By Anuja Sharma and Kamalpreet Bhatia
As the members of team Alliance entered the Director’s Office to conduct an interview, the first thing that awaited them alongside the sprawling office walls and a heavy air of authority, was a warm smile on the face of the newly appointed Director of NSIT, respected Professor J.P. Saini.
Before joining NSIT, he was posted as Director, Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped, U.P. and has also worked as Principal of Madan Mohan Malviya Engineering College, Gorakhpur.
With an air of cool surrounding him and a modest touch to his speech, what was supposed to be a formal interview quickly unfolded into a pleasant and friendly conversation over new experiences, the college and its student fraternity.
How has your shift to NSIT been so far? Is this your first time in Delhi?
Delhi is a completely new experience for me. I’ve shifted to this city because of my appointment as Director. Same can be said for NSIT. I’ve not been here long enough to make a concrete impression about either the city or the college. Currently, I feel like a new man in an unknown land. But I hope that with the passage of time, I’ll be accepted with open arms by both- the people of Delhi and the students of this college.
What stood out about NSIT during your first week?
The first thing that struck me about the college is the aura of dedication and focus the students exude. I’ve heard great things about the students and expect nothing less than excellence from the current batches as well. Other than that, the faculty is truly remarkable and their teaching accentuates and demonstrates the passion they have for their subjects. The infrastructure is great and I particularly enjoy the lush greenery surrounding the campus.
How beneficial do you think the recently implemented CBCS system would be for the students who come under this pattern?
The new pattern is a step up from the engineering courses that were being taught before. Not only was the course extremely outdated as it was designed over 20 years back but was in need of modification and fine tuning as well. The new curriculum provides the students, freedom to choose and study courses that are both engineering related as well as from other disciplines.This, in my opinion, is a great way for students to explore a wider range of subjects and gives them the opportunity to exercise their focus on overall personality development alongside their academics, an advantage the previous batches did not have.
Do you think the exclusion of XII Board marks to determine JEE Mains rank is a good move?
It is necessary to continuously revise the policies and keep the system updated. Besides taking all the precautions before amending the rules, the government conducts several studies to take care of the prerequisites and to ensure that students don’t face the repercussions. And as far as the students coming to our college are concerned, like always, we get the best out of the lot!
How do you see the working of Student Activities Council and all the societies currently in NSIT?
I still need to learn more about the college. I’m like a fresher here, too new to answer this! I shall encourage anything that promotes the overall personality and skill-set development in students, provided no rules are violated.
What is your vision for the college? Are there any major changes you would like to implement?
The process to grant University status to NSIT is underway. I plan to speed it up and having a past experience for the same, hope to be successful. We are witnessing a shift from output to efficient outcome as every subject is planned with specific objectives. We shall develop the infrastructure better to ultimately increase the total student input and eventually add some new branches. There will be an overall change in the institute with better facilities, research laboratories and a manifold increase in the scope for scientific advancements along with students’ personality development.
Concerned for the redressal of grievances, he open-heartedly mentioned his willingness to take any queries via mails at a personal level indeed.
We ardently welcome him and the hope he brings along- of a better growth and success of the institute!