Placement Data Released by Many Universities are Manipulated: JKLU VC

JK Lakshmipat University's Vice-Chancellor Professor Dheeraj Sanghi has been a professor of Computer Science at IIT Kanpur for 28 years. With his ongoing role as JKLU's VC for the last three years, he has witnessed infrastructural development, placement assistance and academic evolution at the university. Read the exclusive JKLU VC interview with Shiksha.com about admission, examination, scholarships and placement cell here.

Prof Sanghi: Certainly we are trying to cater to, like services or infrastructure and this is an ongoing process. And obviously, we want to keep doing better and better. For example, in engineering, we have this very unique student mobility program with our students going to IIT for one semester. We are also talking to some more universities outside to expand the possibilities for our students as much as possible. In terms of infrastructure, we have a new hospital. Similarly, in terms of BBA, we are planning to have a JKLU BBA general programme. I mean, right now we have all the BBA programs only with specialization. So there is a demand for BBA without specialization. I think we are going to probably offer that next year. 

Q. What entrance examination scores does JK Lakshmipat University accept for admission to UG/PG courses at the university?

Prof Sanghi: Basically, we have an entrance exam for design only. However, JEE Main scores are accepted for engineering course admission while CUET scores are accepted for other courses at the university. 

Q. What is the flagship programme at JKLU Jaipur?

Prof Sanghi: The design programme at the university is very unique, and probably is the best in the country.  The most important thing in design admission is their portfolio. So we do have a design mission test, which is only to get there. And of course, we want to make sure that the draft you have done and not someone else. Therefore, there is an interview process in which even less than 50% of people pass. I mean, if you have done anything creative and you can explain what you have done, you are admitted. 

Q. Does JK Lakshmipat University offer any financial assistance for students?

Prof Sanghi: Yes, if you look at our scholarships, they are extremely liberal. I don't think there is any university in this country that offers more scholarships than us in terms of the quantum of scholarships as well as the number of scholarships. Now, by and large, almost all scholarships are based on merit. We return almost 30% of our tuition fee as scholarships. This number for most private universities would be three or 4% in our case, it is 33%. 

Q. Tell us about JKLU ‘My City, My Lab’ Ideathon

Prof Sanghi: Students anywhere in the country can give suggestions on how the sustainability goals of the UN have the GS, and any of those goals can be addressed. By participating in this ideathon, they can give a suggestion like this.

Q. Does the university have a placement assistance facility?

Prof Sanghi: Of course, we have an Incubation Center, which conducts a lot of workshops for students. Anybody amongst our students who want to have a startup, the upper Incubation Center will provide all support to them. Similarly, we have an Office of International Affairs that keeps getting visitors from different places, who can talk about education abroad, similarly. The next thing is, we have two people who will advise on gate preparation. Our engineering faculty, for example, that they take GATE classes in, you know, after office hours. So we are telling every student that you should seriously think about M Tech PhD within India also. So, you know, so higher education, entrepreneurship as well as you know, this job, all three are equally focused.

Q. Tell us about JKLU placements.

Prof Sanghi: Our placement numbers are good. But see what happens is, for example, our median package in engineering is seven lakhs, and this is based on almost 95% placement. And when I say 95% placement, I don't remove anybody with like 5.5 or others who mostly play all kinds of games. Now, the problem in this placement figure in general is 4 lakhs.  Because today, if you see any engineering program, the median is not more than four lakhs, because they are all dependent upon the bulk recruiters, the info, HCl, and so on and so forth. Many universities manipulate their placement data by not including the students who have rejected the offer. 

Q. How do the universities manipulate placement data?

Prof Sanghi: See, for example, I have 100 students. Now, what the university will do is they will say the number of eligible students is only 70. Okay, because somebody has less than 60% and 12, somebody has less than 60 GPA and so on. Out of 70, let's say 50 people got a job, and 20 of them got two jobs. Okay, a total of 70 jobs they have got. Most universities will say we have 100% placement, 70 students, 70 jobs. But in fact, the remaining students who remain unemployed are not counted. Secondly, many universities add a stability bonus, which is supposed to be given after two years to the students, in their initial CTC to increase the median salary package for the university, which is a highly unethical practice to befool students and their parents. 

Read more:

• IGNOU Admission Last Date 2024 Extended @ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in; Know Deadline to Apply Online
• DUSU Polls 2024: 87 Nominations Filed for Four Posts; Elections on September 27