National Institute of Technology, Patna, would host its fifth convocation this Saturday.
Former Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cha-irman D.P. Agarwal will be the chief guest at the function where around 700 students would get their degrees. NIT-Patna director Asok De said on Monday: "This year, the convocation's chief guest is a technocrat who has vast experience in different fields."
Agarwal, apart from being former UPSC chairman, was also the founder director of Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior, and managing director of Educational Consultants India Ltd (EdCIL). EdCIL offers consultancy and technical services in different areas of education and human resource development.
Agarwal started his career as a faculty in the department of mechanical engineering in IIT-Delhi and later became professor and dean there.
Apart from 700 students - around 600 BTech and 100 MTech - getting degrees, toppers in every branch will get gold medals. Students excelling in extra-curricular activities will also get medals.
The NIT students are enthusiastic about the convocation. Saurav Pandey, a mechanical engineering student, said: "Convocation is a significant part in the four years' study of an engineering student, as students get their degree from distinguished guests."
Pandey, who is yet to be placed, said he had given off-campus interview at various companies. The student, who is enjoying a holiday with his family at his native village in Madhubani at present, said the other importance of attending convocation was that one gets an opportunity to meet friends and teachers. Sources said around 75 per cent of students in the passing out batch 2014-15 have been placed.
The sources said this would be the fifth consecutive year that NIT-Patna is holding its convocation. Director De has taken special interest in holding convocation every year, which was not the case before.
Bihar College of Engineering in 2004 was upgraded into NIT-Patna but the institute organised its first convocation in 2010, though the first batch from NIT Patna after getting converted from Bihar College of Engineering passed out in 2008. In 2013, the institute hosted convocation twice. At the September convocation, former President APJ Abdul Kalam was the chief guest. In last year's convocation, Sankar Kumar Pal, former director of Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, was the chief guest.
