Interaction cell for students inaugurated at NIT-Trichy

The new industry institution interaction cell (III-C), which is under technology education quality improvement project (TEQIP-II), was inaugurated at NIT Trichy on its golden jubilee celebration on Saturday.

Ranaveer Sinha, managing director of TATA Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd, Jamshedpur, an alumni of erstwhile RECT unveiled the interaction cell under TEQIP-II , which has a provision for improving academic performance of weak students through equity action plan. It focuses on student-centered strategies to improve their performance through the appointment of mentors or counselors who will be giving students the appropriate assistance, said Dr Srinivasan Sundarrajan, director of NIT-T.

Dr Sundarrajan said the objective was to explore and identify common avenues of interaction with industry as per the institution's requirements. A total allotment of Rs 12.5 crore has been envisaged with assistance from the World Bank, and NIT-T has entered into a memorandum of understanding with three overseas institutes -- Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT) of Japan, National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS) of Japan, and Dong Eui University of Korea.

The suggested activities are to identify and facilitate lectures, interactive workshops, conferences, seminars and brainstorming sessions. It also include technical discussion with members of the industry, outside experts and other eminent personalities. As many as nine industries have been roped in, said Dr Sundarrajan. They are BHEL of Trichy, C-DAC of Thiruvananthapuram, FLS Automation India Pvt Ltd of Chennia, TATA Consultancy Service of Chennai, TATA ELXSI of Bangalore, IBM of Bangalore, ECIL of Hyderabad, Neyveli Lignite Corporation of Neyveli, and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology (SCTIMST) of Thiruvananthapuram.

The NIT-T director said the counseling and guidance cell formed was well received, and as many as 55 students benefited from it. Under the scheme, which is available only at NIT Trichy in the country, a MoU was signed between the institution and Sowmanasya Hospital in the first week of August to sort out and solve interpersonal and psychological issues. The director said it was important because the chances of students going awry in the very first year of the course itself was high, and it was also necessary to make the students mingle well with the rest of over 5,000-odd senior students in the institution.