market average. But a poor culture with higher packages would probably retain talent only till the talent gets another alternative.

A great cultural coach is one who consistently walks the talk while keeping the student in him always alive. And since humans are the only creation capable of leaving a great legacy which could live beyond their lifetime, is it not then a responsibility for coaches and leaders to leave a good, capable bench strength as a legacy?

Surely current times may be appropriate and best for increased coaching of the coach and the culture.

MEERUT INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

GUIDING STUDENTS TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE WORLD

Established in 1997, the Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) set out to be one of the top colleges to provide quality education in science and engineering. Since getting into an IIT is quite tricky, the pioneers of MIET wanted to build a breeding ground for innovators and inventors to have an experience just like IITians do, with the same academic rigour and opportunities. Thus, to provide quality education to students, it was started by Late Shri Chandra Sen Agarwal, an

MIET is a dynamically growing Institute in Uttar Pradesh, managed and governed under the dynamic leadership of Mr Puneet Agarwal, Vice Chairman.

educationist, along with a group of likeminded philanthropists in the region to train young men and women for industrialised India and for a global workforce. “In 1999 I thought if I am not able to clear IIT, I will join MIET. Though it had been only two years since its inception, the institute was already making waves in the higher education circles,” says Mr Vishwas Gautam, Brand Head, Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology. Now, in 2022, they are celebrating their 25th year of excellent education and plan to reach out to

more students across the country and beyond India’s borders.

The focus at MIET is not on training students to get jobs. As Covid-19 has exposed, there is a lack of entrepreneurial spirit among students, and there is a leadership crisis. Most people want to just find a job and settle in life. But at MIET, the campus and the syllabus are built to help students explore their capabilities and figure out what they want to do with their lives. So, the focus is to create entrepreneurs, create leaders of tomorrow who will create jobs rather than look for jobs. While

most Indian talents wish to join companies like NASA, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, which causes a brain drain in the nation, MIET aims to make students who want to stay back and provide resources to make India better.

Encouraging Exploration

At MIET, the faculty members believe that the 4 years a student spends in college is the time for them to decide what role they want to play in society. As an engineering college, MIET stands out in having the best facilities in the region. The tie-ups with numerous companies also give

Vishwas Gautam, Brand Head, Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology

Under the tutelage of the best known faculty, MIET has earned the reputation of being one of the most preferred institutes by the students and parents all these years.

students a taste of the field, even before they graduate. These companies include IBM, Google, Bosch, and government education organisations like the ACIC and the like. “We are offering them at a price that is quite affordable. And we have a huge, green campus that most government colleges do not. Another plus about MIET is that we are the only college closest to the industries, while all these government institutions are located outside the city. We have a vast and open campus and green and calm environment that makes students feel like they are stepping into a whole new world altogether,” says Mr Vishwas.

As an institute that wants to drive the entrepreneurial spirit among students, MIET has established numerous departments and clubs that help them realise their various career options and do something exciting and innovative. MIET was one of the first colleges to launch a satellite club that teaches students to build equipment for outer space. Additionally, it also houses a thriving robotics club that gives students the chance to experiment with tech for the future. “We are nurturing innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs who are churning out jobs and are very successful. I am surprised that, though being a private institute in a city like Meerut, we were considered by companies like Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Barkleys, JP Morgen and many more,” shares Mr Vishwas. Many of these projects are funded by the government, which provides equipment and resources to help students to create something innovative. Many

Presently, MIET is flourishing under the leadership of Shri Vishnu Saran, a great visionary, who is carrying on the dream philanthropic project nurtured by his father, the FounderChairman of MIET Group Late Sri CS Agarwal.

colleges have this funding, but the lack of infrastructure and human resources often goes unused and cut out of the budget. MIET helps such schools and colleges work with these resources, training teachers and students about making the most of these funds specifically put aside for entrepreneurial projects.

MIET saw an excellent placement drive with an outstanding record last year. The institute

Known for its excellent infrastructure, facilities for learning, unique academic environment & innovative teaching methodology, each student is initiated towards overall excellence to empower the youth who aspire to become successful Engineers, Scientists and Managers.

had more than 80% of students being placed in top companies, not just from the technical and engineering departments but from courses across the institute. Data Quest ranked MIET as one of the top colleges for employability and mentioned that graduates from the institute are as good as graduates of any IIT. “The reason why they want our students is because most of these companies have training periods to help the new employee to get accustomed to the work. But at MIET, they already have the skills needed. So companies need not waste

resources to train new job-ready candidates,” Mr Vishwas adds.

Additionally, MIET also has departments dedicated to helping students in personality development, spoken language, the nuances of speech, writing and presenting oneself. There are dedicated departments for people on different career paths, like those aspiring to acquire government jobs or planning to do higher education or clearing competitive exams like CAT. MIET understands the needs of students. To reduce their academic burden, they organise extra-curricular events at regular intervals. To take their mind off academics, they encourage students to participate in these activities to hone their creativity and talent.

Diverse Learning

Some of the most popular courses at MIET are the bifurcated computer science and engineering courses. The institute offers specialisations in Data Science, Artificial intelligence, and the

Internet of Things. In recent years, the MBA and BCA courses have become popular. In 2020, they saw a record number of admissions and history repeat in the following year. The institute also provides scholarships for welldeserved candidates.

Though the pandemic had taken a toll on the education sector, MIET was running smoothly as always. Being a centre for innovative thinking, Mr Vishwas explains, “There was no problem. We were kind of doing it before Covid happened. Many of our training programmes go beyond our institutional time, so we tend to go online. Thus it was very organic. No wondering and doubting. It was just a smooth shift. No one missed a single day of learning as we already had a system in place. We understood that the future is online, so we accepted it and realised

that online learning becomes more accessible to students.”

MIET also created a virtual version of the labs needed for engineering students for practical knowledge to go another step ahead. By applying 3D technology and AI-enabled software, the faculty at MIET were able to help students get a virtual yet hands-on practical experience, making it an interactive session rather than something they have to passively watch and imbibe. “The best part of MIET is that the faculty are eager to learn any new technology. Many universities have approached us to send our faculty to their college to train them. So, this pandemic shift just felt like another day of work because it was nothing new that they had to learn. They realised that unlearning is more important than learning,” says Mr Vishwas.

Digital and Technological Transformation Observed in Today’s Education System

Pankaj Sharma, President, The Lexicon Group of Institutes

An eminent educationist, entrepreneur, institution-builder, and philanthropist, Mr. Pankaj Sharma started his journey early inhislifewithhumblebeginnings,andhasseenanupwardgrowth year after year with setting up 9 Pre-Schools, 3 High Schools affiliated to CBSE, a Post-Graduate Management Institute approved by AICTE, Lexicon Rainbow- centre for children with special needs and abilities and a Hotel Management Institute in collaboration with Marriott Hotels India, Davidoff – NV Lifestyles and Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. His zealous and ardent outlook led him to establish as well as acquire various entrepreneurial ventures and companies in sectors like Media, FMCG, Ed-tech, Law Aggregator, Fitness, etc.

Today post-Covid world educational institutes are acknowledging the significance of the digital shift in the education segment with increased use of online classes and video conferencing solutions

Technological advancements have completely reshaped the entire education system, with digitally empowered classrooms now present on the internet online education is available to everyone.

With the advent of tech innovations, the education sector turns out to be the most influenced. Technology has been playing a central role in schooling ever since learning and development came into being.

Not long ago, education pertained to the reading of books and students listening to teachers. While educational institutes tried to introduce activity-oriented education which of course encouraged the students and increased their interest level to a certain extent, the effect wasn’t as expected.

Today post-Covid world educational institutes are acknowledging the significance of the digital shift in the education segment with increased use of online classes and video conferencing solutions. It is the right time to implement Tech and digital solutions that will change the way learning is presented to students.

Here’s how technology has helped shaped bring efficiency to new learning processes.

Integrating learning Apps/Platforms COVID-19 resulted in schools shutting down across the globe. As a result, the education sector had to evolve drastically with the rise of online learning, where students joined digital platforms for learning. Many educational institutes turned to edtech startups and

launched learning apps for students. These apps allowed students to access notes, and their curriculum and give mock tests for exam practice. Upgrade to AR/VR for the better learning experience

The Education segment is step by step embracing new technologies. Augmented and virtual reality is the next level of development in the learning approach. With the help of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, schools can create an interactive and virtual environment for their students. These technologies can make the process of explaining complicated concepts easier by implementing an interactive visualaudio factor.

Video Conferencing Solutions

Covid crisis impacts international education delaying courses or studies not anymore. Online reviews can be done and universities can facilitate virtual onboarding and admission of students. Schools can incorporate video conferencing solutions into their app or website to allow students in other countries to continue their studies. They can attend online classes and webinars.

Today schools are looking at tech as a prospect to build teaching methods and connect with students efficiently. Today everyone owns smart devices smartphones, computers, laptops, and tablets.

Here are a few methods that can introduce digital transformation in teaching.

AI-enabled remote proctoring

Remote proctoring or invigilating is a technology that allows educational institutes

Remote proctoring or invigilating is a technology that allows educational institutes to conduct exams where the institute can monitor their students

to conduct exams where the institute can monitor their students. This can be enabled with a combination of an integrated web camera and an AI-powered facial recognition algorithm.

AI-based analysis of students

Schools nowadays have to face a lot of obstacles, including high dropout rates, the ineffectiveness of a traditional one for all approach, and disengaged students. However, AI and big data analytics can help create personalized education experiences and fix these challenges. Personalized learning allows students to enjoy a unique educational approach that is completely tailored to their needs.

Smart Class

Online classroom or physical classroom, the digital whiteboard can help you engage with students through interactive learning methods. Through this teachers are not prohibited to only limited colors. Instead, they can use different color shapes like circles or stars to explain complicated ideas more interactively.

Online Assessments

Artificial Intelligence has made it feasible for educational institutes to conduct online examinations with the help of the internet and computer network. With online inspection tools, you can roll out examinations online in a hassle-free manner.

With the digitization of the education experience, both learners and teachers can improve their skills to construct an engaging educational process.

Established in 2009 by a nonprofit organization through the collective expertise of its members, IIAAM (Institute of Indian Aviation and Allied Management Studies) plays a pivotal role in the advancement of skill development, vocational and degree programs along with Aviation, BBA Aviation, MBA Aviation, Mass Media, Music, and Diplomas in various disciplines and Certificate programs that represent all segments of various industries.

INSTITUTE OF INDIAN AVIATION AND ALLIED MANAGEMENT STUDIES COLLEGE SPOTLIGHT

SOARING TO NEWER HEIGHTS AMIDST THE AVIATION

INDUSTRY

T

he Indian aviation industry is one of the key sectors affecting the economy. The growth of this industry offers various brighter career prospects and increased business opportunities for companies. This industry has significant untapped growth potential with several career paths to choose from. Bangalore located Institute of Indian Aviation and Allied Management Studies (IIAAM Foundation) makes tremendous contributions to the growth of this industry. The prestigious researchoriented and skill management-focused institution plays a pivotal role in the advancement of Degree, Skill development, Professional & Management programs along with Aviation, Diplomas in various disciplines, and Certificate programs that represent all segments of various industries like Aviation and allied Media and Entertainment industry; designed to meet the shortage of professionals in the respective industry throughout the International job

Dr. Lizy Kalaga, Vice President, IIAAM

market. “IIAAM offers the ideal opportunity to gain exposure to innovative and groundbreaking programs and partnerships and to share best practices with leading educators and industry experts,” informs Dr. Lizy Kalaga, Vice President, IIAAM.

Offering a Comprehensive Suite of Services

Established in 2009, IIAAM continually strives to maintain its status as a reliable aviation management training organisation as it continues its training service activities in the subjects

IIAAM promotes and fosters excellence in aviation and skill development education by providing the highest quality of training, and the sharing of knowledge and experience, for the advancement of the aviation industry.

of human and talent management as well as operational issues of aviation with more than 50 highly expert instructors. Having conducted extensive market research, the team at IIAAM designed and developed in-house and outsourced aviation courses such as MBA Aviation, BBA Aviation and different certification courses for Cabin Crew, Cargo, Operations, Security, Passenger Services, Ramp and safety courses, as well as English communication, Grooming and professional development courses with universal content. “The training programs on aviation practices developed intensively by IIAAM personnel add value to the entire industry,” opines Dr. Lizy.

