Soon To Be Cherished Memories

Personally, the BTech course followed all over India is quite outdated. Courses like Mechanical Workshop, where a CSE grad has no conceivable scope, are yet forced upon the students. There's a need to put personal effort in learning all the essential and relevant topics by ourselves using all resources but the ones provided by the college and it's curriculum. While there has been a big improvement in CSE course, where relevant practice sheets are being handed to prepare students industrially, what brings it down is the inclusion of the said unnecessary courses. And this not a college level issue, rather the Government needs to update the policies.

The B.Tech first semester fee structure for the 2024 admission batch varies depending on the category and annual family income: SC/ST/PUB students: The total fee for the first session is ?38,000. Tuition is waived. and the fees include development fee (?3,000), archive fee (?1,000), student relief fund (?1,000), admission fee (?1,000), library fee (?500) and other components such as IT, system fee, gymkhana fee and Medical expenses General/OBC including annual family income < ?1 lakh: The fee is ?58,833 per semester. Tuition fees are also exempt. But other fees, including a refundable reminder fee (?20,000 combined) also apply. Typical Income/OBC between ?1-5 Lakh: Total fees are ?58,833 per semester. Includes partial tuition of ?20,833 and other standard fees. Income > ?5 Lakhs Total General/OBC: The fee is ?1,00,500 and the full tuition is ?62,500, which is the highest among all categories. Full tuition fee Assuming there are no fee increases: SC/ST/PwD: ~?1,52,000 (?38,000/year) General/OBC (< ?1 Lakh): ~?2,35,332 (?58,833/year) General/OBC (?1-5 Lakh): ~?3,58,664 (?89,666/year) General/OBC (> ?5 Lakh): ~?6,04,000 (?1,51,000/year) This does not include the refundable reminder fee (?20,000) as it will be refunded after completion of the course. Scholarships and Financial Aid Merit-cum-Means Scholarship For general/OBC students with income < ?5 lakh with partial or full tuition fees. SC/ST Scholarship: Covers full fees including dormitory fees through a government program. National Scholarship Portal (NSP): There are several federal and state level scholarships available. Private Scholarships: Corporate and privately funded aid is available to deserving or economically disadvantaged students. These scholarships provide financial support. This is especially true for low-income and high-performing students.

NIT Silchar has a vibrant campus life with a blend of academics, cultural diversity and extracurricular activities. Socialising and networking is an essential part of student life here, made possible by various events, clubs and infrastructure. The institute has many prominent annual festivals. Incandescence is the cultural festival held in February and has talent shows in music, dance and drama. Tecnoesis is the technical festival in October which has hackathons, coding competitions and technical workshops where students can learn and innovate. These events bring the students together to create a collaborative environment and provide scope for creativity and learning. The library at NIT Silchar has a vast collection of books, journals and research papers across all disciplines. It has both physical and digital resources and has access to online databases like IEEE and Springer. The extended hours during exam periods allow students to make full use of these resources for their studies and projects. Classroom infrastructure is modern with smart boards, projectors and high speed internet. Most classrooms are air conditioned and designed for interactive learning. Labs are well maintained and equipped with latest technology to support practical sessions and research work. Extracurricular activities is the essence of campus life. There are provisions for cricket, football, basketball, badminton and other sports and a gym and a dedicated sports complex. Annual sports and inter college tournaments make students physically fit and bond together. NIT Silchar has many student run clubs and societies that cater to various interests. These include Literary and Debating Club, Music and Dance Club and technical clubs like CodeChef Chapter and Robotics Club. E-Cell supports entrepreneurship by hosting events like Shark Tank to encourage innovation. These groups give students a platform to pursue their interests, gain leadership experience and make lifelong friends.

