The mission of VNIT is to achieve high standards of excellence in generating and propagating knowledge in engineering and allied disciplines. V.N.I.T. is committed to provide an education that combines rigorous academics with the joy of discovery. The Institute encourages its community to engage in a dialogue with society to be able to effectively contribute for the betterment of humankind.
Empowering the Technical Aspect of Education
“Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been” – Albert Einstein. It is “Science” to describe electromagnetic radiation, but it is “Engineering” to build a radio or TV. As important as the study of engineering is, it is also challenging and exciting. Engineers use models provided by science combined with innovative thinking to solve problems and create new designs that benefit humanity. Many of the so-called “wonders of modern Science” are really wonders of modern Engineering. A career in engineering is a very worthwhile profession as it involves a lifetime of continuous learning to adapt to changes in society and the natural world. It often involves working in multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-site teams.
In India, the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are autonomous public institutes of higher education offering degree courses at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate levels in various branches of engineering, architecture, management and science. They are governed by the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007, which declared them as institutions of national importance alongside Indian Institutes of Technology.
One among the 30 such institutions of national importance receiving special recognition from the Government of India is Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur. In order to provide a well-versed platform for best technical education, VNIT was established in June 1960 by the Government of India and later named in honor of engineer, planner and statesman, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. VNIT is a public engineering and research institution, which awards bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in engineering, technology and architecture. It has various academic departments, with over 30 specialized laboratories and research centers. The Institute ensures a healthy environment to the students on around 225 acres of green and spectacular campus.
Emphasizing on a Learning Approach
There is indeed a grave need for the education system to undergo a transition from a heavy emphasis on teaching to a heavy emphasis on learning. Envisioning the advancements, experts ought to create the courseware for the students to learn anytime or anywhere at a pace that is comfortable for them, and learn about topics that majorly interests them. For promoting quality education, VNIT has ensured that highly qualified faculties are appointed and good lab facilities are established in the areas of cutting edge technologies.
The student-centric system ensures academic freedom to the student to select elective courses, projects, open courses and seminars. The Institute offers undergraduate courses in Computer Science, Electronics, Mechanical, Architecture and six other engineering disciplines. Institute also offers PG programmes in 19 engineering discipline as well as 4 science faculties. The Engineering undergraduate programs are usually of four-year duration, while Architecture has a five-year program. The Institute is also an excellent Hub for research where around 500 full time PhD students are pursuing Doctoral research in various disciplines. Most of the courses have been accredited by the National Bureau of Accreditation.
The teachers’ and students’ academic satisfaction are evaluated and ensured through feedbacks taken at the end of each semester. The transparency in evaluation is ensured through inspection of answer books of each examination by students and with a discussion thereon. Innovation based courses are also available to students that have formats where innovation and design aspects of students are nurtured. The students are thus encouraged into the learning process rather than typical teaching approach.
Career Opportunities & Exciting Exposures for VNITians
With roles available in almost every industry, engineers have a huge range of career opportunities open to them. VNIT engineers have access to a versatile career that spans many industries and thanks to the varied skills they gain, their work can often cross over between sectors. At VNIT, the mindset of the student is oriented towards an innovative & technological problem-solving approach, specifically empowered by his/her analytical capabilities and technical skills.
Tackling the world’s challenges, big or small, needs a wide range of skill sets, something that all engineers gain through education and specific skill training. Also, core science and mathematical knowledge is important for engineers to solve a problem creatively and analytically. Additionally, soft skills such as teamwork and communication are just as important as logic and computing. Students of VNIT are capable of contributing in most of the international technical employment groups and have also proven their excellence by initiating some of the most innovative start-ups. Overall development of personality is the core aim of VNIT, which ensures that a student would be in a position to immensely contribute towards the growth of the nation.
VNIT has a committed Training and Placement Department which proactively works to make available the training and employment opportunities to the students. Most of the students, seeking placements after the graduation, are ensured with jobs in reputed multinational companies. Many students perceive higher education in some of the best national and international educational institutions. Goldman Sachs, Ittiam systems, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, TATA Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti Suzuki, Hero Moto Corp are few of the prominent names that form the recruiter list at VNIT.