In conjunction with the aforementioned services, the institution also provides training and consultancy services to public and private institutions in different fields, in tandem with

facilitating customers with Training Needs Analysis and Training Design of aviation and allied services as needed. “IIAAM provides classroom training, distance online training, and effective digital training courses, which are designed through detailed needs analysis for the aviation industry, and constantly updated in line with national and international developments,” adds Dr. Lizy.

In essence, the institution predominantly focuses on providing advisory services, training, updated syllabus, examination, and certifications for universities, colleges, and aviation institutions. Some of the Major Training Collaborations include Presidency University Bangalore, Teachers Academy Group of Institutions and many colleges for BBA Aviation under Bangalore North University, Bangalore Central University, Bangalore University, MG University Kottayam, Mangalore University and Anna University Tamil Nadu.

Cultivating Robust Partnerships

To further ensure the delivery of unmatched services, IIAAM has forged partnerships with aviation organisations across the globe. “We foster strong and lasting relationships with international aviation organisations to lay the foundations for long-term collaboration on safety performance and progression of aviation strategies,” says Dr. Lizy. While extending services on a commercial basis, the institution reinvests a sustainable part of any profit made in the aviation community through the IIAAM NGO in the form of scholarship and aviation teaching methods as per the requirement of the industry and professional growth of the career aspirants of aviation.

Providing a Helping Hand

Helping this community grow and guiding people to lead the world of aviation tomorrow, the institution has the IIAAM Foundation Merit Scholarship for Aviation Students. This initiative by the IIAAM Foundation (Scholarship Fund) Trust aims to provide financial support to meritorious aviation students and help them pursue quality aviation graduation education at premier Aviation Colleges and Universities. “Under this scholarship, the students pursuing Aviation education at the undergraduate or postgraduate level get scholarships up to INR 90,000 per course to cover their educational expenses. The program also offers opportunities for mentorship to the selected candidates, creating a robust community of young Aviation professionals,” elucidates Dr. Lizy. The trust was started in 2013, helping students pursue aviation courses along with Graduation.

In fact, while cabin crew, pilots and customer care executives within this industry require just a higher secondary level certificate, a degree is necessary to advance in their career. Resuming education to attain a professional degree post a decade-long career can prove to be an arduous task. At IIAAM, students can pursue their regular degree while simultaneously achieving certifications in their areas of interest like Aviation, Software, Language, Communication Skills, and so on. “With IIAAM, we can foresee a new generation of youth, graduating from colleges each year, with a thorough knowledge and basic understanding of the aviation and other industries and its social and economic influences upon living standards,” says Dr. Lizy.

Sculpting Leaders of Tomorrow

IIAAM offers its collective expertise through industry oriented and job specific training programs to meet the shortage of professionals in the respective industry throughout International job market and considered as top aviation college and aviation training provider

She goes on to explain how today, several organisations, including airlines, prefer candidates with graduation and a professionally trained background in at least one field of expertise. She adds, “At IIAAM, the curriculum is designed to improve the student’s personal skills. There is great demand for dynamic and educated leaders and managers to control the logistics, management and aviation business of the industry. Our programs aim to bridge the gap between the increasing demands of the industry & professionals with the comprehensive knowledge of the chosen field.”

Some of the leading Placements in May June 2022 are BIAL ( Bangalore Airport), Spice Jet, GGI (CS-1) GlobeGround India for

IIAAM fosters and maintains mutually beneficial partnerships with institutions, aviation industry, and allied companies through excellent and innovative strategic alliances.

Ground Handling in Bangalore, IndiGo Cabin Crew, GGI (Ramp) GlobeGround India for Ground Handling in Bangalore, GGI (CS-2) GlobeGround India for Ground Handling in Bangalore, Manque Global, Star Air, Air India SATS and Exxon Mobil USA.

The institution is continually adapting and innovating to maintain one of the leadership positions in this domain. Any challenges encountered are addressed swiftly and effectively. When the Coronavirus pandemic ravaged almost every industry, IIAAM quickly initiated distance learning practices and

universities and allied colleges. In the first year of the pandemic, IIAAM and allied Universities and colleges delivered more than hundreds of virtual classroom courses and reached thousands of online participants. In addition to in-class and distance learning, the institution also provides aviation personnel working all around the globe with hundreds of digital content in different fields.

Taking Strides into the Future

Moving forward, anticipating what the future holds, IIAAM is poised to expand its services

to various other colleges and universities across India with a strong focus on Bangalore and Tamil Nadu. Additionally, the institution is currently awaiting the results of the application for Global Ranking applied through Presidency University. Furthermore, IIAAM is designing online courses to facilitate students from all over the world with access to the best aviation education platform. Dr. Lizy concludes, “Our team is working on creating textbooks for aviation students as per the syllabus of Bangalore North University so all students studying BBA Aviation in affiliated colleges can use the same.”

XIC was initiated in 1969 by The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India to develop scholarship and professionalism in the media. Today, the institute ranks among the biggest non-government media centres in Asia.

MUST-WATCH

MEDIA MASS

COMMUNICATION

COLLEGE OF THE YEAR - 2022

ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE

CURRICULA UNIT

XAVIER INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS

OFFERING AN EXCELLENT AND LIBERATING MEDIA

EDUCATION

Being one of the leading non-government media centre in South Asia, Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC) has consistently been rated among the top 5 Media Institutes in India for the last 10 years. It was established in 1969 with a mission to impart quality professional education in communication. Formerly known as the Institute of Communication Arts (ICA), XIC was a professional Media Centre. It offers a variety of training programmes in the field of communication. Today, XIC is an autonomous curricula unit of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai of the most prestigious colleges, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, which also celebrated 150 years in 2019. The College crest says ‘Provocans

Dr. Fr. Conrad Pesso, SJ, the Director of XIC

Ad Volandum’ (Challenging to Fly). It is managed by the Bombay St. Xavier’s College Society Trust.

With a 480-year-old tradition of excellence in education, the Jesuit institution focuses on the whole person, preparing for a career and the fullness of life. It develops an appreciation for learning as a process of self-discovery, a process that is both joyous and liberating. It can be summed up in its educational motto ‘moulding men and women for others with others’. MORE is POSSIBLE. “We believe

Dr Jehangir B. Mistry, the Academic Dean and Board Member at XIC

in the media’s potential as a tool for integral development. This remains the guiding factor in our striving for professional excellence. We believe that mastering one’s craft is only one aspect of media training,” says Dr. Fr. Conrad Pesso, SJ, the Director of Xavier Institute of Communications.

XIC continues to evolve to ensure excellence, forging an integrated programme that has become a benchmark in media Studies. It balances tried and tested strategies with contemporary technologies and strategies

for new and emerging needs while attempting to form productive, committed and passionate global citizens.

Moreover, it is imperative to impart ethical values to our students. “At the XIC, we attempt to educate our students on media’s practical, theoretical, and moral aspects. We have students from all over India, so we have a different culture here at XIC,” shares Dr Jehangir B. Mistry, the Academic Dean and Board Member at Xavier Institute of Communications.

XIC provides a professional media education that emphasizes the values relevant to a unique cultural context, a pedagogy that is flexible, innovative, experiential, and

XIC has a well-rounded approach to media communication that involves more facilities than just classrooms.

encourages professional responsibility; in which the personal bond between teacher and student is respected and nourished; which is sensitive to socio-development needs; and responsive to secular values and human rights. “We believe that in a shrinking, more interdependent world, XIC should provide a special space and place for young graduates to discover the media world and discern how to bond with our worldwide human family through communication,” shares Dr Jehangir.

A collection of over 14000 specialised books in the Media stack the shelves, while 18 Newspapers, 33 Periodicals (Magazines and Media related Journals) and over 2700 videos adorn other shelves.

As it grew, XIC introduced 3D Computer Graphics and Animation (3DCGA), as well as Non-Linear Editing (NLE), both for the first time in India-1991; Advanced Integrated Communication Programme (AICP), Communication for Development (C4D) advised by UNICEF, Event Planning and Experiential Marketing (EPEM), and a Live Newsroom for training journalists. The Campus has special lecture rooms, studios and galleries named after Ameen Sayani, Satyajit Ray, R. K. Laxman, Mario Miranda, Charles Correa, Gerson Da Cunha, Fr. F. McFarland, Fr. Gerry Rosario, and Mother Teresa.

Offering expertise beyond Academics

The best way to learn is to learn from a professional, or better yet, to be guided by one. Most of the faculty at XIC have had experience in the field and have dedicated themselves to teaching students

the skills and knowledge they acquired from being in action. With their practical knowledge, they inspire students to become excellent professionals.

Adding to the faculty, the institute also collaborates with universities, companies and professionals to provide students with a worldview of what to expect in the industry. Over the years, XIC has collaborated with Deakin University, Australia, Griffith University, Australia, Emylon France, and Don Bosco International Media Academy, Paris. GIZ, Germany, UNICEF etc., giving a global outlook to media education.

Griffith University, Australia, collaborated with XIC on a social Project, “Water mafia of Mumbai”. XIC has recently collaborated with Don Bosco International Media Academy (DBIMA), Paris. XIC students holding a Diploma of Film, Television or Journalism can take admission directly for 2nd year Master of Arts in Cinema & Audiovisual. The

course duration will be 10 months (October –July). A special scholarship is offered for XIC students. XIC also gives scholarships in the form of awards at the end of the academic year in the form of Certificates & Cash prizes. Also, deserving students get fee concession in the tuition fees. Awards such as Best allaround student, Ignatian Award, Best Course Student, In Group Projects – Best Student Project, and Best Audio-Visual Student Documentary are sponsored by Alumni or even by family members of deceased alumni.

Standing firm for the Future

XIC being a Jesuit institute, stresses professional excellence and relevance such that social sensitivity, ethics and values are also kept in focus. The faculty & Management also highlight creative content in the media produced by our students. This is followed for all print, image, video and

social media output. The XIC Management motivates students to participate in local & global competitions where their work can be evaluated by a broad spectrum of judges. “We encourage entrepreneurship and new ideas in student project work and start-ups, youtube videos. One such student went back to her home town and started an app on ‘women abuse & action,’” says Fr. Conrad.

XIC courses are constantly upgraded, looking at global demands and technological innovations. In the post-pandemic world, many changes are required because of the need for flexibility, work habits (WFH), online transactions, digital disruptions, the emerging power of social media & renewed focus on health, wellness and well-being. Now, XIC is focusing its courses on Data Analytics for media and marketing, the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence and the growing power of Social Media.

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ENGINEERING COLLEGES

Like every stream of studies, engineering education has undergone overwhelming change during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closed campuses have taken the studies out of classrooms and labs, which was considered as imperatives in an engineering student’s life. Faculty members are forced to adopt new technology for teaching and figure out how to turn a hands-on education into a remote practice. With these, the tech-fests, seminars, sports, industrial visits, and socializing - ultimately, the college experience is now at risk.

However, the ongoing crisis has provided the academicians and administrators with a freehand to innovate existing practices and policies in technical education. The colleges and universities need to consider this an opportunity to emerge stronger and find solutions that would help us address the immediate issues and the longer term. Along with incorporating blended learning, the engineering curriculum creators also need to think of including inter-disciplinary concepts. For instance, computer science is becoming fundamental to most disciplines, and all other streams must adopt this new reality.

In this issue, we have hand-picked “25 MustWatch Engineering Colleges in India - 2022” who have invested in their teaching-learning resources and considerably improved the quality of education during this unprecedented time.

