My College- A 4 Years Journey

Overall the curriculum structure is good. It will be better if more companies are invited for campussing so that more number of students can be placed by the end of their curriculum. Several equipment needs upgradations and periodic maintenance in the laboratories, the Authority should look after it.

The Course curriculum is determined by AICTE which is the approving body for all the Engineering colleges in our country. The course will include basic knowledge and brush up of all the Engineering branches irrespective of your own branch in the first two semesters, followed by the department curriculum for the next 6 semesters that includes both theory and laboratory or sessional classes. In a semester you have to appear for two exams for a subject, one called the mid semester exam (30 marks) and the other is the Final or End semester exam (70 marks). Each subject will carry some credits based upon the number of classes allotted for it per week (eg. Engineering Mechanics will have 3 credits if no of classes is 3 per week). The marks distribution is as follows: 90+: Ex(=10), 80-89: A(=9), 70-79: B(=8), 60-69: C(=7) etc. 40 marks is the passing marks. Based upon your marks in all the subjects you will get the sgpa for a semester as = (total no of grade points / total no of credits) eg. If you get Ex in 1 subject, A in 2 subjects and B in one subject and all are of 3 credits, your sgpa will be (10×3 + 9×3 + 9×3 + 8×3) / (3+3+3+3) = 9.00

Yes, as an Engineering college of national repute it provides both internship and placement. Students are shortlisted from their departments based upon the company's criteria and they undergo written / computer based examination followed by group discussion and personal interviews to get selected. I was selected by M/s Larsen & Toubro Construction for internship at Hyderabad Metro Rail Project with a Stipend of Rs 4000 per month for 2 months and I got the pre placement offer from them. Now I work in L&T.

The major events of our college are- 1. RECSTACY: A combination of REC (erstwhile name of our college) and ecstacy, this is the annual cultural fest of our college. Many famous singers, dancers are invited to perform here both from national and international levels. 2. Aarohaan - This is the annual Technology fest of our college and the second largest one in Eastern India. 3. Other clubs like GLUG, literary Circle, Spic Macay together organise another Fest called AVISKAAR. 4. Spicmacay, the cultural club of our college invites veteran artists from various fields (Sitar, Sarod, Classical, Traditional Dance, Stand up comedy) to perform in 3 days events.

The fee structure is divided into two major categories- for the unreserved and the reserved categories. Unreserved and OBC students have to pay Rs 35000 per semester as Tuition fees while the reserved students are exempted from paying it. Both have to pay additional Rs 6500 per semester (as examination fees + electricity charges, library fees, health insurance etc). So for unreserved students it is 41500 per semester and for reserved students it is 6000 per semester.

Scholarship facilities awarded by the Government are only for the reserved quota students or students with family income less than 1 lakh per annum. Apart from that are scholarship programs by OPJEMS (JINDAL group) which offers a sum of 80k per annum to selected students from Mechanical, Civil and Electrical departments. Metallurgy department also has a scholarship programme for their topper, awarded by the Steel Chair Professor as a joint venture by SAIL & NIT. State Bank of India offers educational loan to the needy students at a very low rate of interest, to be repaid after their curriculum.

There are enough opportunities for all the students in extra curricular activities. There are a number of clubs like CCA for robotics, coding etc, PRAKRITI which is the environment club, SPICMACAY the cultural club, LITERARY CIRCLE the Cultural club. Apart from that there are all sorts of arrangements for sports with separate basketball court, badminton court, table tennis boards, volley ball ground, cricket ground, football grounds, Yoga, Martial arts etc.

Yes hostel is compulsory for each and every student. Hostels are of old structures with Mess facilities in each hostel. Each hostel has a common room that will be facilitated with a carrom board, table tennis board and a television set. Apart from that, basketball and badminton courts are also there. There are two big grounds for playing football and cricket in the campus. New hostel is under construction and on the verge of finishing

There is a strong alumni network of NIT Durgapur spread all over the world and they are all brought under a single society called the NITDAA.The Department of Mechanical Engineering also has a separate society called the Mechanical Engineering Students Association that has all the alumni included. They are invited at different times of the year to share their experiences with us and to guide the students regarding their future plans.

The entrance exam for getting admission into NITs is JEE Mains that you have to appear after your 12 th Standard examination. Eligibility criteria for appearing in this exam is having a combination of Physics - Maths & Chemistry in your 12th Standard. You have to qualify for the exam and secure a minimum mark based on that particular year's cut off which will determine your rank. Based on your rank, you have to sit for online counselling at JOSAA website, where you can put the colleges and courses you wish to opt in descending order of priority. Based upon the number of seats, domicile and other reservation quotas, you will be allocated a course in a college you had put in the list. You have choice to freeze that particular college and course or you can choose to float and go for next rounds of counselling. After all the rounds are over your final course will be allocated. This is followed by documents verification and payment of fees (1st semester + Seat booking) in any nearby authorised college (You can select this from the list). Finally, you have to go to the college allocated to you and complete admission formalities on the scheduled date.

All the Faculties are experienced and their minimum qualification is doctorate from a recognised institution. They teach properly in the classes. Our department had 24 faculties during my college tenure. They are classified into Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors based upon experience and promotion. Each department will be headed by an HOD who will be at least an associate Professor.