Sustaining its journey as the Calicut Regional Engineering College (CREC) for 41 years, the CREC renewed its title to the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NITC) in 2002. Recognized by the Parliament of India as ‘an institute of national importance,’ it shapes the lives of 2166 graduates each year. Embraced by ample greenery, the 120-hectare campus atmosphere opens a hassle-free path in a person’s mind and provides the much-required breathing space from the crowded cityscape.
The management of NITC continually improves its connections with other institutions and professionals to enhance the quality of education. From the infrastructure and laboratory support to the HR development and research advancements, the growth trajectory of NITC steadily stays on the rising curve.
Academic Programs Offered | National Institute of Technology Calicut
All the programs and courses offered by NITC contain an even mixture of science and technology with advanced theory and applications of the respective field. Project works and internships in the program facilitate exposure to the theory and practices. Currently, NITC offers 11 undergraduate (10 B.tech and 1 B.arch courses) and 30 postgraduate courses. Binding to this, each department conducts its research programs and provides Ph.D. degrees. By adopting the latest practices and theories in the world, periodical revisions are made to the curriculum.
The performance of the students is evaluated through both continuous and summative evaluation. The institute follows the 10 point grade system for academic marking and allots rank based on it (positions such as first-class with distinction, first-class, second class, and third class).
Technology Business Incubator (TBI)
To encourage students to set up their start-up industries, the institute started the TBI with the help of the Dept. of Science and Technology of Govt. of India. The TBI offers a workspace with requisite facilities and provides initial capital to kick-start a company. They promote product-based start-ups, and its selection is based on its technical feasibility. The faculties and staff of NITC also offer a lending hand to the research and development of the incubating companies.
The TBI encourages bringing women entrepreneurs to the spotlight and conducts entrepreneurship development programs frequently. In addition to this, the TBI has initiated the NIDHI-PRAYAS scheme to support emerging entrepreneurs by providing a grant of Rupees 10 lakhs.
The Central Library
Residing in a building of 2.8 acres of area, the Central Library houses close to 1.17 lakhs of book print, including thesis copies, national and international journals, magazines, and bound volumes. The facility also comprises a fully computerized book access system which simplifies the library functions. It also has the digital library named ‘NALANDA’ containing over 36000 online journals and can be accessed from any part of the NITC campus.
Within the library complex, an air-conditioned room is provided for the students to read books and study their daily topics. This facility functions from 8 am to 11.30 pm on all days. All-in-all, this mega facility provides the knowledge requirement of the entire NITC community.
Going into the Digital Era
Within a state-of-the-art infrastructure lies the Central Computer Center of NITC. The system consists of 25 Teraflops of computing power, a Parallel File System, a 100 Gbps Infiniband interconnect, and an HPC system with a standalone NVIDIA Deep learning box that supports AI analytics. This advanced system is used for research purposes and is accessible by departments anywhere on the campus via its network. Its equipped with a UPS to enable continuous power to the system. This supercomputer plays a significant role in the lives of Ph.D. scholars and post-graduate scholars of NITC by helping them progress in their research and academic studies.
Alongside this, NITC also provides internet and intranet facilities to its entire community with the help of its Campus Networking Centre (CNC). Uninterrupted WIFI connectivity is provided for the whole campus with the support of an extensive fiber optics network laid across the entire campus. High-end servers are used to maintain college email accounts of students and faculty. A dedicated computer center is kept in the ladies’ hostel, which has a 24 hours power backup. These systems create a better opportunity for students to have good quality education in this modern era.
High Standard Labs, Research and Equipments | National Institute of Technology Calicut
NITC maintains some of the best machinery found in the world and runs good quality laboratories and workshops, tightly holding to its engineering legacy. The Advanced Manufacturing Center set up in the Department of Mechanical Engineering offers the most intricate types of machinery for manufacturing. Besides this, a few instruments imported from Japan are used for measuring industrial products. It enables student entrepreneurs or small industrialists to get certification for their products at a reasonable price.