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

City State College Name

Amity School of Engineering And Technology

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University

Assam Don Bosco University

Noida Uttar Pradesh

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu

Guwahati Assam

Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani Rajasthan

BMS College of Engineering Bengaluru Karnataka

Coimbatore Institute of Technology

Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering

DY Patil College of Engineering

Hindusthan Institute of Technology

Coimbatore

Coimbatore Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu

Pune Bangalore Maharashtra Karnataka

ICFAI University, Tripura Agartala Tripura

Infinity Management & Engineering College Sagar Madhya Pradesh

International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad Telangana

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

City State College Name

JK Lakshmipat University Jaipur Rajasthan

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology

Bhubaneswar Odisha

Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences Coimbatore Tamil Nadu

Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering

Mylavaram Andhra Pradesh

Manipal Institute of Technology Manipal Karnataka

Meerut Institute of Technology

PES University

Meerut Uttar Pradesh

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology Kochi Kerala

Ramaiah Institute of Technology

RV College of Engineering

Bengaluru

Bengaluru

Karnataka

Karnataka

Thiagarajar College of Engineering Thiruparankundram Tamil Nadu

Vellore Institute of Technology Vellore Tamil Nadu

Xavier Institute of Engineering Mumbai Maharashtra

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY, ASSAM DON BOSCO UNIVERSITY

ACCENTUATING INDUSTRY COLLABORATIONS IN EDUCATION

Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) has been sponsored by the worldwide family of the Don Bosco Society that caters to the educational and developmental needs of 9 million young people. ADBU is known for its unique student-centred pedagogical heritage and the distinctive educational philosophy and method of Don Bosco institutions worldwide. The University was formally established as a State Private University by the Assam Don Bosco University Act 2009 and notified in Assam Government Gazette No. LGL 149/2008/30 dated 12th February 2009. The University has been recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) since 2009. It has been re-accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2021 with

Fully equipped to cater to 1600 students, Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology is admired for its dedicated and experienced faculty, outstanding infrastructure, classrooms and labs, comfortable hostel accommodation, brisk training and placement activity, and ample co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

an A Grade. It is approved by the Distance Education Bureau for offering distance education programs and by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for conducting engineering, management and computer application programs.

The university is a member by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU, New Delhi) since 30th November 2013. It has been a part of the Commonwealth Association of Universities (ACU, London) since 18th October 2011 and the International Association of Universities (IAU, Paris) since 29th November 2011.

“The Association of Don Bosco Institutions of Higher Education focuses on contributing to national development by eminently serving the cause of social justice, ensuring equity and increasing access to higher education. Our aim is to foster global competencies among students by

At DBCET, lectures, tutorials and practicals are augmented by periodic seminars, symposia, field work, rural camps, guest lectures and workshops which provide a more comprehensive view of the subject than mere lecture methodology.

making the ability to function on a worldwide scale,” shares Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely, Vice Chancellor, Assam Don Bosco University. The university focuses on inculcating community essential and desirable values cherished by our ancient civilisation and core universal human values and enthusiastically adopt ICTenabled processes for teaching, administration, resource- sharing and networking.

Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely adds, “the vision of Assam Don Bosco University is to mould intellectually competent, morally upright, socially committed and spiritually inspired persons, at the service of India and the world of today and tomorrow, by imparting holistic and personalized education. We are on a mission to be a centre for culture, knowledge, research, and intellectual ferment; for critical

thinking and analysis of whatever shapes and impacts human life: culture, politics, governance, religion, education, health care etc., and to ensure that our graduates become dependable human leaders with a strong sense of commitment to the disadvantaged.”

The university aims to make professional and higher education accessible to the weaker sections of society.

School of Technology

Don Bosco College of Engineering and Technology (DBCET) is the first constituent college of the School of Technology of Assam Don Bosco University, and its programmes are approved by AICTE. It is set in an environment of beautifully laid out gardens and lush green lawns on the Guwahati Airport Road at Azara.

“The college is fully equipped to cater to 1600 students. It is admired for its dedicated and experienced faculty, outstanding infrastructure, classrooms and labs, comfortable hostel accommodation, brisk training and placement activity, and ample co-curricular and extracurricular activities,” states Dr Manoranjan Kalita, Director - School of Technology, Assam Don Bosco University.

Established in 2008, its vision is to train engineers and technicians with a passion for excellence, creativity and commitment to visualise and create a better and more fulfilling life for themselves and the society they work for and work with. The university offers courses in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Computer Applications, Electrical and

Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely, Vice-Chancellor

Dr Manoranjan Kalita, Director - School of Technology

Electronics Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Teaching Methodology

At DBCET, lectures, tutorials and practicals are augmented by periodic seminars, symposia, fieldwork, rural camps, guest lectures and workshops, which provide a more comprehensive view of the subject than mere lecture methodology. Interface with industry and interaction with practising professionals are organised to keep the students abreast of current developments giving them the ’knowledgeplus-experience’ edge. “Evaluation of students is done continuously through class tests, quizzes, assignments, seminars, projects, midsemester examinations and an end-semester examination. This evaluation procedure, designed to test students’ analytical and

problem-solving skills and creative thinking, focuses on their performance throughout the year,” explains Fr. Joseph Nellanatt, Pro Vice Chancellor, Assam Don Bosco University.

Most of the faculty members of the university are doctorate degree holders in their respective fields of study and have a good number of years of experience in teaching, research and industries. “Among our faculty and staff are the veterans in the educational administration, rank holders and gold medalists, making them unique in the higher education system,” says Fr. Joseph Nellanatt.

Students lead a quite vibrant life at Assam Don Bosco University. The existence of numerous clubs allows them to engage in activities as per their interests. Some student clubs are Sports club, Dramatics Club, Art and Craft Club, Literary Club, Robotic Club,

Fr. Joseph Nellanatt, Pro Vice Chancellor

Fr (Dr) Johnny Jose, Registrar

Web Designing club, Coding Club, Yoga and Healthcare Club, Photography Club, Music and Singing Club, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship etc. Every year an event related to extra-curricular activities called the “D’Verve”, and an event related to co-curricular activities called the “Prajyukttam” are held with grandeur and solemnity.

A locational advantage in Guwahati, the gateway to the North-East and South-East Asian Countries, enhancing student and faculty exchange; the University’s experience in using ICT for quality teaching and innovation in pedagogy; the in-house expertise in providing blended learning; increased interaction with industries to introduce industry-specialised programs and to improve employability and student skill-sets; aggressive admission strategies to increase student intake across programmes; resources of the international network of Don Bosco Society to attract more foreign students; collaborations with Universities to accelerate international exposure for the faculty and students;

University’s focus on socially relevant research and innovations – these are the various factors and facilities that attract national/international students to the campus. “We have students from all the northeastern states of India and from some states in other parts of India. We also have international students from South Asian countries and some African nations. This accounts for the diversity of the students and ensures exposure to the various cultures and traditions,” says Fr (Dr) Johnny Jose, Registrar, Assam Don Bosco University.

Reinventing Technical Education

Industry 4.0 is revolutionising how companies manufacture, improve and distribute their products. As the manufacturers are integrating new technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and analytics, and AI and machine learning into their production facilities and throughout their operations, the School of Technology, Assam Don Bosco University focus on providing industry-relevant skills using elective courses,

The Library with its modern collection of knowledge resources and innovative information services provides necessary supports for teaching, learning, research activities of the University by creating state-of-the-art facilities to the academic community.

value-added programs and guiding in internships and training. “Following the AICTE curriculum, we have adapted our deliverables to suit the needs of Industry 4.0. We make sure that the students have adequate exposure to a variety of learning avenues so that they can hone their soft skills along with their technical skills,” shares Dr Manoranjan Kalita.

Assam Don Bosco University understands the need for industry collaborations, realising that the industry and academia are significant to each other as one cannot survive without the other. The university is committed to ensuring a sustainable link with the industry in a mutually relevant setup, progressing hand in hand with the industry, having their presence in all their Statutory Bodies, the Governing Body, the IQAC, the Academic Council and the board of studies of all the departments. In addition, regular

guest lectures, talks and seminars are being conducted in collaboration with the industry.

The university has MOUs with multiple organisations, including Royal Enfield, Nanoinformatics, Tata Consultancy Servicers, Technomate, Telcocrats, KnowHow3D, MSME - Tool Room and Training Center, to name a few. With respect to collaboration with international organisations, Don Bosco has MOUs with University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas, Ireland (UCDVO), Qatar University, Universidad Internacional De La Rioja, Spain, Universiti

Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh (UAP), Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and the Royal University of Bhutan.

The University’s state-of-theart science laboratories house all the necessary apparatus and equipment that students require to conduct successful experiments.

Striving for excellence

The School of Technology mentors students and encourages them to participate in national and state-level innovation competitions. Students are encouraged to conduct projects on cuttingedge technologies and to solve real-world problems. Among all the institutes of Assam, students of ADBU have consistently secured funding for their projects from the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC), the Government of Assam.

The university has set up the Institute Innovation Council as per the directions of the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The council consists of 11 active members. ADBU’s IIC has been actively participating in MIC-driven events and organising innovation and entrepreneurship events. Some of the events that IIC has organized are the One Day Workshop on Entrepreneurial Mindset and Participation in National Webinar on Research and Innovation. Members from the IIC team have also served as resource persons

for entrepreneurship events organised by other institutes of Assam.

The University has also set up an Innovation and Startup Cell as per the direction of the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The task of this cell is to adopt the National Innovation and Startup Policy (NISP) framed by MIC and AICTE. ADBU has already adopted NISP and has prepared its own Innovation and Startup Policy based on NISP. ADBU is among the leading institutes of India to have adopted NISP. The cell conducted ADBU Ideation Competition on April 26th, 2021. Teams from all over India participated in this competition. The cell has also created a knowledge repository dedicated to topics on innovation and entrepreneurship. An MoU has been signed with Assam Startup, whereby both parties collaborate to conduct events related to entrepreneurship.

The university also has an IPR Cell that encourages patent filings arising out of the research works of the faculty and students.

The cell has conducted various events such as Symposium on Patent Awareness, National Workshop on Research Publications and IPR, One day National Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights on 15th September 2021, and Two Day National Workshop on Entrepreneurship and Patents on 28th May 2022 and 4th June 2022. ADBU has participated in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievement (ARIIA) conducted by MIC and AICTE. In this ranking system, institutes are ranked on parameters related to innovation. The University also has an Entrepreneurship Development and Incubation Center. The centre

has conducted Business Plan competitions and organised various Entrepreneurship Awareness Camps. The incubation centre has incubated 10 start-ups so far. School of Technology, Assam Don Bosco University has a well-written Consultancy Policy in place. The thrust area of the consultancy is the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), which the Government of India launched under the aegis of the Ministry of MSME in 2005, intending to promote cluster development. “We are a Technical Agency (TA) under Scheme Steering Committee (SSC), which is constituted under

the chairpersonship of Secretary (MSME) for many SFURTI projects,” says Dr. Vikramjit Kakati, chairperson of the Consultancy Cell.

Student-Centric Approach

“Our students get opportunities from local, regional, national and multi-national organisations and are placed pan India. Around 50% of our students get placed in these organisations, with others exploring higher education, business and start-ups,” Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely explains. Some of the organisations where students are placed are Byjus, Capgemini, Cognizant, Dreamgains Financials, Accenture, Adani Enterprise, Quality Kiosk, CCS Corp, Tata Consultancy Services, Vodafone, Star Cement Limited, Indiamart, Federal Bank, French Motors, Infosys, Kreeti Technologies, Maverick Technologies, Royal Enfield, Schoogle, Shriram Value Services, Wipro Technologies, DKD Enterprise, Jackson Limited, Libresoft Pvt Ltd, Makersloft Pvt Ltd, Siqes, Telecom Network Solutions, Topcem and many more.

The School of Technology offers Scholarship Schemes to encourage meritorious students to avail of the excellent academic ambience of the University as well as to ensure equitable access

to higher education for economically weaker sections of society and persons with disabilities. The total Scholarships Available amount to Rs. 4,67,92,000, spread across different scholarship programmes. “Our Scholarship Programmes have helped hundreds of deserving students pursue higher studies. Our Scholarships include Scholarship Based on Merit, Scholarship Based on Economic Status, Scholarship Based on Disability and Scholarship Based on Sports,” shares Fr. Joseph Nellanatt.

Moving forward, the immediate plans of the School of Technology are to secure more funded research projects and to increase the number of research publications. The institute also plans to increase patent filings from the institute and give students exposure to all the emerging technologies such as IoT, AI and Data Science and make them increasingly industry ready. “As we are returning to normal life after the pandemic, we plan to conduct our classes in offline mode only. But many of our events are now conducted in the blended mode. Yet, our institute is ready for any repetition of the pandemic situation as we have successfully carried out online teaching and evaluation using the most efficient online platforms,” Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely conveys.

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ICFAI UNIVERSITY, TRIPURA GROOMING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

ENGINEERS WITH INTELLECTUAL & PRACTICAL EXPERTISE

The ICFAI University, Tripura was established under the provisions of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) University, Tripura Act 2004 (Act No.8 of 2004), vide Government of Tripura Notification No. F.2 (529)-DHE/UDCA/2003 dated 15.06.2004. The University Tripura is approved, recognized and listed by the UGC, under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956. The University is accredited by “National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC) B+ effective November30, 2018.