Hostel facilities at NIT Silchar are average. Rooms have basic amenities like study table, chair, cupboard and bed for each student. But the condition of the rooms varies; some have been recently painted and renovated while some are in a bad state with old and worn out walls and infrastructure. Bathrooms and common areas are shared and are maintained regularly but issues can arise during peak hours. Mess charges and commodity fees is ?22,500 per semester. Meals are a hit and miss. Breakfast is manageable for first year students, has parathas, bread and boiled eggs. Lunch is the most disappointing, poorly prepared and lacks taste and nutrition. Dinner is more satisfying, has chicken, fish or paneer dishes. Evening snacks are served daily and has a weekly rotation, has noodles, samosas, pasta or koftas. Sundays are a treat, has special dinner menu with paneer gravies, dal makhani, puri, pulao, juice and gulab jamun. Last Sunday of the month is a grand feast, has ice creams, milkshakes and custards in the menu, is a highly awaited event. Hostel registration is easy, rooms are allocated during admission. Fees are reasonable but the condition of rooms varies. But still it’s a good option for students, has basic amenities and a sense of community. Despite the flaws, hostel life is made more enjoyable by Sunday feasts and late night bonding with friends.

I chose NIT Silchar as it was the best possible option for me as I was getting the CSE branch here. I had a preference for the said branch an was willing to take it in any college. Obviously I would have preferred it in any of the IITs but my rank (17k) only availed me branches like Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering etc. Other than that I would have preferred NIT K, NIT T, NIT R CSE but being a General, make category, a percentile of 99.15 (13,200 AIR) will fetch you NIT Silchar. All of the said colleges accept admission through JEE Mains ( all the NITs) and GATE. Lack of confidence in getting the CSE branch in an IIT stopped me from preparing for it seriously and JEE Mains being an exam where shift wise cutoffs, rank inflation and exam's difficulty level being not consistent in all shifts, all led to me in landing at NIT Silchar. I feel infrastrucurally, NIT Silchar is one of the better colleges, for it being college of National Importantance, and host to Inter NIT Sports Competition. Only difference arrises in the crowd of people and peers entering the college, and I can agree that aforementioned colleges have generally a better , more bright and enthusiastic batch of students entering into them.

Faculties assigned for the theoretical courses are are up to the mark. Some times their pace might be a tad too fast but they provide with sufficient materials to do well in the tests. Meanwhile the same can't be said about the teachers in Lab Classes. Lack of consistency in quality teachers, not covering relevant topics are some of the few reasons that make Labs feel like a chore. Faculty to student ratio is good, as each branch has been divided further into two sections, with each section having their own separate teachers. Talking about exams, there is Mid Semester Exam (which is of 30 marks) and End Semester Exams (which is of 50 marks), with minors (which is of 10 or 20 marks) being constantly held anytime after the Mid Semester exam. Out of these, End Semester exams carry the highest weightage. Other than that , there are marks for attendance ( which will be awarded out of 10) and assignments as well, all depending the teacher whether they will conduct minors or take assignments.

I did not face any Group Discussion, Interview, or Written Test for admission to NIT Silchar. My admission was based entirely on my performance in the JEE Mains examination, which is the standard entrance test for most NITs. The process involved registering through the JoSAA counseling portal,where seat allocation was done based on my JEE rank, preferences, and category. Since there were no additional rounds like interviews or group discussions, my focus was solely on preparing for JEE Mains. I concentrated on mastering the core subjects—Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics—using standard textbooks and practice papers. Time management and consistent revision played key roles in my preparation. For those interested in securing admission, it is essential to perform well in JEE Mains, as it is the primary criterion. Factors like All India Rank (AIR), category rank, and the opening and closing ranks for the desired branch at NIT Silchar determine the final selection.

NIT Silchar nightlife is a mix of chill and happening, students find ways to unwind after classes. The campus doesn’t have a party scene but the serene and green environment becomes peaceful and mystical at night. During winters the campus becomes a foggy paradise and nighttime walks feel magical. The campus facilities like gym, library and cafeterias have fixed timings. Gym closes by 9 PM, library is open till 5 PM. Hostels have an entry curfew of 9 PM to ensure student safety and still provide enough time for activities. Common areas in hostels become the hubs for casual chats, music sessions or group discussions. Just outside the campus there’s a famous cholle puri spot which is open till late night and serves coffee too. It’s a favorite among students for a quick bite or coffee during late night study breaks.