Dr. Ramesh Dara is the Principal of the Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology. He has experience of over 25 years in teaching, research and the industry out of which he has been serving as a Principal for 12 years. He completed his PhD from IIT Madras in 2005 and his Master of Engineering from PSG College of Engineering Coimbatore. Dr. Ramesh’s research area is Fatigue, Friction and Tribology on which he published papers in several peer reviewed National and International journals. He guided students from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate levels. Additionally, he cracked the GATE exam twice in 1996 and 1997 and he has published books as well for undergraduate students.

Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology

What is the latest program that you are offering on campus to help students outperform and stand apart from the crowd?

VCET College offers courses in Emerging Technologies in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Science, and Computer Science and Engineering. Apart from the latest technologies, the college offers conventional undergraduate courses like Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering. VCET also offers PG programmes in subjects like Computer Science and Engineering, Embedded systems, and MBA. For the MBA course, we offer specialisations like Finance, Marketing, Systems, IT, and Logistics.

What are the factors that make this program best for the students to opt in Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology?

The college focuses on student-centric learning processes like skill development, experimental learning, and ICT-based learning. We also offer hand on experience in real-time application, project-based learning, and CRT programmes exclusively for undergraduate students. We focus 100% on the training and Placement of our students through regular campus recruitment, virtual drives, and Telangana Academic Skill and Knowledge (TASK). We also have co-curricular and extracurricular activities, internships, sports, games, workshops, NPTEL certification, and hackathons.

What would you say are the best practices in the course you’re offering on campus?

The inclusion of best practises at our institution has helped raise the level of instruction and learning. The educational tactics, initiatives, and procedures used by our institute to make sure that every student gets the most out of their time learning. Some best practises followed by us are a focus on collaborative learning, support for critical and design thinking skills, and promoting and encouraging student club activities. We also put due focus on campus recruitment training, real-time projects, and internships. College and Industrial Relations are also important aspects of the programme, where we offer field visits, active learning, technical seminars, tutorials, remedial classes, case studies, flip learning, industry-institution interactions, and debate /elocution activities.

What are some valuable insights of the program that is offered at Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology?

We try to enhance the creativity of the students through designing skills. Our institute is conducting a value-added course for students with the same goal. Our techno-cultural fest is organised to develop team spirit and organisational skills among the students. Knowledge sharing between students is fundamental for successful innovation. Guest lectures, seminars, workshops, and training programmes by industry experts provide awareness to the students on the latest technologies and trends adopted in the industries. Educating students in different fields and helping them build their skills is our primary goal.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

Engineering requires a lot of hard work, but it’s also one of the most rewarding careers. Applying mathematical and scientific ideas to solve issues is what engineering is all about. Engineers study, create, and improve methods in a variety of industries, such as electronics, transportation, and medicine. You need imagination and the capacity to see beyond what has already been done to do this. Engineering offers a large variety of specialisations and sectors to choose from. We provide countless employment prospects to develop a successful career. A specialisation in engineering will increase your income and position. You can explore many diverse, fascinating employment opportunities within the sector to switch up your work and keep your professional spirits high. One of the major advantages of studying engineering is getting access to a variety of professional prospects.

Check Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology Placement

How did you train yourself/faculty to deliver this program to the students?

Our institute encourages faculty members to attend Pedagogy Training, Faculty Development Programs, Workshops, Seminars, Conferences, and NPTEL courses. These are aimed at providing training in emerging technology to enhance their teaching skills. Furthermore, the institute also has MoUs with reputed industries with the objective of training the faculty members who further train the students in due course at the institute.

What were the challenges that you faced while inculcating this program in your curriculum?

The study of curriculum and instruction has received a lot of attention. However, factors like developing technologies, industry needs, and the understanding level of students are also important in curriculum design. The curriculum needs to be updated regularly with the latest trends and knowledge in the industry. For this, we need to interact with experts and professionals and get their feedback, which is a challenge for us, but we are working on it.

What are the types of projects that students are working on through this program?

Our institute has implemented two types of projects, a mini and a main project for all the students. We tie up with different industries to offer real-time projects to students in their studies. Major projects give students the opportunity to formulate their own inquiries about a subject, gather, arrange, assess, come to conclusions, and communicate their findings via presentations and explanations. Students may convey the findings of their research in a variety of ways, like by publishing a paper, creating a model, giving oral presentations or simulations, or designing physical objects. Depending on their interests, students will occasionally choose their own project ideas, while other times, mini projects will be centered around particular academic subjects being covered in class. Major projects are frequently seen as long-term pursuits, yet some inquiry projects can be completed in just a few weeks if enough time is given to them each day.

What are the benefits and career options after pursuing this course in Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Technology?

A student's life is a crucial period that includes an important decision, career selection. It affects a variety of choices that they make regarding their careers. The choice of a subject, university, institution, company, and work description depends on the career one decides to pursue. When you have a background in computers, it shows that you have a strong foundation of computer knowledge, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Since one of the businesses with the highest current growth is computer science and engineering. There are many career opportunities in this field. A career in computer science and engineering is a wise choice given the burgeoning IT industry. There is a big demand for qualified workers across all industries. Computer science engineering students can work as Computer Technical Support Specialists, Software Developers, Business Intelligence (BI) Analysts, Web Developers, Software Quality Assurance (QA) Testers, Information Security Analysts, and Technical Writers.