At present the ICFAI University Tripura is offering total 53 numbers of Diplomas, Under-graduate, Post-graduates and Ph.D programmes in the field of Engineering and Technology, Basic Science(Physics,

Faculty of Science & Technology (FST), a constituent unit of the ICFAI University, Tripura (IUT), helps the students develop professional competence through their exposure to labs and workshops and industry exposure through internships / projects in industry.

Chemistry, Mathematics), Liberal Arts, English, French, Law, Management, Commerce, Education, Special Education, Physical Education & Yoga, Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Library & Information Sciences, Allied Health Sciences ,Nursing, Hospital Administration, Laboratory Technology an. Around 5000 students are pursuing various programmes in the University.

What’s more impressive about ICFAI University, Tripura is its extensive range of course offerings that too at affordable pricing. It is the only private University in Tripura to accomplish such a feat. Therefore, students from different parts of India – especially from all the North–Eastern states of India come to study at ICFAI University, Tripura, every year. “We at ICFAI University, Tripura, have always aimed at giving highest priority to

The University believes in creating and disseminating knowledge and skills in core and frontier areas through innovative educational programs, research, consulting and publishing, and developing a new cadre of citizens with a high level of competence and deep sense of ethics and commitment to the code of professional conduct.

students’ academic performance and life skill development to help them get good placements and prepare themselves to be successful in the world’s knowledge economy of the world,” shares Prof. (Dr.) Biplab Halder, Vice Chancellor of ICFAI University, Tripura.

The Faculty of Science & Technology (FST), a constituent unit of the ICFAI University, Tripura, is committed to providing quality education in science and technology. It offers graduate and postgraduate courses in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Electronics & Communication Engineering.

Modern Infrastructure & Facilities

The University has a picturesque lush green 32 acre Wi-Fi enabled Campus at Kamalghat,

only 12 KMs from Agartala, with ultramodern academic and laboratory facilities, separate hostel for boys & girls, gymnasium, indoor and outdoor games facilities, recreation room and primary health centre with 24x7 Ambulance service, adequate number of buses for safe & secure conveyance of students. Besides, frequent public transport facility and vehicle-on-hire are available for to & fro Agartala. Agartala is now well connected by AIR and RAIL with rest of the country. The entire Campus is covered with24x7 Security aimed CCTV surveillance. Besides excellent academic infrastructures, the University has also developed and established 23 Centers of Excellence to Promote Quality education. Keeping up with the pandemic, the University has also constructed 48 smart classrooms to promote digital learning. There

are adequate numbers of auditoriums and conference halls with multimedia facilities for organising national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars. In addition, career counselling centres, remedial coaching centres, and Vivekananda study circles have been established to benefit students.

Providing Quality Education through a Competent Faculty

The University have numbers of good blends of experienced and young Faculty members having

studied at IITs(Kanpur, Kharagpur, Guwahati, Madras), NITs, National Law Universities, IIM’s, Central Universities, Faculties from renounced Healthcare organizations of the country etc and also having exposure of working in foreign Universities and Research Labs. The Faculty members have right potential to attract research and consultancy projects which need multidisciplinary support.

Most ICFAI University, Tripura’s faculty members are industry experts and professionals with advanced degrees in their relevant fields of interest. They are dedicated

The education methodology adopted by the University encourages independent thinking and helps the students develop holistic perspectives, strong domain knowledge, contemporary skills-set and a positive attitude.

individuals who combine academic theory with real-life knowledge, providing quality learning experiences and sharing their knowledge with the students. They not only bring a vast array of knowledge in their respective fields but also are dedicated to both teaching and taking an active interest in their students’ personal and professional development. From designing the curriculum to participating in departmental committee work to academic advising and counselling of students, the university’s faculty members are truly dedicated to their work.

Nurturing Collaborative Relationships

“Collaboration with industry is critical for academia to create scientific knowledge and obtain industrial data while collaboration with universities assists organisations to work on joint scientific-based research projects and develop solutions for production-sourced/reallife problems,” shares Prof. (Dr.) Biplab Halder, Vice Chancellor.

In this regard, the Faculty of Science and Technology, ICFAI University, Tripura, has formed numerous collaborations with global colleges and universities to promote skill building in students and faculty members and provide international exposure to them. Through these collaborative platforms, students

The University has over 6 lakhs sq. ft. of built-up area with academic blocks, workshops, laboratories, faculty rooms, auditorium, seminar halls, computer labs with latest computing facility, well equipped library, canteen, sports and recreation facilities.

of the Faculty of Science and Technology are learning different open source courses like Scilab, Python etc., accessing the virtual labs and learning through the simulation-based labs. They are also confidently participating in various skill development competitions based on their training from the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).

International MOU has been signed with Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh and International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT University)-Bangladesh, Saylor Academy Washington, D.C., USA, Colombo Institute of Research & Psychology (CIRP), 230, Galle Road, Colombo 04, Sri Lanka for Academic Collaboration, Students-Faculty Exchange, Research, and Seminar purpose.

The University has Signed MOU for academic Research, Project and Training, Internship purpose with Rehabilitation Council of India(RCI), New Delhi, IITBombay, IDIA Charitable Trust-Bangalore, EdGate Technologies Private LimitedBengaluru, National Law School of India University (NLSIU)-Bangaluru, EDII, NBIRT, CDLS Venture Ltd, College of FisheriesAgartala(CoF), Rubber Skill Development Council (RSDC), New Delhi, District Disability Rehabilitation council (DDRC), Govt. of Tripura, Dev Sanskriti ViswavidyalayaHaridwar, Vidya Welfare Society, Ferrando Rehabilitation Society, Monovikash Sansthan, Abhoy Mission, Agartala, INTERNSHALA, College of Fisheries-Agartala, Aspervision Tech Education Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata,Tech Savvy Eduventures Pvt. Ltd., Guwahati Ambedkar

College-Tripura, Bosch, Bengaluru, Food Industry Capacity & Skill Initiative (FICSI), New Delhi, Bhaumik Engineering Testing & Consultancy, Software World, SS Vashudeb Enterprise, ATLANTIS Paper Industries, RIGPA Edu Solution, ASTUTE Project & Consultancy, INNOVATIVE VENTURE, Vaanahaa Education & Innovation Labs Pvt. Ltd, INSYSSKY Software, M/S Dey & Roy Construction, International Digital Web Marketing Pvt. Ltd, Greenwood Group of Schools, Telengana, Asha Holycross, Agartala, New Bloom High School, ILS Hospital Agartala, Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandi, Agartala International School, Rabindranath Tagore Mahavidyalaya , International Digital Web Marketing Pvt. Ltd Holy Cross College , NGIN, DIT, Govt of Tripura, Zeroh Lab, Tide, NPTI,Voice of World,,SHELTER, TechnoTask, ICARDCFR, CIPET, Haier Smart Solution,TDU, Foundation 3H Spl Ed. etc.

Encouraging Innovative Thinking in Students

Since 2018-2019, ICFAI University, Tripura, has been a registered member of the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), MHRD, Govt. of India, which encourages students to participate in different activities & events related to Innovation, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, and IPR. That ICFAI University Tripura is also a member institution of AWS, Oracle, and VMware.

In the previous academic sessions, three of the University’s faculty members had completed the Innovation ambassador training, and this year too, 5 more faculty members & staff will undertake the same training.

Besides these, various seminars and awareness programs are conducted by IIC as well as the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) to motivate innovative thinking in students. Some of the past events attended by the students and faculty of Science and Technology of ICFAI University, Tripura, include a workshop on ‘Technology & Innovation (Light House Project)’, an international webinar by Dr Ved Prakash on ‘Exploring Entrepreneurship as a Career’, motivational sessions by start-up founders, Mr Ashish Biswas and Mr Subham

Sinha (CEO Technixia), online session on ‘Design Thinking, Critical Thinking & Innovation’, and many more.

Promoting Entrepreneurial Awareness Among Learners

Understanding the importance of entrepreneurship development, ICFAI University is working on the Start-up India scheme introduced by the Gov. of India. As a step towards this initiative, the university is organising various programs to create awareness about entrepreneur-

ship among students and encouraging them to be job givers instead of job seekers.

Moreover, the University has collaborated with NASSCOM to conduct hand-holding awareness sessions and signed an MOU with the Directorate of Information Technology, Govt. of Tripura. Under this MOU, DIT has provided financial assistance to set up the Incubation and Innovation centre. Presently, 5 start-up projects are in progress under NGIN (New Generation Innovation Network) Scheme, namely “The Planners”, “Lowcost cool safety Helmet”, “Low-cost solar PV powered wireless luminaries for needy rural people”, “Mud House Construction”, and “Rentmate”. Faculty members of the

university are mentoring the students in their start-up projects.

Meritorious Scholarships for Deserving Students

The University encourages meritorious students and award of MERIT SCHOLARSHIP known as “N. J. Yasaswy Memorial Merit Scholarship” to boost their performances. Scholarship section of the University is helping the SC/ ST/OBC/Minority and General students for availing various State & Central Government Scholarships. Students securing CGPA 9 and above are eligible for a 50% waiver of tuition fee, and students securing CGPA 8 and above are eligible for a 25% waiver of tuition fee.

This scholarship motivates the students to study well and score high in their examinations. Moreover, the quality of educators and courses offered at affordable prices make ICFAI University, Tripura, the go-to destination for higher education nationwide.

A Good Placement Record

Over the years, the Faculty of Science & Technology has maintained a good placement record. Some of the key recruiters of its last batch include BYJU’s, Ziroh lab, VIS global Pvt. Ltd, Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Limited, Acmegrade Pvt. Ltd, NCompass Tech Studio Pvt. Ltd, Technotask Business solution Pvt. Ltd, PlanetSpark, V5 Global Services Pvt Ltd, edWisor, Pin Click Property Management Pvt Ltd, Whitehat Education Technology Pvt Ltd, iLogitron Technologies Pvt Ltd, TalkEng Online Learning Solution Pvt Ltd, FEDCO Ltd etc.

A Culturally Engaging Campus Environment

The students of ICFAI University, Tripura, get to experience a culturally engaging environment at the campus. Every year, the university hosts the most-anticipated and opportunity-filled events for its students, namely ‘ICARIA’ (the Biggest Techno Cultural Fest of North Eastern India) and ‘ICTHALON’. Through these events, students get the opportunity to participate, showcase their talent, and collaborate with their peers. Besides these, the university also offers sophisticated gym facilities to students free of cost. The campus houses ‘Rupen Bhowmik

Yoga Centre’, which promotes yoga culture. In addition, numerous outdoor and indoor sports facilities are available for the students to enhance their physical fitness and mental agility and teach them teamwork, quick thinking, and strategy building.

Preparing Students for Industry 4.0

To prepare students for a tech-worthy, industry-ready future, the faculty of Science and Technology has taken great initiatives such as revising its curriculum and updating its courses in all branches of Engineering as per NEP, Govt. of India. In addition, students are also involved in the ongoing live projects under New Generation Innovation Network (NGIN) scheme.

Likewise, ICFAI University, Tripura, is also organising various workshops and hands-on training with the help of industry specialists to map academic education as per industry requirements. Along with the students, the university is also arranging various FDPs to update their knowledge of disruptive technologies.

Planning Ahead

As part of its future strategies, ICFAI University, Tripura, is organising various workshops, seminars, and conferences to keep its faculty and students updated on the current technology trends. In light of this, the faculty of Science and Technology is conducting all the seminars, webinars and professional lectures online so that the maximum number of participants can attend without any hassle and benefit from them.

How are Custom Programs Gaining Popularity for WhiteCollar Jobs?

John Kallelil, Founder and Director, XED

John Kallelil, Founder and CEO, XED understands that we live in a complex world, full of paradoxes and contradictions. In a world marred by information overload and digital overkill, clarity becomes power. It is with this intent that he founded XED in 2015 to enable individuals and organizations lead with clarity, order and purpose. Armed with this vision and two decades’ worth of expertise in the Banking and EdTech industries, he launched XED to empower leaders who aspire to drive change and create a positive impact.

The competition is high and having the relevant skills is the dire need of the hour. This is why institutes are focusing on offering executive education programs for individuals as well as corporates

In today’s ever-evolving times, upskilling and reskilling have emerged to be the ideal pathways to secure promising career prospects. They are helping talent in not only futureproofing their positions in the organizations but also by offering them viable career opportunities. While employees undertake such practices at the individual level, various organizations also offer executive education as an add-on benefit to their workforce apart from attractive compensation packages and employee-friendly practices.