Centre of Academic Collaboration and Research
VNIT believes that a literate & educated citizenry is vital to a democratic society and a dynamic education system fosters a productive economy in global environment. The institute has academic collaborations & MoUs with many universities in India and abroad. These collaborative programmes include student and faculty exchange, internships for students and joint research activities among others. VNIT Nagpur was one of the 12 institutes selected by the MHRD, Government of India, for the BRICS Network University on behalf of India. Departments of the institute are involved in various research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (India) and other public and private corporations. VNIT Nagpur has been granted World Bank assisted technical project for Applied Research in Combedded Systems with the status of Center of Excellence (CoE) under the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme Phase-II (TEQIP-II). The objective of the institute is to educate students to be innovators and foster global technological innovations to establish and evolve interdisciplinary research and development.
VNIT Nagpur is awarded with the 42nd rank among engineering colleges in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2017, and 18th by the magazine Outlook India in 2017. VNIT has been ranked as first amongst all thirty-one NIT’s and sixth best engineering institute by Times Engineering Survey. VNIT Nagpur has adopted nine villages in Amravati, Nagpur and Jalgaon districts under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) aimed at bringing grass roots level changes in rural areas through technological interventions from academic and research institutes, without affecting the local culture.
An International Academic Diplomat with the Vision of a Researcher
A Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE) (India), a Senior member of Computer Society of India and IEEE in USA, a member of Indian Mathematical Society (IMS) and Cryptology Research Society of India, Dr. Narendra S. Chaudhari is a notable figure in the International Academic circles and a Sagacious Director of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology. He has been a member of several academic delegations. Dr. Chaudhari has shouldered many prominent responsibilities at various institutes throughout his career.
At VNIT, Dr. Chaudhari has promoted institute-wide research with multi-disciplinary projects, student mentorship program, and involvement of alumni for entrepreneurship amongst students. He has initiated the innovation centre at VNIT Nagpur and provided leadership for product development that resulted in patents and technology transfer for engineering products.
Dr. Chaudhari has made some significant contributions in the areas of network security and mobile computing, game AI, novel neural network models like binary neural nets and bidirectional nets, context free grammar parsing, optimization, parallel algorithms, and graph isomorphism problem. He has also contributed to collaborative Research Work for other pilot projects on Computing techniques and Industry Interaction funded by ST-Engg, DSTA and A*STAR, etc. in Singapore.
Some of the Notable Alumni
The legacy of high standards of academic excellence has helped the VNIT to develop into one of the best technical institutes. Over the years, alumni of VNIT Nagpur have taken up strategic positions in organizations around the world. Their list of Alumni include prominent academics and business executives. The institute has an active alumni network, with chapters across India, in the United States and in Europe.
Dr. Dinesh Keskar, President of Boeing International; Dr.Vijay Bhatkar Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee, Scientist, and Founding Director of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing; Mr.Ashish Saraf, Vice President of Airbus; Hemant Karkare, Late Chief of Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad are some of the distinguished alumni of VNIT. Since its establishment in 1960, VNIT has added several dimensions through its technical education in various areas of National growth.
Extra-Curricular Activities & Annual Events
The student clubs at VNIT host a number of annual fests or events, inviting participants from colleges across the nation.
Central India’s largest annual technical festival ‘AXIS’ is organized, both structurally & financially, by VNIT students. AXIS organizes over 40 events, exhibitions and workshops, encompassing multiple engineering disciplines, with an aim to provide a national platform to attract and nurture talent in the fields of science and technology. AXIS has come a long way from its modest beginnings and annually attracts over 25,000 school and college students from different parts of the country.
VNIT also organizes the biggest cultural festival ‘AROHI’, which is an intercollegiate festival and is financially supported by students themselves. Students from all over the region take part in the events organized and gather in large numbers to witness the spectacles. Started by the pioneer batch of 1988 in VNIT, the event continues to grow leaps and bounds each successive year.
Lastly, to empower the spirit of entrepreneurship among the young millennial, VNIT organizes ‘CONSORTIUM’ which is an intercollegiate management activity where a start-up environment is encouraged and the participants participate in a common activity to contribute their resources for achieving a common goal. ‘PRAYAS’ is a social event undertaken by the students where they donate books; provide scholarships while extending their support by teaching underprivileged students since last 10 years. Students are the asset of the institute and VNIT has been fortunate to have a vibrant and dynamic student population.
