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Very warmly greeted by the present Director, Dr.R.P.Sharma. It was a
pleasant surprise to find a computer installed in Director's Office. I
congratulated him but looked like the computer was not being put to
widespread use. About the internet connection, I was informed that
except Electronics Dept, all have dial-up connection only and they are
fed up with slow and erratic connectivity. The ERNET connection in
Electronics Dept is not catering to others due to absence of fiber cable
network. I suggested for broadband internet connection recently launched
by BSNL.
I talked to Dr.U.K.Dey, HOD(Mining) about ODC Help which we had
started. He expressed his inability to continue with the ODC Help due to
non-availability of internet connection.
Visited Met Engg Dept on 3rd Jan at 3.30 PM. No teacher was available
in the Dept. Some of the non-teaching staff were enjoying sun and gossip
outside. I was informed that Dr.Uday Sinha Computer Application
Laboratory (started with financial assistance from BIT Alumni
Association of North America, now having over 30 computers and a server)
remains virtually closed all the time. Dr.Rameshwar Prasad, HOD(Met Engg)
was out of station and not available for comments. Since it was an
alumni project, we need to look into the problem and work out strategy
so that the staff and students are able to avail the lab facility.
 The
student intake capacity of the institute has been increased from 370 to 680
with effect from 2004-05 session. Staff appointment by Govt is said to
be in progress, but nobody was sure how much time it will take. Keeping
in view the increase in intake of students, five new hostels (4 Boys'
hostels and 1 Girls' hostel each of 100 seat capacity) are being
constructed. Boys' hostels are 4-seated and are being constructed by the
side of hostel nos.10 and 11. Girls' hostel is just the same as the
existing Girls' hostel and is being constructed just in front of the
existing Girls' hostel. Prof S.K.Sinha, who is also the Sr.
Administrative Officer, took me to the construction site where the work
was going on in full swing. You can see here the on going construction
work of Boys' hostel.
 A
CAD-CAM Laboratory has been setup in the Mech Engg Dept at a cost of
Rs.50 lakh. The Lab has 35 PCs and a server with installed prestigious
software DELCAM with Power Shaper & Power Milling and PS Exchange. A
glimpse of CAD-CAM lab is shown in the adjoining photo. A Computer Lab
with 10 PCs and a server has also been setup in Civil Engg Dept.
Under the Technical Education Quality Improvement Program, financed and
supported by World Bank, the institute has been granted about Rs.14
crore for the promotion of academic excellence through campus wide
networking, equipments, books, journals, research, development &
consultancy, faculty & staff development, interaction with
industries, community services etc. The work has started in full swing
and I was impressed to see a full fledged office setup in the
administrative building for the World Bank Project. The teachers and
other staff seemed to work very sincerely for the project
implementation.
 The
new Central Library is now fully furnished and operational with lift,
furniture etc and all the books have been transferred from the old
library (V E Hall). This new library building is situated behind the
administrative building by the side of V E Hall. The central library
building can be seen in the adjoining photograph. The old V E Hall is
proposed to be converted into a fully furnished Conference/Seminar Hall
fitted with necessary audio-visual gadgets.
Upon
enquiry about the functioning of the Governing Body of the institute, it
came out that the last meeting of the GB was held in 1994. The last GB
was constituted several years before that. The Commissioner of
Chhotanagpur (North) Division is the ex-officio Chairman of the GB.
Presently, the role of the Chairman of GB has become just a ritual to
approve the list of holidays prepared by the institute or to approve any
disciplinary action taken by the institute against any student. The GB
appears to have no role in the planning and management. I wonder why the
GB of the institute has not been constituted for several decades and why
the GB Chairman is an IAS and not a top industrialist.
I could
not meet Dr.G.Kumar, Training and Placement Officer, as he was out of
station. Talking across the various sections, students, staff and
faculty, I realized that in spite of so many good things happening, most
people looked dissatisfied and critical to each other. I left BIT Sindri
on 5th morning wondering "What ails BIT Sindri?".
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