Custom programs bridging the talent skill gap

The skills needed to drive an organization are changing. However, skilled talent meeting organizational requirement is not available. The talent-skill gap is significant. The competition is high and having the relevant skills is the dire need of the hour. This is why institutes are focusing on offering executive education programs for individuals as well as corporates. These programs are curated so that professionals can excel in their careers and make the most of the opportunities that

they can grab on to. They also help bridge the talent skill gap by imparting tech-savvy and industry-relevant skills so as to train the employees into futuristic professionals.

Customizing executive education programs

The executive education programs can be customized as per the requirement of the organizations. They help experienced professionals gather leadership insights as well as business acumen essential for solving

business complexities. With the on-demand programs, learners can choose from a wide range of expert speakers who can help simplify complex business subjects and make them understand these topics better.

Making employees future-ready

Combining traditional classrooms with quality learning practices, these institutes offer experiential learning for senior leaders and transform them into future innovators. The executive education programs are designed

With the on-demand programs, learners can choose from a wide range of expert speakers who can help simplify complex business subjects and make them understand these topics better

with a holistic approach and global vision to offer quality learning to the professionals. These training institutes partner with global schools and onboard international faculty so as to offer a comprehensive curriculum and quality educational practices. This is their way of contributing their bit in making the professionals future-ready.

Executive programs helping in securing white-collar jobs

Imparting leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformational skills, the executive education programs enable the professionals to learn to thrive amidst the disrupting and ever-evolving market. And this is how these programs are in fact playing a major role in helping people secure white-collar jobs. Be it any industry- IT, Finance, Law, Healthcare, HR, or any other domain, these courses impart industry-relevant skills and shape them into future leaders.

As organizations across industries rely on technology and skills, executive education programs are the new pathway to securing white-collar jobs. They are curated specifically for professionals and are tailormade to boost the leadership

capabilities as well as business skills of the learners. They are designed with an integrated approach so as to ensure the holistic development of the professionals. Along with subject knowledge, equal emphasis is laid on practical learning and networking with industry experts so that they have can a first-hand account of the present landscape. Partnering with global schools and onboarding quality faculty, the institutes associate with ed-tech platforms to offer international educational experiences.

As times are progressing, organizations need to be agile and flexible. They need to be open to experimenting and implementing out-of-the-box strategies so as to deal with challenges and enjoy a competitive edge in the market. Even the employees need such programs that can help them upskill and enhance their chances of securing reputed as well as lucrative white-collar employment opportunities across roles. These executive education programs are the much-needed innovation that organizations and employees need in today’s times. It can be rightly said that these programs are the way forward for a promising future and rewarding career trajectory!

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

INFINITY MANAGEMENT AND ENGINEERING COLLEGE

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSCIOUS ENGINEERS FOR THE REAL WORLD

Established in 2008, Infinity Management and Engineering College (IMEC) is an initiative of Evolution Education Society, Sagar, MP. The main objective of IMEC is to provide high-quality, comprehensive education, training, and research opportunities on par with those available in larger cities to the very talented youth of the Bundelkhand region.

“At IMEC, we continually strive to identify and combine contemporary information and experiences with traditional knowledge,” shares Dr. Sudha Malviya, Chairperson, IMEC. In light of this, the engineering program at IMEC aims at fostering an environment where – industry-engaged education, hands-on training, and current trends & skills are given precedence; and where the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge are synergistically balanced. Altogether, IMEC prepares and empowers students to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing industrial landscape.

Infinity Management and Engineering College (IMEC) was established in 2008 at Sagar, M.P., to provide an educational platform and opportunities on par with those available in larger cities, to the very talented youth of the Bundelkhand region.

A State-of-the-Art Educational Campus

IMEC is one of the finest and oldest engineering colleges in the Bundelkhand region, with a 25-acre campus comprising state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern facilities. The campus is also home to national and international students, where students of all races, religions, orientations, and ethnicities come together to engage in excellent academic and research activities. This is because IMEC strives to give its students the best education and creates an

ideal environment for enhanced opportunities and self-discovery.

Moreover, the exemplary academic programme at IMEC is not limited to textbooks; rather, a hands-on practical approach to learning is adopted. Students are sent on periodic industry visits and encouraged to seek training at companies of repute within MP and across India. The institute also regularly invites luminaries from the business world, sports, and politics to inspire students and provide networking opportunities.

Dr. Sudha Malviya, Chairperson, IMEC

IMEC strives to provide students with training and certification opportunities, and academic guidance, while being aware of their interests, needs, and abilities.

Besides academics, IMEC organises numerous co-curricular activities and annual events like Prabhav (technical fest) and Hungama (sports and cultural rendezvous). Through them, students can discover and showcase their talents and aptitude in front of the college fraternity.

Expert Faculty

IMEC has an impressive roster of PhD faculty from accomplished backgrounds with vast experience and training in teaching, research and industry. They are not only passionate about their subjects but also work towards preparing their

students to take on any challenge that the world has to offer.

Moreover, many faculty members have authored books and published research articles in high-impact factor, peer-reviewed national and international journals. IMEC encourages its faculty to upskill and keep abreast with the latest technological advancements and pass those insights and knowledge on to their students.

Nurturing Academia-Industry Collaboration

Industry and academics are the two central pillars of the economy. Therefore, a collaboration between the two results in the growth of the

education system and the creation of a skilled workforce. IMEC has collaborated with over 30 national and 50 state-level companies to groom employable students. The institute has also entered into MOUs with multiple companies of great repute to conduct technical and nontechnical training, company visits, internships, and employment opportunities. These include NASSCOM FutureSkills, REDHAT, Consortium of Technical Education, Sagar Smart City Incubation Centre, Edunet Foundation, CISCO, NIIT, and many other national and local entities. In addition, IMEC conducts various webinars and seminars wherein industry experts are invited to educate and update the students and faculty

Igniting Entrepreneurship Skills in Students

One of the most beautiful campuses in the Bundelkhand region, IMEC has classrooms, labs, and workshops equipped with all the latest tools and techniques required to enhance the quality of education.

regarding the latest industry expectations. Likewise, the institute organises multiple faculty development programmes (FDPs) to enhance academicians’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to improve the quality of higher education and deliver a consistent and holistic student experience.

At IMEC, the Corporate Relations, Employability, Placement, and Training (CREPT) Cell has been set up to bring the best technical training, learning initiatives, and networking opportunities to enable students to flourish. CREPT cell also aims at developing corporate relations by constantly staying in touch with various industries, thereby creating visibility for the campus and students in the corporate sector. Likewise, the cell actively approaches companies for recruitment, internships, expert lectures, trainings, and other professional collaborations.

Besides these, the training programmes developed by the CREPT team intend to equip students with relevant employability skills, including technical, managerial skills and life skills. Students are trained in logic & aptitude, technical skills, group discussions, and personal interviews. Comprehensively, these training programmes equips students with a deep

understanding of employability, various skills required to be employed, industry expectations from freshers, corporate etiquette & behaviour, and ethical work practices.

In addition, the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) at IMEC is geared toward speeding up the growth and success of start-ups and earlystage companies. It promotes knowledge-based and technology-driven start-ups by harnessing young minds and their innovation potential in an academic environment.

An Impressive Placement Record

IMEC is cognizant that the end goal of all educational endeavours is to secure employment opportunities. With this goal in mind, IMEC organises numerous campuses throughout the year. In the placement drive for 2022, 80% of the students were successfully placed in reputed companies. The highest CTC stood at INR 10 Lakh CPA, while the average CTC stood at INR 3.5 CPA. The year saw a 24% increase in the number of offers and a 13.64% increase in the number of companies offering pre-placement offers.

IMEC students have been placed at companies like TCS, Accenture, Hexaware, Byju’s, Revature, Bi-Sol Pvt., Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Capgemini, Infosys, AT&T, Tanishq, Ericson, etc.

Role of Creativity in Engineering & Engineering Education

In the present world, the trends of growing complexity and fast-paced innovation in solving real-world problems have increased the importance of both creative and critical thinking in engineering. Unfortunately, the traditional

Used to conduct seminars, conference, assembly, meetings, exhibitions and other cultural activities, IMEC auditorium is equipped with facilities like LCD projector and public address system.

engineering curriculum focuses excessively on narrow and deep technical specifications, leaving little or no room for creativity and innovation, thereby creating a disconnect.

At IMEC, this gap is addressed through holistic changes to engineering education by adding innovative and creative teaching techniques, skill-based training, creative topic selection for all significant and minor project work, quizzes & competitions, games and role

play, and inspirational videos. Students are also motivated and rewarded for demonstrating creativity and innovation.

Preparing Students for Industry 4.0

“At Infinity, our focus is on ensuring that education is not limited to the textbook,” shares Dr. Sudha Malaiya. “We encourage students to work towards understanding and addressing relevant world issues, question traditional approaches, and

IMEC is built on a 25 acre campus, which is also home to colleges for Nursing, Paramedical Sciences, Education, Pharmacy and Skill Development. The campus has residence, dining and indoor & outdoor sports facilities. The IMEC campus boasts of stateof-the-art infrastructure and modern facilities.

enhance capabilities to better meet the challenges of the professional world.”

As a result, IMEC has actively revamped its curriculum to make it more industry relevant by emphasising transversal skills and V-shape Engineers’ workspaces, work-based learning, employability-centric education, and strengthening collaborations between academia and industry. Additionally, guided projects, collaborative learning, industry certifications, and active makers spaces have become an integral part of the learning at IMEC.

Scholarships Offering a Strong Foundation to Students’ Success

Central Government and State Government sanctioned scholarships, to provide free education to financially weak students are honoured at IMEC, the. Moreover, students from SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities can avail scholarships offered by the MP government. Likewise,

eligible students can apply for scholarships such as Mukhyamantri Medhavi Vidyarthi Yojana, Mukhya Mantri Jan Kalyan Yojana, post-matric scholarship schemes, Pratibha Kiran scholarship, Gaon Ki Beti Yojana, etc. In addition to these state-sponsored scholarships, IMEC self-funds and offers scholarships to meritorious and minority students through its scholarship fund.

Overcoming the Pandemic Challenges

At the onset of the first nationwide lockdown imposed due to the pandemic, the educators of IMEC had to shift to an online teaching mode overnight. Later, as the 2020-2021 academic year progressed, IMEC revamped its academic pedagogy to ensure minimum disruption in learning. Steps taken include – digital lecture

delivery processes and techniques, aided lab work and practical learning in the home environment with material sourced from the home, bite sized tests and quizzes to continually track learning, and recorded videos to make flexible learning possible. The new setup also gave every student a front-row seat, enabling them to replay full lectures or the tricky parts they didn’t understand at first. Even the smaller classes benefited from this replay feature.

Moreover, other classes were conducted live via streaming platforms such as Zoom. Some features like the chat function, for instance, emboldened students who might have otherwise been too shy to raise their hand in the middle of a classroom. Remote learning also spearheaded more personable assessments such as oral exams. Professors initially gave oral exams over Zoom to maintain academic integrity in remote classes, but they quickly discovered advantages over traditional written tests. Students learned to articulate their analytical work clearly and formed better bonds with their instructors.

These changes to long-standing norms were initially adopted as temporary emergency measures, but the faculty, administrators, and students found them to be highly beneficial. In light of this, the whole system was shifted to the online platform during the pandemic.

Future Roadmap

Going ahead, IMEC plans to leverage the virtual platform to the maximum by giving its students access to the best teachers and opportunities worldwide. “We also hope to harness the abstract learnings of our students for the last 2 years and include them in all future technical developments and innovations,” shares Chairperson, Dr. Sudha Malaiya.

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

A JK LAKSHMIPAT UNIVERSITY

CREATING FUTURE-READY STUDENTS FOR THE CORPORATE WORLD

s the need for quality human resources becomes a growing concern, universities are stepping up by providing students with the skillset they need to be job-ready. Today, merely having a degree doesn’t help students prepare for the corporate world. So, universities are ensuring that they provide students with opportunities to help hone their skills and grow as professionals. With the core principles of transcending the Indian education system via holistic development, JK Lakshmipat University is on a mission to become one of the leading universities in India to encourage analytical skills, critical experimentation, and robust research pedagogy that is deeply rooted in Interdisciplinary learning, which will be beneficial for the overall development of students.

