After 14 years, the National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya (NIT-Meghalaya) is all set to move to its own permanent campus at the once “wettest place on earth” – Sohra, as soon as the construction of the Rs 429.7 crore institute is completed this December.
NIT-Meghalaya is one among the 31 NITs in India established in 2010 under the NIT Act 2007. Ranked 68th in the Engineering category by the National Institutes Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2024, NIT-Meghalaya has moved up by four positions from its 72nd rank in 2023. The institute is also ranked by the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) as 88 out of 170 colleges in India in 2024.
All set to move to Sohra in December this year, 2024-25 academic session will kick-start in the new campus in February 2025. The new campus is spread across 320 acres of land with the main campus occupying 220 acres. The total cost of construction (civil) stands at Rs 429.7 crore while Rs 74 crore was spent on purchase of furniture and other equipment.
The construction that was supposed to be completed in 2022 but was stalled due to various reasons – COVID-19 and funding issues being some of a few reasons.
The institute currently functions from Bijni Complex in Laitumkhrah, Shillong.
“The new campus consists of academic complexes, hostels (two boys and three girls’ hostels), canteens, residential quarters, workshops, laboratories, a central instrumentation facility, a central library and a highly advanced IT centre,” said NIT-Meghalaya Director, Prof Pinakeswar Mahanta.
The institute boasts of 80 percent placements of students in high-paying jobs in various organisations like Microsoft, Amazon, Gap, Hindustan Petroleum, JP Morgan & Chase, and Bharat Petroleum, to name a few.
With an intake capacity of over 1000 seats, the institute follows the state reservation policy for home-state seats and facilitates quality technical education for the tribal population of the state. Presently, 39 foreign students are studying in Meghalaya.
As part of its Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, the institute has adopted five villages in Sohra facilitating them with basic computer training, motorized boat for one of the inaccessible villages, gadgets for students, solar lanterns, water filtration systems, school stationery, and a water transportation facility.
“We’ve also equipped the Ramakrishna Mission School in Sohra with a 50 Mbps internet connection to enhance digital education. Additionally, our centre for inclusive education supports disadvantaged groups and promotes equitable access to education,” the NIT-Meghalaya Director said.
When asked about the challenges faced by the institute, Prof Mahanta said, “Besides, the dearth of funds, we do face problems with returning faculty. We are trying to resolve this problem by addressing the concerns raised by the faculty particularly in terms of education for their children. We are looking at bringing a Kendriya Vidyalaya School in our campus.”
To a query on job guarantee for the locals of Sohra, Prof Mahanta replied in the affirmative. “Because we have limited staff, most of the duties are being outsourced to the local populace and many of them are already employed in the institute.”
ALSO READ: Meghalaya students’ relationship with Mathematics & Science
ALSO READ: Building a Greener Shillong: Stakeholders Unite for Low-Carbon Construction Practices
CONVOCATION:
The NIT-Meghalaya will hold its 11th Convocation on October 19 at the State Convention Centre, Shillong where Suvamoy Saha, the Managing Director of Eveready Industries India Ltd will attend as the chief guest.
193 scholars and students will be awarded degrees in this convocation, which includes 140 B.Tech students, 9 M.Tech, 23 M.Sc and 21 PhD scholars. Institutional goal and silver medals will also be awarded for academic excellence, and the President’s Gold Medal will be awarded to the best graduate. This year, with an initiative from the Chairman, Sunil Alagh, the Chairperson’s Gold Medal has been instituted and it will be awarded to the best female graduate (B.Tech).
