Mr. Saswat Rajowar is the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Scholars Institute of Technology and Management. A graduate of Jorhat Engineering College, he holds a B.Tech. degree and an M.Tech. degree from Tezpur University. Mr. Rajowar is a highly experienced individual, having served three to five years in academia teaching in different institutes.

Scholars Institute of Technology and Management

Being a part of Scholar's Institute of Management and Technology, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

Being the HOD of the department, I need to look at the curriculum of the department, mentor the students and solve their queries. Furthermore, I provide an incite knowledge of the courses and take technical sessions to clear out the doubts and queries of the students. I also use my capacity as HOD to conduct and look into the exam-related matters of the institution.

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

Mechanical engineering is a versatile field that offers many career opportunities. Students can work in the research and development of any industry. Moreover, they can build their careers as design engineers, production engineers, industrial engineers, manufacturing engineers, and maintenance engineers. Our graduates also work as automobile engineers and as quality control engineers for mechanical systems.

What do you see as the department’s greatest strengths and how it can be enhanced?

Our greatest strength is that we focus on building up key skills for mechanical engineers. We train our students to have excellent technical skills, including computer-aid design experience. Our students are able to work under pressure and have problem-solving skills. They also learn how to exercise their creative bones by working on different projects, case studies and more.

How does the curriculum of Scholar's Institute of Management and Technology ensure the best practice of the industry?

At our institute, faculty members are carrying out cutting-edge research and new innovations and have strong relationships with students. The curriculum has been designed with a specific focus on the learning of concepts properly and implementing them with relevance to real-world problems. Proper labs have been set up for the students to learn the architecture of the domain and implement it in the field. Regular assignments and case-based projects are assigned to students to get an overview of their understanding of the topic.

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When you came to the Institute, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

As a young assistant professor, I was trying to upgrade my learning skills and my teaching abilities for my students when I first joined the institute. I wanted to contribute to the teaching and success of my students. During this journey, not only have I grown to take the position of head of the department but also my students have grown to become engineers.

What are the challenges you faced/ are facing to uplift the quality of education of your Institution?

Our biggest challenge has been adapting to technological advancements as technology changes every day and incorporating them becomes necessary for the success of the students. We are also looking to balance the cost and performance of any and all activities. Being sustainable and meeting environmental sustainability goals is crucial for us to maintain our present resources for the next generation.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real world challenges?

We focus on inviting resource persons to provide hands-on training in technologies required in the domain and conduct extracurricular activities. We do these to make the students experience the challenges relevant to the real work. Workshops and guest lectures on CFD, CAD modelling, FEA analysis, Python programming, and drone technologies are being organised to make the students familiar with the current industry needs. Apart from this, different cultural activities, technical fest, and sports competitions at the inter-school and inter-college levels are being organised each year. This helps to motivate the students and upgrade their skills in academics, professional and extra-curricular activities.

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

Students are given extra classes for competitive exams such as GATE and UPSC-ESE. Collaboration is being done with various organisations, such as Tatastrive, to conduct skill development programs and courses to uplift the knowledge of the students. Students are motivated to take new courses from NPTEL and Coursera so that they can gain extra knowledge apart from their regular teaching.

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What are your views upon the placements and higher education about the students from your institution or How does the institution prepare students for Higher education?

To get into a good private or government job, one should have a strong grip on core mechanical subjects like fluid mechanics, strength of materials, thermodynamics, fabrication of materials and engineering mechanics. It is also necessary to prepare students through mock aptitude tests and technical sessions to train them. We also organise mock drives to prepare the students for placements, which also help them for competitive exams.

How do you strategize the curriculum and how often it gets updated to make it befitting for the students?

In every new session, we have routine curriculum updates done. We do this in consultation with industry experts and feedback from our students and alumni members. This is a crucial step for the betterment of the students. We can ensure teaching and learning are done according to the learning outcomes, program outcomes and course outcomes.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students that help them gain necessary skills?

At our institute, every single student is given personal attention and they get the best education. We make sure that doors will open for them through the Microsoft Edu-Cloud and UPGRADE campuses. Furthermore, the institute emphasises hands-on skill activities such as industrial internships, skill programs, laboratory activities, industrial visits, and online and offline workshops. This will help guide the students to comprehend the dynamics and workings of the industries and the skills required to work in them.