Established in 2011, JKLU has the vision to cultivate innovation and make academia in sync with the industry dynamics. “We not only want our students to be job-ready, but also equip them with the necessary life skills to be

Established in 2011, JKLU is inspired by the futuristic vision of Lala Lakshmipat Singhania, the key founder of Lakshmipat Singhania Education Foundation. Under the aegis of J.K.Organisation, the Foundation has been extending their legacy and vision of ‘Education to all’ since decades.

future-ready for any obstacle and opportunity,” says Dr Dheeraj Sanghi, Vice-Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University. JKLU offers a buffet of opportunities to students from various parts of India and abroad. The Technology Centre for Engineering students has 54 labs to access the best tools for their projects and research with a high software system. “Additionally, our robust infrastructure also includes Makespace and StartUp Studio to allow students to carry out their own experimentation and bring ideas to a tactile prototype stage so they can be tried and tested. Besides this, students can also enjoy the holistic campus life by availing facilities of the gym, cafeteria, health centre, and sports facilities for recreational purposes,” he explains.

Innovating Within

At JKLU, the management is constantly trying to make changes in the curriculum to best suit

JKLU campus is located on Mahapura-Ajmer Road at a distance of 20 km from Jaipur. Connected by a 30-minute drive from the city-centre, the university is easily accessible from Delhi and a number of major cities in Rajasthan.

the needs of the industry. By meeting with industry experts and asking them what trends and significant requirements will be there in the next 2-3 years, the university tries to predict the industry requirements for students when they graduate.” Although the current trends are important too, it is better to know what the future holds to help students scale up their skills to meet industry expectations. Subsequently, we create elective courses for those interested in those areas and encourage students to participate,” explains Dr Dheeraj. For example, a few years ago, a team of industry experts at JKLU predicted that more people would access websites on mobile phones than on laptops or computers. Thus, JKLU introduced a course for web developers to create mobile web versions for websites. “We get numerous guest lecturers and visiting faculty who bring first-hand experience from their respective fields to inspire students. Of late, we are working

towards a course on Robotics and another on cybersecurity. We are also planning to have courses related to integrated communication,” adds Dr Dheeraj.

JKLU has Atal Incubation Cell and the Institute Innovation Council, bringing experts to talk to students about innovation. They bring people from various industries to interact with students. Many students have startup ideas but have a notion that startups are synonymous with tech startups. But, at JKLU, students try to break away from that. “There is a pressure to become a unicorn company, but our innovation cells encourage students however small their venture,” informs Dr Dheeraj.

Prioritising Experience

JKLU believes that a student’s life during study is the most critical aspect of education. Most universities depend on marketing and advertising to make their institute known. But, JKLU focuses more on student experiences. There are 3 components that they encourage students to participate in, namely student clubs that deal with culture, technical societies and sports. Student

The Learning Resource Centre at JKLU is a top-class academic reservoir of books, collections, journals, periodicals, and audio visual materials put together to support a diverse readership and foster a rich learning experience.

Dull moments are rare at JKLU as a wide range of interests and activities await participation in the activity clubs managed by student groups from all across the campus.

clubs cater to the artistic side of students, with clubs focused on drama, music, art, languages, etc. The university also encourages students to open new clubs during their courses.

There are a lot of competitions that are organised for students to share their talent. Similarly, the Technical societies deal with robotics, IoT, building software, hacking and the like. They conduct hackathons and other tech-related events to keep students creative and engaged. Sports clubs are available for students interested in athletics and other tournaments. “We have facilities for football, volleyball, tennis, table

tennis, chess, basketball, cricket and much more on campus. We encourage students to participate in all these competitions and activities during their educational journey,” shares Dr Dheeraj.

In the ever-growing competitive market, it is an impetus for students to acquire technical abilities and soft skills to thrive in their respective industries. Hence, it has become increasingly essential to mould the academic curriculum in such a way that it is in sync with the current market trends and allows the holistic development of the students. This is the primary reason why JKLU has collaborated with some of the industry giants such as ISRO, Texas Instruments Innovation Centre, Moody’s Analytics, Microsoft IT Academy, and Robotic Process Automation, to name a few. “Our collaborations provide students with limitless opportunities to put their theoretical knowledge into real-life practice and gain valuable industry experience very early in life,” states Dr Dheeraj.

Almost 98% of the students at JKLU receive placements at the beginning of their 4th year. Last year the university achieved 100% placement for B.Tech students with a 100% increase in job offers and a 120% increase in average salary.

“These statistics are a proud moment for us as some of the students have got placement in top positions in prestigious companies such as Airtel, Swiggy, HCL, Infosys, Amazon, HP, etc.,” says Dr Dheeraj.

JKLU’s prestigious collaborations include the University of Florida, University of Birmingham, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, Edinburgh

Napier University, Szechenyi Istvan University, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and the University of South Carolina. The university’s renowned industry connections merged with global academic collaborations provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the limitless branches of opportunities available to them. “Our annual foreign semester exchange programs motivate students to gain international experience, gain deeper insights into the market system, and develop their network, which essentially becomes crucial for them in the long run,” says Dr Dheeraj.

Boosting Academics

“We have distinctive scholarship opportunities available which involve a thorough examination of the candidate’s academic merit, exceptional extracurricular achievements, financial needs, and several other criteria to meet the scholarship needs,” Dr Dheeraj explains. JKLU offers scholarships at 4 distinct levels, including a 100% scholarship and zero hostel waiver fee for exceptional students. At JKLU, the management believes that nothing should stop meritorious students from pursuing their dreams. Based on this principle, the university has developed

Encompassing a wide spectrum of educational qualifications and academic experience, a team of distinguished scholars continues to explore new and interactive pathways of learning at JKLU.

a holistic scholarship procedure that attracts international and Indian students to pursue their academic life with ease at JKLU.

JKLU prides itself in the distinguished faculty that makes JKLU and leading institute. JKLU has a very elaborate procedure when selecting faculty members. It can take almost a month from submitting an application to finally making an offer for any faculty. Most faculty have PhDs from reputed universities in the country and abroad. This helps them open doors for students and gives them exposure to quality education different from most universities. “One major difference with our faculty is that we encourage project-based learning, where faculty are expected to meet students frequently as they work on their final project submission. So, instead of a oncein-3-month meeting, faculty are more hands-on and guide students to perfection. The faculty members are confident in guiding students in doing quality work,” shares Dr Dheeraj.

The Road Ahead

After an internal discussion, JKLU realised that there is a lot of good quality education online.

To some, this could be competition, but the university saw it as an opportunity and decided to integrate some of them into its curriculum. “In a world where one need not have a degree, but just do these short courses online, we realised that we need to join forces to get the best of both worlds. Now, we have online electives where the course is online, but the evaluation is done by our faculty members,” explains Dr Dheeraj. There is a fear that the number of students enrolling on universities may decrease in the next ten years. But, JKLU is conscious of the future. So, the university has started planning short-term courses for people in the industry who don’t have time for a 2-year course.

The immediate plan for JKLU is to expand the number of students and faculty. “We are growing slowly and expect to have more sections with this progressive increase. We also want to introduce new programmes in data science and in maths and computing,” shares Dr Dheeraj. “As they have overlapping subjects and topics. We feel that we can have similar faculty and resources to make it a reality soon,” he adds. JKLU also plans to improve the Postgraduate programmes, increase enrolment, give students the flexibility of taking online courses, and encourage faculty to create content of their own that will be beneficial for students.

How Do You Choose Between Java/ Python/C++

Girish Singhania, CEO, EduBridge

Girishisanentrepreneurwhohasavisioncoupledwithan unwavering want to create. He brings 15 years of experience across Education, FMCG and Financial Service sectors and is driven by a visceral “hard-wired” need to strategize, to innovate, to execute and to disprove the words – “It can’t be done”. His greatest passion lies in unlocking the potential that each individual has, and in enabling them to achieve their best. He strongly believes that in this golden era of opportunities in India, the biggest factor of success for our country will be our ability to transform our people into high performing contributors to the economy. This led to the birth of EduBridge and is still central to the vision and mission of EduBridge.

Python is also open source, which means a sizable developer community contributes to its growth and upkeep

Today, practically everything is programmed and automated; from banking software to systems for automatically tracking attendance; computers control every aspect of our lives.

According to Statista reports, there will be 28.7 million software developers worldwide by 2024 and there are as many as 600+ different programming languages for learners and professionals to learn and become experts at. Every year, the demand and acceptance of various programming languages keep on varying. Additionally, programming languages introduce new and appealing features from time to time to make better versions that are

even more user-friendly. It is difficult to choose a path when there are so many possible options for learning programming languages.

Python, Java, and C++ are three of the world’s most popular and widely used programming languages. Between them, there is almost nothing you can’t build. Here we’re going to discuss Python, Java, and C++ - how they’re similar, how they’re different, and what they’re best suited for.

What Is Python (and how Is it Unique?)

Python is a flexible language that has been used for many different things. It is widely used in both scientific and commercial computers, and because of its relatively straightforward

syntax, it is simple enough for beginners to understand. Python is also open source, which means a sizable developer community contributes to its growth and upkeep. Due to its popularity, a wide range of free tools and libraries have been created, enabling users to create programs fast for several purposes.

But Python is also incredibly strong. It must be extremely powerful to be utilized for artificial intelligence, advanced graphics, or scientific computing. Python has the processing capacity and ability to handle challenging math. It can quickly handle big data sets and is also reasonably fast. It’s also not the quickest or the slowest language, but neither is it the slowest. So Python is unquestionably up to the challenge if you need something that can manage large projects and plenty of data.

What Is Java (and how Is it Unique?)

It’s often claimed that Java is the most widespread programming language of all time. This further supports the argument that every programmer should learn Java. Having been released in 1996, it’s also one of the languages with the longest time in use. What this means for someone new to the language is that you can expect many of the kinks that have been worked out long ago, leaving you a stable tool to work with.

Java is famously platform-independent. Its code doesn’t rely on any underlying architecture, which has no doubt contributed a great deal to Java’s flexibility and extensibility. Like Python, Java is object-oriented, which can make writing maintainable code much easier. Java supports automatic garbage collection and memory management, reducing the number of things the programmer needs to worry about.

All these factors make learning Java a wise investment for any aspiring programmer. With its long history and platform-independent design, Java is sure to be around for many years to come. So if you’re looking to start your programming journey, be sure to give Java a try.

What Is C++ (and how Is it Unique?)

C++ is a member of the C programming language family. Like Python and Java, C++ is a fast, efficient, object-oriented language with a wide variety of use cases.

C++ is a powerful programming language that enables software developers to create sophisticated systems with great efficiency and flexibility. C++ was developed in the early 1980s as an extension of the C programming language. The main goal of C++ was to provide a way to write code that was more easily reusable and more efficient than existing

Java is famously platform-independent. Its code doesn’t rely on any underlying architecture, which has no doubt contributed a great deal to Java’s flexibility and extensibility

languages. C++ achieved this by supporting object-oriented programming, which allows developers to create and use software components in a modular fashion. While C++ shares many features with other languages, its unique combination of power, flexibility, and efficiency makes it an essential tool for any serious programmer.

Perhaps the single biggest drawback to using C++ is that it isn’t as portable as Python or Java. Code written in C++ has to be re-compiled for every platform it’s deployed on, making it harder to write truly adaptive applications.

As a mid-level language, however, C++ has many libraries for more directly handling hardware-level tasks. This means that, depending on the specifics of your project, it could be much better for anything that requires

a high degree of hardware optimization, like graphics programming.

As any seasoned programmer know, choosing the right language for a career path comes down to balancing experience level with the desired workflow. Each language has its strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice can mean the difference between success and failure. In general, C++ is perfect for experienced programmers who need the performance boosts that come with a statically typed language. Python is ideal for those who want an easy-to-learn language that’s versatile enough to handle any task. Java is a great choice for those that need the reliability of a battle-tested language. In the end, the best language to learn depends on the individual’s needs and preferences.

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

KALINGA INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY (KIIT)

CREATING GLOBAL LEADERS DRIVING THE CONTEMPORARY URBAN

INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPE

Located in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) is the brainchild of founder and philanthropist, Prof. Achyuta Samanta.

