1. Title of the Practice

Beyond curriculum training programs on value added courses are included for making students industry ready and empowering them for high-end employability, higher education and self-entrepreneurship 

2. Objectives of the Practice

• To impart training in technical skill areas currently in high demand
• To enhance soft skills of slow learners to make them employable.
• To equip more advanced learners with skill sets necessary for higher education, high-end employment.
• To bridge the industry-academia gap.

3. The Context

In the globalized 21^st century corporate workplace, the work environments are usually multi-skilled and various domain-specific technical skill areas are in great demand. The Institute provides training programs for every student in specialized courses with certification to give them added employability potential. These courses, run by industry professionals, leverage them towards more specialized jobs in various sectors. They also provide requisite value addition and knowledge enrichment giving them a competitive edge over others in future career advancement.

4. The Practice

The Institution provides well-structured Beyond Curriculum Training (BCT) programs for all students of all Streams, from the 2^nd year onwards.

The screening of the learners, based on their passion and tastes, is initiated in the 1^st Year through a Diagnostic Test and a Bridge Course held, which provides a means of improving their behavioural and other aspects. This categorization provides a basis for the later offering of specialized courses to them from their 2^nd Year graduation onwards.

The details of the formulation and execution of these training programs are mentioned below:

• These courses are scientifically formulated through a Graded Sequential Selection Process—being initially chosen on the basis of Student and Alumni feedback on Value Added Courses. They are then approved by the Departmental Academic Committee (DAC) of the concerned Department, and then approved by the Board of Studies (BOS) and finally the Academic Council (AC).
• Students are offered a choice of varied multidisciplinary courses from the BCT Basket, with each student choosing 2 courses per year.
• These courses are run mostly in association with external agencies like Ardent Infotech Ltd., Webskitters etc., with experienced industry professionals imparting training.
• Minimum 30 hours of practical training for each course are provided and every student can avail 6 courses during their programme to build industrial competency.
• Certification is provided to all successful students.
• These courses also encourage Entrepreneurship efforts.

 Courses:

Most of the recruiting companies now expect the students to have advanced programming skills irrespective of the branch of engineering or technology they pursue. This is the learning gap that the BCT program hopes to bridge.

These BCT basket includes following skill sets:

5. Evidence of Success

       Fruits from BCT skill training include:

• More than 19 value added courses were run in the last 5 years and all the students enrolled in these courses with the majority of students completing them successfully.
• All the students were motivated to take subjects from BCT basket and have shown their interest by opting 4 – 6 subjects. Continuous improvement in their performance scores was reflected in the cases of all learners.
• In progressing through these practices in the campus, the graduates could reach to Internationally reputed Institutions by competing with globally competitive benchmarks for their next level of education,for example, Oindrilla Ghatak (ECE, 2016-20 batch) subsequently pursued the Master of Science degree at the University of Edinburgh, was selected for the position of Student Ambassador in the Business School, received the Edinburgh Award for Students as Change Agents twice (Summer and Winter) and the Edinburgh Award for Professional Development. She has also authored 2 books, A Backpack of Memories and Three Bodies One Soul.
• In the same line BCT could bring confidence building amongst the slow learners in their academic life as one of Rajib Banik, (ECE, 2016-20 batch) was identified as a slow learner, scoring an average of 60-65% marks. After completing the BCT courses he gained employment in the Airports Authority of India, and is currently working as Signal and Navigation Engineer in Tripura.

With the implementation of BCT as one of the Best and popular practices of the campus, well executed by faculty, staff and students, bringing good results for ON-Campus recruitment, start-up culture, a combined effort of the Institution and students, the Institution has achieved very good results during on-campus recruitment processes. This has led to the increase in the quality, as well as, the number of recruitments. Placement Summaries for the last 5 years indicate that the students have been performing consistently well and are recruited by reputed companies and the average pay package has beenincreasing every year.

And all the above, a holistic development culture in the campus which may reflected through our placement records shown here:

2016-2017 – 77.86% students secured jobs with an average pay package of Rs. 2.4 LPA

2017-2018 –79.79% students secured jobs with an average pay package of Rs. 2.4 LPA

2018-2019 – 88.94% students secured jobs with an average pay package of Rs. 3.6 LPA

2019-2020 – 80.75% students secured jobs with an average pay package of Rs. 3.8 LPA

2020-2021–83.235% students secured jobs with an average pay package of Rs. 3.9 LPA

A summary of internships for five years given below:

6. Problems encountered and Resources Required:

Problems Encountered:

Whenever the reformations are enforced for the betterment of learner, their acceptability is always found to be a challenge, as they always look for easy going learning and show less interest to learn out of the box, especially when it is linked to their curriculum. To overcome this challenge, the Institution has designed BCT basket, linking to some of the rewarding activities like Internal Hackathon, Technical Fest, show your talents etc. to build the team spirit amongst the learners and incentivize their skills enhancement through BCT.

It is always a challenge to motivate the Faculty for their involvement in such kind of additional practices other than the regular routine. At the same time, without the faculty involvement, no such practices can be made the Best Practices of the Institution.

The management of the Institution has supported the leadership of the campus for additional incentives, benefits for the faculty to put their efforts to make this BCT as benchmark and Best Practice for the campus.

Resources Required:

• Computer facility along with the advanced software tools for training programs.
• Flipped classrooms designed for the slow learners.

6. Title of the Practice

Enabling humanitarian activities by the students leading to their involvement in amelioration of living conditions for the socially and economically disadvantaged and overall community development.