To promote further developments, the Dept. of Science and Technology of Govt. of India granted the DST-FIST fund. Its latest addition to NITC is the ‘Center for Precision Measurements and Nanomechanical Testing,’ which helps design and manufacture products. Also, the Center for Transportation and Research (CTR) came into existence in 2013 under the ‘Establishment of 50 Centers of Excellence in frontier areas of Science and Technology’ scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. This center aims to advance transportation research and education and improve the quality of life in communities and nations.
Research and Development (R & D)
The institute engages in various research programs led by post-graduate students, Ph. D. scholars, or external researchers. These researches are often done within a certain period to ensure its patency and are funded by internal and external parties. NITC has also secured funding from government divisions like the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Board of Research in Nuclear Science, Defence Research and Development Organization, etc.
The research infrastructure is strengthened by the funds received from TEQIP (Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme) and HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency). The R & D sector of the institute is leaping forward steadily in publications, patents, and copyrights from respective organizations and plays a vital role in the NITC community.
A Variant Course
NITC is one of the few premier institutes in India to provide a bachelor’s course in Material Science and Engineering. The School of Material Science and Engineering offers M.tech and Ph.D. courses in this segment and bound the B.tech course to its list in 2019. The undergrad course mainly focuses on advanced material technology, emphasizing health care, polymer, and environment, and offers 30 seats each year. The graduates from this program can take jobs from industries (like energy, polymer, healthcare, etc.) and follow a research-based career.
Training and Placement | National Institute of Technology Calicut
Producing a high successful placement rate, the center for training and placement facilitates the recruitment procedure for all academic courses at NITC. Alongside this, the center regularly conducts workshops and lectures led by the leading experts from each field and diversifies the mind of students on their career options. The internship training for undergrad students occurs during the summer break while the M.tech students go for their year-long internships in reputed industries and MNC’s. Every year, the number of students getting placed and their average salary package improves significantly.
Interaction with Alumni
The NITC community has over 25000 alumni who occupy prominent positions in top industries, research facilities, and other institutions around the world. The governing body named the National Institute of Technology Alumni Association (NITCAA) has absorbed all the REC/NIT alumni and coordinates various projects for the betterment of the campus fraternity. The alumni association help put the current students of NITC by providing academic and career guidance. The alumni also visit campus to talk to students under the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series.
Hospice and Guidance at NITC
Two central bodies look after the student’s well-fare and activities on campus in NITC. The Students Guidance Council (SGC) mainly aims to provide guidance and counseling assistance to each student according to their needs. The Students Affairs Council (SAC) is a body of elected students that looks after the various technical and cultural events of NITC, and the dean oversees its operations. In terms of accommodation for students, a total of 15 hostels (12 for boys and 3 for girls), which also includes 2 Mega hostels for boys (1000 and 1500 seats) and 1 Mega Hostel for girls (500 seats), are provided.
Outside groups offer dining services for each hostel, and hostel administration is headed by the Chief Warden and council of wardens appointed by the Director.
Festivities, Clubs, and Co-Curricular Activities | National Institute of Technology Calicut
One of the vibrant parts of a student’s college life is the fests and in-house club activities. NITC conducts two main fests each year, mainly the cultural fest ‘Ragam’ and the techno-management fest ‘Tathva.’ The student clubs of the campus help students to showcase their hidden talents of music, dance, drama, debate, management, etc. The student magazine platform is another platform to showcase their innate skills. Membership into professional societies such as IEEE, ISTE, SSI, etc., broadens the students’ horizons.
The inter-universities and inter-NIT’s sports tournament fills in the spot for the sports event. The National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) invoke the social responsibility inside the students and helps them to be better people for tomorrow.
References:
- NITC Brochure 2021. [ebook] Calicut: National Institute of Technology, Calicut, p.Range of pages. Available at: <http://www.nitc.ac.in/app/webroot/img/upload/92913154.pdf> [Accessed 7 July 2021].
Nitc.ac.in. 2021. National Institute of Technology Calicut. [online] Available at: <http://nitc.ac.in/index.php/?url=content/index/3677/3/3479/458> [Accessed 7 July 2021].
Nitc.ac.in. 2021. National Institute of Technology Calicut. [online] Available at: <http://www.nitc.ac.in/index.php/?url=department/index/27> [Accessed 7 July 2021].