In 1992, KIIT started its journey as a vocational training centre with only two staff members and 12 students. However, it took shape as an institution only in 1997, when the engineering degree programme was commenced.

During KIIT’s establishment year, Prof. Samanta had little capital, no land, and minimal knowledge of higher education. But Prof. Samanta regarded ‘Education as the third eye of a child,’ and he was driven by a strong sense of responsibility and commitment toward the society to create a unique platform delivering quality education. Through his progressive vision and sheer efforts, KIIT has developed into a leading university with a strong interdisciplinary culture and a commitment to teaching excellence. Currently, KIIT Deemed to be University, is home to 23 world-class campuses with 2500 faculty & researchers and 30,000+ students.

Established in 1992 as a vocational training centre with only two staff and 12 students, KIIT has developed into a leading university with a strong interdisciplinary culture and a commitment to teaching excellence.

Extensive List of Engineering Programmes

KIIT offers engineering degree programmes in various disciplines such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics & Tele-Communication, Computer Science, IT, Electronics and Instrumentation, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Production, Electronics & Computer Science, Communication, Medical Electronics, Computer Science & Communication, Computer Science & Systems, and Chemical Technology.

After graduation, students can opt for a Master’s degree, dual degree, post-graduate

KIIT is one of the first institutions in the State of Odisha to attract foreign students into its various academic programmes. KIIT has students from over 65 countries, including most of the South Asian Nations, proving its reputation as a quality institution of professional education that transcends borders.

doctoral (Ph.D.), and post-graduate diploma degrees as per KIIT’s eligibility criteria.

Faculty Maintaining Excellent Standards of Teaching

KIIT is a well-structured and decentralised organisation with more than 2,500 academic and research staff, bringing an impressive educational background and teaching experience to the table. Moreover, it is the only self-financing institution in the country where top functionaries, including Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, are renowned academicians.

To date, KIIT’s faculty and researchers have published over 1,921 manuscripts in peerreviewed, high-impact factor national and international journals with 90+ ongoing projects, 19+ patents, and 169+ research funding proposals. These remarkable achievements represent KIIT’s staff’s academic calibre and proficiencies.

Attracting a Globally Diverse Student Population

Students from over 65 countries come to study at KIIT, which is recognised for its strong interdisciplinary culture and commitment to teaching excellence. These diverse student populations belong to countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Thailand, South Korea, China, Africa, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the USA.

Scholarships & Fellowships

KIIT University has instituted various types of scholarships, stipends, and fee relaxations to encourage meritorious students. The quantum of these scholarships and the period is subject to change from time to time.

Promoting Research & Consultancy

Since the beginning, KIIT has been committed to high-quality research and offers outstanding facilities and a supportive environment to its academics and students.

Besides, KIIT has expertise in various research areas to provide knowledge and intellectual inputs that interest the industry and other organisations. The comprehensive consultancy services include construction engineering, structural designing, soil testing, software development, mechanical & automobile engineering, electrical engineering, management development programmes, legal consultancy on IPR, criminal law & cyberlaw, legal aid, and SAP ABAP training & certification.

Fostering Entrepreneurship Among Students

There is an ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cell’ set up on the premises of KIIT to provide

technical knowledge and facilities for starting technology-driven enterprises and conducting research for producing cost-effective techniques. As a result, KIIT students have a good track record of entrepreneurial success.

Similarly, KIIT Technology Business Incubator (TBI) started in 2009 and offers incubation facilities for new ideas through various stages of entrepreneurial development. So far, over 35 enterprises have successfully graduated from KIIT-TBI, while many others are in the process. KIIT – TBI is supported by DST and various other bodies of Govt. of Indi. It is an active member of the Asia Pacific Incubation Network (APIN) and Indian STEPs and Business Incubator’s association (ISBA). It is recognised as a scientific and industrial research organisation by DSIR.

KIIT Green is a bold initiative of KIIT to control environmental pollution and to create a healthy ambiance in and around 25 sq. km. area in which different campuses of KIIT are located.

Owing to its attributes, KIIT – TBI is the epicentre for technology start-ups and entrepreneurs in the eastern and northeast regions.

Successful Collaborations & MoUs

Over the years, KIIT has established academic partnerships and collaborations with more than 140 world-class universities worldwide. These partnerships contribute toward students, faculty & research scholar exchange programme, internship for UG/PG course, research and development participation, short-term courses for faculty & students, short-term occupational training, exchange of publications & information and seminars and conferences.

As a direct benefit, KIIT students have been visiting various partner universities regularly. Similarly, the Bhubaneswar-based has also been receiving exchange students from partner universities. KIIT also has industrial collaborations with 15 corporate houses of repute.

A Phenomenal Placement Record

KIIT has always been a much-favoured talent hunting ground for the corporate world as it delivers industry-ready students. It has achieved a campus placement record of 350+

top-notch companies doling out 5000 plus job offers for a batch size of 3500 eligible B.Tech students of the 2022 graduating batch. This year, 60 new companies have participated in the placement process so far.

Furthermore, KIIT-DU is the only university in India to proactively create an interface with the leading names in the industry. For instance, HighRadius, a FinTech company, in collaboration with KIIT, has established a FinTech Lab on KIIT Campus, wherein more than 2,200 students were offered summer internships. It was followed by a one-year experiential learning internship with a stipend of Rs. 15,000 per month to 1500+ students and pre-placement offers to 830 students with a minimum CTC of Rs. 8 lakh to date. This year, ‘Day Zero’ dream campus drives alone resulted in the placement of about 1,500 students by MNCs with an average CTC of Rs. 8.10 lakh per annum.

Prestigious Recognition & Awards

KIIT Deemed to be University has performed incredibly well in the rankings conducted by various national and international associations. Below mentioned are some of its recent recognitions.

● #1 among self-financing institutions of the country in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), 2021 second time in a row.

● Ranked 251-300 in the Emerging Economies University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE).

● According to the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021, KIIT ranked 30th in the Overall Category among Indian universities and achieved 15th Rank in the

KIIT being sensitive to the growing trends of globalization of higher education has established collaboration with over 140 globally reputed universities abroad and secured membership in reputed global educational bodies and associations.

General Engineering (overall category) in the country.

● Became India’s first QS 5 Stars Rated University by being awarded 5 Stars from all the QS criteria categories.

● Ranked 201-300 in the Impact Rankings2021 by Times Higher Education and 86th in ‘Reduced Inequalities’ globally.

● Ranked 21st among Indian Universities by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Government of India – 2021.

● Acknowledged as the ‘Leadership & Management Team of the Year’ in the Times Higher Education Awards Asia for its zeal to respond to the unknown & involvement in serving the society (expanding free COVID hospitals, distributing masks & sanitisers and community education).

Taking Active Part in Community Engagement

As a leading Deemed University, KIIT prides itself in providing the highest standards in academics and helping shape its students’ character by emphasising the importance of community involvement and volunteerism. Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), a sister institute of KIIT University, provides free education, boarding, and lodging to tribal students below the poverty line. The University also conducts several SC-ST programs in various technology-based programs supported by NSTEDB, DST, Govt. of India for the rural community. In 2015, KIIT students received the licence to organise TEDx, the first of its kind to be hosted by a technical university in Orissa.

In addition, KIIT Green is a bold initiative of KIIT University to control environmental pollution and create a healthy ambience in and around 25 sq. km. area in which different campuses of KIIT are located. The University has also drawn an ambitious plan to make the KIIT campus vehicle-free. In its first phase, the use of two-wheelers, both by students and staff, has been prohibited after implementing an effective alternative transport arrangement. KIIT has also implemented paperless administration and annually conducts a Green Audit of the campus.

Future Roadmap

In the coming years, KIIT Deemed to be University will continue to walk in sync with its vision to create an advanced centre of professional learning of international standing where the pursuit of knowledge and excellence shall reign supreme, unfettered by the barriers of nationality, language, cultural plurality, and religion.

AI for ALL

Dr. Milind Pande, Pro-Vice Chancellor, MIT World Peace University, Pune

Dr. Milind Pande is currently working in the capacity of Pro-Vice Chancellor’s, MIT World Peace University, Pune, India. Founded in MIT Pune is a multi-discipline, multi-location centre of excellence with over 63 institutes imparting value based education to over 54,000 students across India. A dedicated professional with 25 years of Academic Experience, Dr. Milind has played a pivotal role in getting license of Private University for MIT Pune in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra in India. He has traveled extensively across the world for Technology Transfers, International Tie-ups, Collaborations and Faculty/Student exchange programs.

Using past consumption behaviour data, AI algorithms can help to discover data trends that can be used to develop more effective cross-selling strategies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the growing branch of computer science concerned with building dynamic and computer-controlled machines & robots that have the capabilities to perform the work as human intelligence would do. It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines and intelligent computer programs.

In this fast paced world, the growing use of technology and its awareness have emerged to be consecutively strategic and beneficial. There are numerous real-time applications of AI:

Speech Recognition: It is also known as automatic speech recognition (ASR), computer speech recognition, or speech-to-text, and it is a capability that uses natural language

processing (NLP) to process human speech into a written format.

Customer Service: Online chatbots are replacing human agents. They answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) around topics like shipping, or provide personalized advice, cross-selling products, or suggesting sizes for users, changing the way we think about customer engagement across websites and social media platforms.

Recommendation Engines: Using past consumption behaviour data, AI algorithms can help to discover data trends that can be used to develop more effective cross-selling strategies.

Ministry of Education in collaboration with CBSE and the most-recognized electronic Chip producing company Intel has introduced an initiative called ‘AI for ALL’, to have a

With the recent advancement & an inclination to have fair knowledge, National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes preparing students for an AI-driven economy

basic understanding of AI. An online learning program is divided into two parts of AI Aware & AI Appreciate.

AI has proved to be a boon for the professional sector. With the recent advancement & an inclination to have fair knowledge, National Education Policy 2020 emphasizes preparing students for an AI-driven economy. The policy focuses on making education more experiential and future-oriented, building crucial skills such as data analysis, computational thinking, etc. from a young age through the teaching of contemporary subjects such as Artificial Intelligence.

The key features of AI for All are:

The program has self-paced content for users a with number of questionnaires to assess their knowledge.

The content is compatible with everyone, and special features are technologically friendly for visually impaired participants.

The program is available in 11 languages - English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Oriya, Bengali, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, and Punjabi.

AI for All will make one acquainted with the growing technology and will demystify AI for people from all walks of life – a student, a stay-at-home parent, a professional in any field, a senior citizen - basically, anyone interested in getting acquainted with it and wanting to build a ‘Digital First Mindset’.

AI is the need of the hour & human intelligence has been replaced, to an extent, by Artificial Intelligence. AI wave is pervading several international schools and has truly caught the fancy of the students, who not only take a keen interest in these classes

But also develops AI models based on learning. The use of AI in the academic sector is still in its primitive state in India, but its scope is sky touching.

ENGINEERING COLLEGES

LAKIREDDY BALI REDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING (AUTONOMOUS)

IMPARTING QUALITY EDUCATION & TRAINING TO THE TECHNOCRATS

Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering is the brainchild of the late Founder & Chairman, Sri Lakireddy Bali Reddy. Sri Lakireddy was a gold medallist who graduated from Osmania University with B.E in Chemical Engineering. In 1960, he pursued his MS degree from the University of California at Berkeley on a scholarship. Sri Lakireddy soon turned entrepreneur in the hotel and real estate business and became successful through patience, persistence, and perseverance.

Sri Lakireddy Bali Reddy was kind at heart. Helping people in need gave him joy. He, a son of the soil, understood the challenges and lack of growth avenues of the poor. A man with considerable compassion and generosity, he took immense pleasure in doing many acts of charity and philanthropy that benefited his beloved place of birth and its people. He set up Lakireddy Bali Reddy Charitable Trust, a nonprofit organization fully funded by him in order to channelize the multi-faceted philanthropic activities

Since the inception, LBRCE aims at co-creating value-based technical excellence, which ultimately leads to the development of the rural area where the college is situated.

Chairman

towards the socio-economic and educational development of this region of Krishna District.

Later, in 1998, when the opportunity presented itself, Sri Lakireddy, along with his younger sibling, Sri Lakireddy Jayaprakash Reddy, founded Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering (LBRCE), a nonprofit organisation wholly funded by him. His vision for the college is to empower students to become technologically vibrant, innovative and emotionally mature; and to train them to face the challenges of the quality-conscious globalised world economy. And today,

Operating from a 65-acre green landscaped campus in Mylavaram, major facilities include 7 advanced labs, Internet with 1820 Mbps bandwidth, Digital library, 500KWp solar PV system, Indoor and Outdoor stadium, Gym, Yoga center, NSS unit, NCC Girls wing, Girls and Boys hostels.

