Dr.Kshama Paithankar is the HOD at Shri Vaishnav Institute of Management. She completed her 12th (Higher mathematics) from the MP Board of Secondary Education in 1988 with distinction. She obtained B. Sc. (Maths) from Motilal Vigyan Adarsh Mahavidyalaya, Bhopal in 1991 with First division. Further, she holds MCA & Ph.D (Computer Science) degrees as well. She is a Programme Evaluator/ Assessor in the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), AICTE Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and an impaneled expert at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

She has a total of 28 years of teaching experience. She has published many research papers in National/ International conferences and journals. She received the award for teaching excellence given by the All India Association for Information Technology (AIAIT), in the year 2007. She has been appointed as Examiner for Ph.D. degree Defense Viva/Voce at Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur and a Member of the Board of Studies (Computer Science and Information Technology) at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), Indore. Her areas of interest include Human-Computer Interaction, Usability Engineering, Software Engineering, Operating Systems, System Analysis and Design and Computer Architecture.

Shri Vaishnav Institute of Management

Being the HOD, what are your responsibilities towards the students?

Being the HOD I have to work in line with the vision and mission of the institution. My responsibility is to provide the best to the students and faculty because there has to be harmony between the faculty members and students. I encourage the faculty to be committed and dedicated to providing quality education and imparting knowledge to the students. I believe this is my major responsibility to maintain a disciplined environment that will always flourish student's education.

How does the curriculum of your college ensure best practices?

Our institute is affiliated to two different universities. In the Department of Computer Science, we are offering different programs at the UG level and PG levels. At the undergraduate level, we are offering a BCA and BSc in Computer Science. From this year onwards, we are offering BSc Microbiology, BSc Biotechnology and BSc Bioinformatics and we also have PG programs that include Master of Computer Applications, Master in Computer Science and Master in Bioinformatics. So, out of these different programs, Master of Computer Applications is affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal which is one of the technical universities of Madhya Pradesh and the other remaining programs are affiliated to Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya Indore. So basically we follow the prescribed syllabus of both the universities. Because of the rapid changes in the field of computer science, we are sticking to providing the same content in our syllabus. We believe that it is the institute's responsibility to offer updated knowledge to students. Our institute is conducting various workshops, seminars and training programs, and for that, we have also signed MOUs with many different organizations.

According to you what skill set a student should possess to be employable in the market?

After the COVID-19 pandemic, people have developed knowledge of the importance of technology and emerging MNCs. In today’s world, IT is playing a very important role. Even a non-computer background person should be aware of IT because of many online platforms and digitalization. We are trying to provide everything to the students in our institute so that we can make them industry-ready. So, for that reason the companies with whom we have signed the MOUs are organizing different programs for the students along with that we are encouraging freshers to get into any organization So, for that students have to go through a certain defined procedure to get into final placement. Initially, students need to work on the aptitude part, the reasoning part, quantitative aptitude and soft and communication skills. They also need to work on the interview part on how to present themselves. So, from that point of view, we have designed some programs at our institute. Our placement cell is working hand in hand with the department and we are providing the training to the students in a systematic manner.

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What are some of the biggest challenges you see for higher education in general?

Keeping pace with rapid technological changes and ensuring that the curriculum remains up-to-date is a constant challenge. It’s important to adapt to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity. The shift towards online and remote learning, especially in the wake of global events, has required institutions to invest in robust e-learning infrastructure and develop effective online teaching methodologies. Establishing strong ties with the tech industry for internships, research projects, and job placements is crucial but can be challenging due to changing industry needs. Preparing students for a global job market and fostering international collaborations is essential. This requires curriculum adjustments and international partnerships.

Having held an important position in your college, you must have had some important lessons to give to the students. Would you like to share some of such lessons?

As we know this generation is very smart, they are grasping very fast. But most of the time they live in the virtual world and sometimes are fascinated and influenced by social media because they spend most of their time on social media. So, my suggestion and my appeal to these students is that they should get out of their fantasy world and get back to the real world. They should try to understand the challenges and seek opportunities. Every individual should understand, verify and validate the things before blindly following them. Students should use technology to excel in the competitive and professional world.