7. Objectives of the Practice

• To encourage students to provide aid and support to the disadvantaged, distressed or weaker sections of society.
• To foster self-supporting learning initiatives for students lacking economic support.
• To encourage gender equity activities and issues in women and education.
• To promote and participate in environment and wildlife conservation activities.
• To develop the spirit of selflessness, sacrifice, and dedication to social justice and social empowerment.

8. The Context

In the 21^st century, academic programs increasingly include a community focus, social orientation and environmental conservation perspectives. Guru Nanak Institute of Technology (GNIT) also believes in caring and sharing, spreading the hope of betterment among the socially or economically disadvantaged. And Students, associated with Faculty, have constituted one club, “PRAGATI,” to promote such activity under Unnat Bharat Abhijyan.   For years the Institute has been fostering donations or funding activities, aiding organizations providing humanitarian relief and encouraging students to contribute to community support services. Inspired by the spirit of selflessness inculcated through social welfare programs, students and alumni have emerged as role models in promoting community improvement.

9. The Practice

      The Institution has been evolving this practice by encouraging welfare and social outreach activities of every kind. Students are involved in aiding the underprivileged through active aid and support. In developing this practice, the warm Mentor-Mentee relationship already pre-existing in the Institute has further motivated and inspired the students to work for social development. Some of the important initiatives undertaken by the Institute include the following:

The following practices under PRAGATI initiative of GNIT are made as our Best and Most appreciative practices since the beginnings of the Institution:

(“PRAGATI”) –

Progressive Rural Advancement Globally Accepted Traditional Initiatives

NSS initiatives:

GNIT has a chequered history of community service through the NSS activities of the students, and the diverse activities of the self-financed NSS Unit, organized since 2009-10. Students regularly participate in campus cleanliness drives like “Swachh Pakhwada”, rallies on “Save Water” to spread awareness on societal benefits.  Donations to charitable organizations like Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa), the Ramkrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, are regularly made by students, and there are goodwill visits to old age homes and orphanages to nurture values of compassion and social justice.

“Plastic-free Campus”:

The Institute maintains a plastic-free campus, with special bins and collection points. Students play a notable role in the collection and awareness raising efforts in banning plastics.

Books for all:

Book donations to underprivileged children like the Community Library Project (TCLP, New Delhi) and for small community libraries in Kolkata and adjoining areas have helped many children get books and educational materials.

“Gift a Sapling” drive:

All Resource Persons are gifted saplings in the Institute and all faculty and staff presented saplings as incentives. This encourages sustainable thinking among students.

Blood donation camps:

The Institute has been a lifeline in organizing of blood donation camps. Camps have been organized on campus since 2013, mostly in association with Barasat District Hospital, North 24 Parganas thereby saving countless lives.

Pandemic Support Initiatives:

Relief during COVID -19 Lockdown and Cyclone “Amphan”:

Students distributed masks, food grains and essentials to the people worst affected by the lockdown in April 2020. They contributed to the PM and CM’s Relief Fund through donations and by organizing the online fundraiser “Felicific”. They also participated in relief camps for villagers in the Sunderbans affected by the devastating cyclone Amphan, by distributing babyfood, plastics and other building materials.

Free Vaccination Drive:

During the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2021, the Institute organized a free vaccination drive on campus, in association with Belle View Clinic and CMRI, Kolkata, where more than 5000 citizens have been vaccinated through GNIT.

Preparation and Distribution of Hand sanitizers:

GNIT, led by the Chemistry Section, took the lead in preparing organically safe, WHO-approved hand sanitizers during the first lockdown. These were distributed among people in need in the local community.

Evidence of Success:

The impact of various social outreach and community-focused activities has been far-reaching, setting records in community service:

• A Student Alumnus, Suman Kar, has set up a voluntary social welfare organization, Pragati Club, manned entirely by GNIT students and alumni, engaged in supporting the underprivileged sections of society like destitute children, elders and the homeless. Regular distributions of food, clothing, rainwear and blankets during winters, books and pens to needy children are made. PRAGATI provided foodgrains and essentials to daily wage earners affected by the lockdown, food and medicines after Amphan. They are also associated with সংবেদন (“Sangbedan”), a home for differently-abled children.
• Students have also formed free voluntary teaching organizations for children in need. Digital Shiksha, run by Swaraj Gupta,Manab Basak, Sandeep Kundu, is involved in preparing children for JEE and NEET exams and imparting computer education. Sandeep Kundu, an alumnus, has donated 8 computers for this learning program. Arunodaya (run by a charity, Pratyasha), provides free quality education for all. Located at the Ganga brick factory, Kankinara, North 24 Parganas, it started with 40 students and now has 83. They also teach children in villages, taking education to the grassroots level.
• GNIT students have also emerged as conservationists. They earned accolades from the World Wildlife Fund, India, for contributing to conservation efforts in “Project Tiger”. They are also engaged in conservation efforts through the Eco Club, which promotes disposal of biodegradable and other wastes and recycling initiatives.

6. Problems encountered and Resources Required:

Problems Encountered:

• Getting the right funding and sponsors for the student welfare organizations and projects is sometimes challenging.
• The number of socially disadvantaged people in the community is large, so catering to all becomes problematic.
• People in need are sometimes based in distant areas, so in order to reach out to them, resources and costs for travel are involved.
• Insufficient facilities for the long-term storage of food and perishable items for distribution.
• Reaching out to the distressed in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the total lockdown phases in 2020 and 2021, was a major challenge.

Resources Required:

• Interface with NGOs, welfare agencies, groups with large outreach and long-standing contacts with people in need.
• An existing digital database of all the people in the local community and surrounding areas covered by the outreach programs.
• A vehicle dedicated for relief work and other outreach programs.
• Provisions for buying medicines and emergency medical supplies during natural disasters.