Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology B.Tech Review By Shami Lala

MANIT is a national level engineering college and probably better than private engineering colleges of the city like VIT, LNCT, or TIT. MANIT is definitely one of the best colleges but I entered the college when it was going through its worst phase. In 2015, college’s director was held in charges for corruption. Thus, for one year the college was without any full-time director and that is where all the problems started. In that year, there was no attendance system, the faculties present was hardly interested in teaching. The classrooms projectors were not working and so were fans, and lights. Nothing was looked upon and that is why college has garnered so many negative feedbacks. Once the new director came in 2016 which was also my final year, I saw things started changing. The college became more secured post that and bunking the classes was also not allowed.

Till my third year, we had a complete freedom as I attended just 25% of the classes and internal marks that I got were always promising. Before the exams the professors give us few important questions and 80% of the questions will come from there. At first, it looked good but come the 6th semester, I started realizing that this way, nothing will be done and luckily during the last year things changed thick and fast. The classrooms were transformed from village like classes to modern school classrooms. The library which was not ready to serve the student became fully equipped and available for students at will. Those were the worst days but the institute is now enjoying it’s hey days.

I think talking about the ones who were there before the new director is of no use. The new teachers that have been appointed have underwent 2-3 challenges as they took 2-3 classes and then on the basis of student’s feedback and opinion they were hired. Thus, the faculty is adept in their job more than ever. They were skilled and equally friendly at the same time. Though I could spend just one year with them but their vision for the institute and students was sky high. MANIT is definitely in safe hands now and this is probably the ray of hope for the institute to revive its name back.

All the national level companies that go to recruit students in Mumbai, Delhi or Pune come to Bhopal as well. MANIT invites them all and students of MANIT have shown their merit and therefore the students are hired with almost the same pay that student from such big city’s colleges are hired. Sadly, the percentage of placement was less and like many others, I too missed out on campus placements. I could blame the college for how it treated and taught us for the first three years but all the students were on same page who got placed so rather than complaining, I decided to pursue further studies and find a job through that.

I was a local guy and hostels are only for those who are from other cities. Even the students coming from 50-60 kms were not allowed to stay at the hostels. There are many hostel buildings and two new buildings were completed in 2015. Both these hostels have single rooms and for students who want to enjoy a single room can stay at those hostels. MANIT has students from many states of India and hostels are in place to give them a sound and secure feel.

It was too large but equally unorganized. Which institute has a library in the middle of a playground? Well, MANIT has. Which college has a complete building for indoor sports, nearly half a kilometre from the academic building? Well, here again hats off to the architect who has designed this college. The campus has a post-office, a bank, and gardens in abundance. Infrastructure is not that bad but the only thing is it is not designed well. Playgrounds are quite a few but some close to the hostel area and because going to the college was not mandatory the hostellers would occupy those grounds and we had to bargain to let us play. The institute was made fully Wi-Fi accessible in 2016 and hopefully many more changes would have been done from the time I have left.

Till my 3rd year, I used to go to the college max twice or thrice a week. So missed most of the activities that few nerds or I should say the dedicated students do at the campus without any help. The college would hardly fund for cultural events or the projects that we have in our mind. I was cursing the campus till 3rd year but come the final year, a drastic evolution was made and I am sure it must have been continued till now.