It was a day of mixed emotions as the National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Patna administration on Sunday bid adieu to their outgoing director Asok De, while welcoming the new director in-charge Rajeev Tripathi.

Many faculty members and members of the alumni association were visibly emotional while giving a farewell to De whom they remembered as bringing a turnaround at NIT, especially in creating and developing infrastructure facilities in state's oldest engineering college.

De, appointed director in July 24, 2012, carried out a massive infrastructure strengthening. It was during his tenure that the tech cradle built various hostel blocks and a students' activity centre. A playground and accommodation facilities for teaching and non-teaching staff were created as well. On the occasion, the Bihar College of Engineering-National Institute of Engineering (BCE-NIT) alumni association organised a farewell-cum-welcome party for the outgoing and incoming directors. The function was attended by Ravi Shankar Sinha, president, BCE-NIT, secretary Girish K. Choudhary and treasurer Santosh Kumar.

De said: "During my five-year stint as director, I tried to create infrastructure facilities. In some areas I have attained success, while in a few sectors where the work is pending, I am hopeful that the new director Rajeev Tripathi will carry forward my work."

Tripathi, director, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, has been given the additional charge of NIT-Patna. Sources said some of the work that have been carried out at NIT-Patna include G+10 hostel blocks for boys, new hostel blocks for girls, renovated buildings, 93 quarters for teaching and non-teaching staff, a 25-bed guest house with four suites, extension of electronics and electrical branch building and others.

Pleased with the NIT-Patna infrastructure, Tripathi said: "Five years back I visited NIT-Patna and wondered why the Union government gave it an NIT status as it lacked basic infrastructure facilities. But today, I am seeing that there has been a turnaround owing to De's efforts."

Sanjay Sinha, a faculty of the civil engineering department, said: "We have learnt a lot from our outgoing director. Five years back when De Sir was appointed director, the institute lacked basic infrastructure facilities but it was owing to his zeal and devotion that today our institute's infrastructure is no less than any other institute's."

In academics too, it was the initiative of De that all five undergraduate and five MTech courses got affiliated from the National Board of Accreditation. Before the accreditation, students passing out of NIT had to appear in a separate test conducted by foreign universities for admission but after the accreditation, the NIT degree was globally recognised.

Under De's initiative, NIT-Patna opened five-year integrated MSc programme in physics, chemistry and mathematics. De was also popular among students as there was hardly any demonstration against the college.

Dhiraj Lal, a third-year BTech student, said: "It was under De's initiative that the institute inked a deal with the British Council, India, to impart soft skills. Students are given spoken English and other personality development coaching. The initiative is helpful for student from rural backgrounds."

Sources said despite many works carried out by De, he has failed to develop a permanent campus at Bihta.

Last year, the state government had given land to NIT but the construction work of the new campus is yet to start.