Himachal Pradesh: The National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur, has seen its ranking on the National Institute Ranking Framework (INRF) fluctuate. The ranking dropped to as low as 130, but it has now returned to the top 100. In an interview with Dinesh Kanwar, NIT Director Hiralal Muralidhar Suryavanshi acknowledged the improvements over the past few years while discussing future plans. He said that in addition to routine teaching, NIT is focusing on patents, research and development, infrastructure development, and student placements to become one of the best engineering institutes in the country.
How prepared is NIT to produce world-class engineers and scientists?
The institute has the best labs and faculty, and this is why its students are getting placements in leading companies at the national and international level. Recently, a student was placed at Tesla with an annual salary package of ₹3.4 crore, while others received packages of approximately ₹2.04 crore. Many things need to be improved to improve the rankings, and this year, NIT will further improve its NIRF position.
What major steps has the institute taken to enhance skills and train students?
NIT-Hamirpur is the first institute to sign an MoU with IIT-Mumbai for advanced training for its students. This initiative has given NIT an edge over many other institutes. We have 13 departments offering 10 undergraduate, 18 postgraduate, and three MSc courses, as well as a management course, making it an advanced technical institute. We admit 1,305 students every year, including 944 in BTech and 361 in MTech courses.
What is your vision for the improvement of NIT?
We are already working on research and development projects worth ₹32 crore and have also proposed a research park costing approximately ₹200 crore. Both students and faculty will have numerous opportunities to conduct world-class R&D on campus, which will not only benefit them but also enhance the institute’s reputation. It wouldn’t be surprising if NIT one day collaborates with places like DRDO and ISRO.
What about the new startups launched by the institute?
NIT has always encouraged entrepreneurship, and in the current session, 13 new startups were approved, with ₹5 crore allocated.
NIT students have faced placement issues. How do you plan to address them?
We have made a remarkable comeback, with our placement percentage rising to 93%, with top-ranking companies like Tesla, LinkedIn, Atlansia, DESHA, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and more. This year, 153 students from the institute qualified GATE, the highest in the country.
What more does NIT need to do to become an Institute of Excellence?
Infrastructure development also plays a major role in building an overall image. We have proposed building a boys’ hostel for 700 students, while a hostel with a capacity of 150 is nearing completion. A girls’ hostel for 400 students is being built on campus. We also need more staff accommodation. A proposal worth ₹185 crore has been prepared for this. In the past year, NIT has submitted 150 proposals for research and development and successfully obtained 13 patents. The institute has also increased its research and development grant from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh. We are currently ranked 97th in the NIRF rankings and will surpass many institutes this year. Drug abuse has become a challenge in educational institutions, especially in hostels.
What plans are you making to address this problem?
There were some problems in the past, but through strict enforcement of rules and regular inspections, the formation of vigilance and disciplinary committees, the campus has become drug-free. Students are regularly educated about the ill effects of drugs through programs. We have adopted a zero tolerance policy for drug abuse and indiscipline at the institute.
NIT is focusing on patents, R&D, infra, placement of students
