JOIN USNo frills, lots to learn at Sambhram
Sambhram Institute of Technology stands tall with no pretensions. There are very few trees in the walkway, no fancy parking lot and definitely no grand fountain in the foyer. But the shortcomings end there. The Sambhram Group of Institutions — Sambhram Institute of Technology, Sambhram Institute of Management, College of Dental Sciences and hospitals and Sambhram College of Nursing have been around for over ten years.
Of the many institutions under the Sambhram umbrella, the most popular and well-known college is the Sambhram Institute of Technology, (SAIT). The technology institute is an offshoot of the Sambhram Group, an infrastructure nd construction company, well known for its services in the sectors of health, housing, property development, etc. The institute is promoted by entrepreneurs and bureaucrats from varied backgrounds. “As a result, students from far-flung areas of the country and the world have been and continue to be a part of SAIT,” says the V Nagaraj, vice-chairman, Sambhram.
The college offers four-year Bachelor’s engineering degrees in mechanical, civil, computer science, information science, and electronics and communications.
The business school offers a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Master’s in Computer Application. Research centres offer PhD programmes in physics, mechanical, computer science, MBA and has proposed to start Ph D programme in electronics and communication by 2011.
SAIT is located in Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore. Situated on eight acres of land belonging to the Sambhram Education Trust, the campus is complete with facilities for academic, research, cultural and sports activities. The college building houses blocks and infrastructure for all the engineering departments. The computer science block, for example, has two wide laboratories with over 65 computers to attend to a single class at a time. “The machines and software are constantly rewired and updated to cater to students’ need. This way, it helps us learn more and teach more,” says Dr Singh, Director, Department of Computer Science.
Each department gets their own block, with exclusive facilities. For example, workshops for the Mechanical Engineering Department house laboratories and amenities in the same block.
The campus is complete with a high-speed internet centre and library.
The on-campus library stocks over 4,000 books for academic purposes. However, there is little room and material for leisure reading here.
While both these on-campus services are only meant for academic purposes, they are largely used by outstation students who are put up at the hostel accommodation nearby. “The internet centre does not allow time for browsing social networking sites and movie websites. You can check your e-mail but that’s as far as we will allow it,”says Pushpa Rudresh, dean, Undergraduate Studies.
A unique concept within the SAIT campus is the existence of a ‘Training and Placement’ cell. A team of experts who train final year students with mock interviews, tests and group discussions, runs this facility. It is mandatory for all final year students to take part and help the institute ensure that there is 100 per cent placement almost every year. Some known multinational companies who have recruited students over the last few years include Wipro, Infosys, GE, etc.
“We lay emphasis on collective learning methods. We are constantly motivating our teachers and students to think out-of-the-box and embrace alternative methods of learning,” says Nagaraj.
The institute also runs an incubation centre on campus to promote industry-institution interactions by involving students in several R&D projects, consultancy assignments, etc.
The Sambhram Institute of Technology is also the only college that makes it mandatory for first year engineering students to undergo a basic orientation programme in English as an ancillary subject. The focus is on grammar, communication skills and fluency.
Says Nagaraj, “The aim behind this is to make our students industry-ready. We constantly find recruiters complaining of the lack of several soft skills in graduates. Being able to speak well and communicate well can be a game changer. This is why it is compulsory for every engineering student.”
The institute is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education and the Government of Karnataka. The engineering college is affiliated to the Visvesveraya Technological University and the National Board of Accreditation.
SAIT heavily emphasises on the need for extra-curricular activities. And this is evident from the amount of time and space dedicated to sports like basketball, table tennis, cricket, badminton, etc. The hostels for boys and girls come with a well-equipped gym. Students can often be seen having a light chat by the canteen in-between classes or sweating it out on the basketball court after class.
“We don’t want to restrict our students to rules and regulations. We want them to form their own principles and grow into responsible adults on this campus. We are often asked by parents about the dress code on campus and we don’t have one. But we leave it to their discretion to understand and adapt.” says Pushpa.
Students from SAIT are also encouraged to take part in inter-college fests, cultural events and social responsibilities. Says Dr P Shivananda, principal: “We strive to provide our students with the right ambience for learning so that they not only become respectable citizens, but also grow into engineers with integrity.”