National Institute of Technology M.Tech Review By Shaan Mahendru

I have inherited all of the skills that I missed out on in B.Tech at NITH. Once you have lived in Himachal, you can't leave this state. Shimla as a city was more beautiful than Hamirpur, but as an institute, NITH was far ahead of UIIT. I was lucky to be among the first ones to witness the HULT PRIZE. Well, HULT PRIZE is an initiative of the United Nations to help those who come out with new innovative ideas. At least three to four people raise funding through this program during our batch. NITH is the institute where HULT PRIZE started in India and has then gone to IIMS and other institutes of India. For all those who are not so sharp or bright to create an idea, doesn't have to worry because the number of companies coming to the campus for placements is ever increasing. The top-ranked GATE students come here, so the quality of students that one will find at NITH is unparallel to any other NITs.

The institute is about innovation, and therefore you have to research, research, and do more research. Many students from our batch in their provided tech solutions to many start-ups who in turn awarded them certificates and also credited us for our students. So, academics was not just a classroom thing here because the classrooms looked lame after a point of time as it was more of a presentation session in the classrooms. Academic was such here that you will ignore every damn thing in your life and concentrate on creating headspace for yourself to give more output. I value the academics of NITH more than any education that I have sought in my entire life.

The student's intake has increased, and therefore more than the permanent faculty, it's the contract faculty that has taken over. It's not that they weren't good, or instead I would call them authoritative. Students' demand was always at the top as the faculty took all new ideas seriously, and they were not just passive listeners. IT is a broad subject or, should I say, a never-ending one. So as a student, they are not the only ones who dream. Even some of the faculty made their night darker helping students out with their projects and research. Such was the help of the NITH faculty and all the students who have achieved a position after passing from NITH will always be thankful to them.

Getting placed in the IT sector is the easiest thing at NITH. Companies like Capgemini, Wipro, TCS, and Infosys seem to be waiting all year round to take students from here. Apart from IT companies, companies like Samsung, Philips, Godrej, and others too IT students. IT was the flavor during our time as our department had the best possible placements. 5-6 Lakhs package became the new normal, and some brilliant students were so impressive that they doubled their packages with an excellent sales pitch. I wish I had learned some commercial skills from my brothers, as that came in handy for many. I was happy for them as the best part of NITH was that every student enjoyed each other's success.

NITH is a residential campus as even the local students had to stay at the hostels. The hostels, therefore, were of premium quality. The hostels were divided really well as PG students' hostel was a separate entity. Thus, all PG students stayed connected. Students who could afford single rooms had the facility to avail themselves single rooms while those who were comfortable sharing could share the rooms. Other than hostel rooms, there was a separate study room at the hostel building. The hostel building also had some recreational facilities to get mind off studies. The dining hall was good and so was the food. Authentic Himachali food was served on most occasions, and it was delicious.

The campus looks like we are staying in midst a forest of Pine Trees. Yes, there are campuses bigger than that of NITH, but definitely not as picturesque as this. Firstly, Hamirpur doesn't have snowfall, and winters are not as chilling as other areas of Himachal. Thus, a cool breezy atmosphere that is witnessed at any other hill station all around the year. Among campus facilities, it was divided nicely. The PG department was far from the UG buildings and its students. Our workshops, incubation center and the recently developed IT center were the primary onus of NITH infrastructure. World-class labs, combined with world-class libraries and sports grounds, made the life dream at the NITH campus.

As soon as we were done with the classes, we used to rush to our tech clubs. Oxymoron was a research-based tech club of the institute where students who were raw to research had a lot to learn. Our club meetings would go on and on until we realized that the mess was about to close and we should fuel our tanks. Even after spending two glorious years at NITH, I dearly wish I could have at least some more time at the campus.