Campus connect: Aggressive on student placements, says Katara of  I2IT

International Institute of Information Technology ( I2IT) is one of the prestigious engineering colleges in the state and Aruna Katara, managing committee president of I2IT and Hope foundation and research centre, shares her plans to take the institution to greater heights.

“We follow the curriculum and submit all the necessary documents to the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and to the University Grants Commission (UGC). So, our students can get good placements and move ahead,” said Katara.

She recalls as to how the institution was built with a big dream. “Pralhad P Chhabria, founder president of the college used the same furniture and granite that was used at home, for the institution. The thought behind starting the institution was to offer international level programmes. It was not a money making model. While another engineering college of the group at Ratnagiri - Finolex Academy of Management and Technology (FAMT) took 21 years to establish well, I2IT took eight years,” she said.

Katara also spoke about how the teaching and learning at the institution was structured in a way to benefit both the teachers and the learners.

“We are encouraging our faculties to do PhDs along with the teaching career. They will be researching and the best students will be assisting them in the process. We will also be giving stipends to assisting students, library assistants and the researchers too. There is so much we can do outside the framework, but we are bound by various factors,” she said.

Katara said that boys in the campus are also being sensitised about women empowerment as they believe that women empowerment is as much about boys, as it is about girls.

Talking about Finolex Academy of Management and Technology at Ratnagiri, she said that it has opened doors for rural students to pursue engineering. “The society in Ratnagiri is not wealthy and now, there are first time engineers from the villages around the institution. There are students from fishing and farming communities. There are also students from various other communities at FAMT. In the last 21 years, every year, we have produced gold medallists at the Mumbai University from our college. Our students are in top 5 and top 10 on university level. And we have taken up the placement assistance very aggressively in the last 4 to 5 years. Good admission numbers and good faculties are important to us,” she said.

Remembering Pralhad P Chhabria

Aruna Katara said that Pralhad P Chhabria’s dream for I2IT and FAMT was to give quality engineering education at affordable fees.

“My father would always talk about why parents needed to avail loan for their child’s engineering education. He said that there should be engineering colleges with affordable fees and many students should benefit from it,” she said.

She shared as to how Chhabria always encouraged and supported education of young women.

“He firmly believed that women are far superior to men and have the ability to make whatever they get, greater. Providing them with good education in turn ensures that they not only share their knowledge and skills with their family, but also harness it for the betterment of the community and the nation. So Hope Foundation in association with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) India Council and Women In Engineering Affinity Group, IEEE Pune section has instituted the Pralhad P Chhabria Awards in his memory, from the year 2017. These awards are meant to appreciate academic and professional achievements of young women in the areas of Science, Engineering and Technology,” she said.

MESSAGE

P P Chabria’s, in his message to the students of I2IT and FAMT had said, “I have always believed that knowledge is very powerful and good education emancipates the mind and helps us become creators, inventors and innovators. Good education can shape your future by turning your dreams into reality, preparing you to face challenges ahead.

It is with a sense of pride and great satisfaction that I have watched students excel each year in their academics as well as other areas.

It is our collective vision to instil in our students critical thinking, prepare them for a career ahead yet instil in them strong values and a sense of lifelong learning. We hope to leave behind an academic legacy that will help build a brighter future for our country!”

Poll fever

The students at I2IT are excited about the Lok Sabha elections 2019 and most of the students HT met said they were backing Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Most of them were not able to make it to their home town to vote, while students from Pune did. Shivlok, final year student from Bihar said, “Our country is on a transformation mode in the last five years due to the positive leadership of PM Modi. His government has taken up several developmental works in the country.” Mrunalini Kulkarni, second year student from Yavatmal who is the first time voter this year said, “Concrete roads have been built in the entire district. We had been struggling to get this done for many years, but Modi and Fadnavis governments have achieved this.” While Tanmay Patil, final year student from Jalgaon, said, “We do not want to listen about scams and politics over religion and caste. PM Modi speaks about development and he is working tirelessly for last five years. He has brought many foreign companies to India through which we will get job opportunities.” Aishwarya Kulashestha, first year student from Mathura said, “Though I am eligible for voting, I didn’t enroll as a voter and missed out on voting. Back in our city, there is a Modi wave. There is a good support for Hema Malini in Mathura.”