Sri Lakireddy Bali Reddy (Late), Founder

the institute takes pride in its best-in-class infrastructure, excellent academic ambience, and robust research potential.

Extensive List of Programmes

Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering (LBRCE), approved by AICTE and affiliated to JNTUK, Kakinada is an Autonomous Institution since 2010 and has been accredited by NAAC with ‘A’ Grade (3.20 / 4 in Cycle-2), NBA (CSE, IT, ECE, EEE& ME) under Tier-I and ISO 9001:2015 Certified. It ranks in 251300 band (Under Engineering) in NIRF India

Rankings - 2022 and ranked 201-250 band (Under Engineering) in NIRF India Rankings - 2020.

LBRCE offers 9 B. Tech programs (CSE ,CSE(AI&ML),AI&DS, IT, ECE, EEE,CE, ME & ASE) and 4 M.Tech Programs in CSE, Thermal Engineering, Power Electronic & Drives, VLSI & Embedded Systems and MBA. “Our strength is in our best practices, choice-based learning system, flexible learning space, focus on practical learning through projects, internship, industry visits, choice-based learning system, good placement and other skill training facilities, great library facilities, research opportunities through advanced

Labs, focus on the all-round development of a student’s personality and above all the attractive placement opportunities,” says Dr. K. Appa Rao, Principal, LBRCE.

Students from all engineering streams are given more electives to choose from new age courses like AI, Machine Learning, Data Sciences, Robotics, IOT etc. Additionally, industry-level tools/platforms are integrated into LBRCE’s labs in C, Python, AutoCAD, VLSI, Ansys, and Catia for real-time learning.

A Pool of Expert Academic Staff

LBRCE has a faculty pool of 280 with 81 doctorates and 100+ pursuing it. Dr. K. Appa

Rao calls them the strength and the real ambassadors of the college, much like the students. He further continues, “We follow a collective decision-making process in all academic matters, with HoDs involving faculty in a curriculum design, evaluation, instructions, and other academic activities.”

These faculty members bring in high-quality academic experience and knowledge in diverse subjects to the table. The teachers of LBRCE regularly update their knowledge base through continuous learning programs like NPTEL and Coursera and by participating in various workshops, seminars and faculty development programs. Likewise, they actively participate

LBRCE is committed to impart quality Technical Education and Training, so as to prepare dynamic and socially responsible technocrats for effective nation-building by recruiting dedicated and competent faculty, providing state-of–the-art Infrastructure and equipment that encompasses the stated University Curriculum and beyond.

in R&D projects and publish research papers in national & international high IF, peer-reviewed journals. They are also involved in patent publications and collaborations with national & foreign universities.

Efforts towards Industry Collaborations

“We believe in continuous and engaging partnerships with industry bodies and agencies for enhancing the skillsets and industry orientation among students,” reveals Dr. K. Appa Rao. As a result, LBRCE has collaborated with multinational companies such as Cisco, Wipro, Microsoft, Siemens, Salesforce, Ansys, LabView, NSIC, UiPath,

Amazon etc. Moreover, students can also opt for certificate courses like CCNA, AWS, Redhat, RPA, Salesforce, Microsoft Technologies, Autonomic Systems Anywhere, and Service Now in partnership with the above industry bodies and with APSSDC, AP Higher Education Council, MHRD etc.

LBRCE has partnered with European Centre for Mechatronics APS GmbH, Aachen, Germany, for advanced training in Robotics to make students industry-ready. The Andhrabased College has also joined with NIT, Trichy, to utilise Siemens Center of Excellence for manufacturing facility and signed MoU with Efftronics, Vijayawada, for knowledge

exchange. Dr. K. Appa Rao delightfully shares that LBRCE has recently inked an MoU with Thaai Castings, India, which will be very useful for students in core branches like Mechanical and Aerospace.

Emphasis on Placement & Internship Opportunities

LBRCE understands that recruiters seek students with essential skillsets and handson learning experiences. Dr. K. Appa Rao and his team shed utmost focus on imparting quality technical and soft skills training to students throughout the academic year. In Wipro TalentNext & Future Skills Programs, 600 students have completed industry-oriented

Igniting the Entrepreneurial Flame in Students

In 2017, LBRCE set up its own Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) on campus to promote entrepreneurship in students. This centre is registered as LBRCE- IC Foundation under section 8, companies Act 2013, certified by the minister of corporate affairs Govt. of India. CIIE aims to foster advanced creativity and innovative thinking skills in students to take the initiative, risk decisions, and accept responsibility to thrive in the challenging world. In short, its goal is to bring holistic development to students.

A Cafeteria of 1500 sq.m. is available for boys and girls and Staff. It has a capacity for 200 boys and 200 girls and 100 staff.

skill training under the mentorship of 4 trained faculties. Also, LBRCE students have received internship-cum-placement opportunities under CTS digital nurturing Program. “A large number of our students attempt their internship through Internshala, in which we are ranked 340th at All India Level,” adds Dr. K. Appa Rao.

Owing to these efforts, many LBRCE students have been picked and placed by MNCs with high salary packages over the last 5 years. In the ongoing academic year, 1150+ placements have been bagged by its students with average packages of 5.40 Lacs, including the highest package of 14 Lacs offered by CISCO.

“Recently, in the ATAL Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA-2022), we were placed on the Band-Excellence by MHRD, GOI. Our Start-Ups include ‘CHAOS ELECTRONICS LLP’, ‘Intern Stump’, an Educational Management and Consultancy launched in 2020-21 and 2021-22,” remarks Dr. K. Appa Rao. In the previous years, the college has also given substantial internal funding for Green Bike, Smart Street Light and Race Car prototypes developed by its students. Through mentorship initiatives, students are encouraged and motivated to participate in various programmes organised by MHRD, AICTE and other premier institutes. Every year, CIIE also conducts an in-house Ideation contest and offers incubation support to the deserving ones.

Defeating the COVID-19 Challenges

During the early stages of the pandemic, LBRCE was able to reorient its academic activities towards the virtual medium and began conducting virtual classes as early as March 2020. After the lockdowns were lifted, the college followed all the precautions and social distancing

protocols for managing its regular academic activities in hybrid mode as per the norms issued by Govt. of India. The faculty members utilised digital media, Microsoft Teams, and social media platforms for conducting classes and other activities. Faculty and students were encouraged to take online MOOCS courses, including NPTEL, Coursera & MIT etc. Moreover, LBRCE announced incentives for its faculty to engage more in R&D-related activities during this period.

Dr. K. Appa Rao feels that the post-pandemic world will be a mixed bag of experience, challenges, and opportunities. To stay relevant in this new normal, he would like to digitalise most of LBRCE’s academic systems and administrative processes and continue upgrading the hybrid teaching-learning model for more flexibility and dynamism in academics.

Gazing into the Future

While sharing his future plans for LBRCE, Dr. K. Appa Rao states, “Our clear focus is on achieving all round quality enhancements, to attain the highest grade in NAAC, make all our programs NBA accredited and most importantly, to be placed among the top 200 engineering

colleges in NIRF.” In the R&D space, the team plans to focus more on emerging technologies like Blue Prism, Visual Augmentation, Cyber Security, Data Science, Robotics, Hybrid vehicle technologies, thereby bringing on board more faculty and students to work on a higher number of sanctioned projects.

Dr. K. Appa Rao says that he would like to see at least 50 per cent of students get actively engaged in research work at any given time. He further added that he wants to speed up digitisation of the infrastructure, making all classrooms, labs and other learning spaces smart and digitally enabled, and creating a virtual learning platform for continuous learning so that students and faculty get ample opportunities to work 24/7 as part of a dynamic learning ecosystem. His team will continue to collaborate with multiple companies, institutes and agencies for creating better learning and research opportunities for students and faculty, while empowering students to secure premium corporate placements with pay bands above 25 Lacs. He further added, “As a natural extension of our autonomy, we would like to attain the status of a Deemed to be university in the near future.”

Sustainability and Youth: The Future of the Living Ecosystem

Manil Agarwal, Founder, Sustenable

Manil Agarwal is the founder of Sustenable, a platform through which he aims to create a society of young global leaders, the leaders who would uphold sustainability as the core principleoflifeinhandswithhismaidenInternationalSustenableYouth Conference to be held in Ahmedabad, India, from (4th -7th November 2022). While pursuing his MSc in International Business at the University of Nottingham, UK, Manil studied Sustainability as an elective module and volunteered for various programs promoting sustainability.

Sustainability for a progressive environment necessitates that society conserves resources, protects ecosystems, reduces pollution, and encourages social equity

Sustainable development has gained enormous popularity in the past few decades, becoming one of the essential aspects of the 21st century. Sustainability has not only encouraged legislative changes but also brought a positive outlook on individuals’ behaviour toward resource conservation, thus changing the nature of human socio-ecological relationships. Globally, there has been an increase in eco-friendly working methods, leading to the development of new institutions, technologies, and energy sources.

With a recent rise in public discourse regarding the environment and activism against its destruction, the public is turning to green consumerism, from changing

their cars and eating habits to adopting sustainable lifestyles.

How is Sustainability contributing to the progressive environment?

Sustainability for a progressive environment necessitates that society conserves resources, protects ecosystems, reduces pollution, and encourages social equity. As a result, innovative sustainability initiatives are being implemented globally to focus on sustainable management and lessen reliance on natural resources. For instance, efforts are being made to preserve biodiversity and natural ecosystems by promoting non-polluting recycled alternatives that can reduce our dependence on plastics while fostering innovation, advancing

the circular economy, and establishing new markets, especially in developing countries with weak waste management infrastructure. Organisations are also implementing initiatives to reduce carbon emissions through various sustainable initiatives, such as ensuring sustainable supply chains through improved seaport infrastructure, more environmentally friendly shipping practices, and increased trade openness.

People, especially youth, are now more open to participating in campaigns related to biodiversity and embracing sustainability in their communities to prioritise the use of renewable resources. As a result of the ecoawakening of the people, consumers are now demanding sustainable products in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fashion, and food.

How is the youth of today the torch bearer for a sustainable environment/living?

Youth are utilising the environmental events by launching awareness programs and sharing eco-friendly ideas with families and communities. They are increasingly advocating for, lobbying, and leading campaigns to adopt environmentally friendly practices and policies. Some of their movements are influential enough to reach policymakers and national leaders through local and international initiatives. In the face of rising poverty, the effects of climate change, and social inequity, today’s youth want to move forward with fresh ideas and contribute to the environment. They want to engage in tackling the most formidable economic, social, and environmental challenges by thinking

globally and acting locally. For instance, youth are playing a crucial role in promoting “Life on Land,” a resolution to restore and conserve the ecosystem and life on earth.

The development of the blue and green economy, and the improvement of sustainable food systems, are keys to advancing a more environmentally conscious way of living whilst opening up global economic opportunities for the youth. The rising generation worldwide are assuming leadership roles as torchbearers of change and taking centre stage in initiatives toward global progress in an atmosphere of rekindled optimism and unanimity in their convictions.

The future outlook on how sustainability can benefit the ecosystem by empowering the youth Educating young people about environmental issues is crucial to building their knowledge, awareness, skills, and values. Sustainable education enables them to develop innovative solutions for ecological issues, which benefits their personal and environmental well-being. Youth are addressing environmental crises through initiatives like increasing biodiversity by cultivating pollinator plants and bee gardens, making schools plastic-free, bringing attention to slow fashion and promoting swap shops, developing carbon calculator apps, etc. Enhancement of their local ecosystems and encouragement of pro-environmental behaviours aid the economy as well. Youth empowerment through education on sustainability as a core ethic, social innovation, and entrepreneurship has immense potential to address problems at the grass-roots level.

COLLEGE OF BusINess & ECONOMICS

The AUK College of Business and Economics is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

The American University of Kuwait received its Institutional Accreditation from the Private Universities Council (PUC), Ministry of Higher Education in the State of Kuwait, and has a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation with Dartmouth College (Hanover, N Hampshire - USA).

admissions@auk.edu.kw

Tel: 1802040/(+965) 2224-8399

Ext: 3148 www.auk.edu.kw