KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, kept its impeccable placement records intact this year despite tough market conditions. Eighty-nine per cent students of the 2013 graduating batch landed jobs in various organisations. Of the total 1,848 students eligible and interested for campus placements across six streams of the varsity — engineering, computer application, biotechnology, management, rural management and law — 1,651 were placed. Many students, including 57 from engineering courses, received more than one job offer. This year, 174 companies have visited the campus so far for recruitment. At 432 job offers, Tata Consultancy Services was the top recruiter for the engineering and computer application students. However, the highest annual pay package was offered by Microsoft — Rs 16.25 lakh. The average salary hovered around Rs 3.15 lakh per annum. Other companies to have absorbed students are Intel, SAP, Tata, Accenture, CapGemini and Genpact, to name a few. On the other hand, rural management students had it big with all of them securing jobs. The highest salary that was offered was Rs 9.2 lakh. MBA candidates were screened by 45 headhunters, the maximum pay offer being made at Rs 16.13 lakh by Metafix. As many as 20 recruiters offered jobs to 74 BA LLB, BBA LLB and BSc LLB graduates. Similarly, the school of biotechnology recorded 93 per cent placements. Many more headhunters are expected to visit the campus in the coming days. Academically, too, the university made a mark with over 300 engineering graduates being selected for higher studies and research in reputed institutes in India and abroad. Of them, 250 have cleared the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. Scores of students have qualified for IIMs with many bagging admission offers from multiple IIMs. A total of 23 biotechnology students have made it to reputed national and international universities and research organisations, including seven students selected for Ph.D. programme in European and South Korean universities. Six law students have got admission into leading Indian and foreign universities, including University of London, Oxford and Cambridge, in the UK. KIIT University recently signed an agreement with Trinity College, London, to equip students here with better English language skills. The areas of cooperation would include the training of KIIT teachers, design of curriculum and assessment of students. Trinity’s expert examiners will assess the students’ proficiency in English and successful students will be awarded an internationally recognised Trinity qualification, making them eligible for pursuing higher studies in English speaking countries. The MoU will enable KIIT to become a registered centre for Trinity language examinations. Talent hunt nThe sound of ankle bells echoed in Bhanja Bhawan, Rourkela, on Tuesday night as a group of college students belonging to a local dance institute enacted a dance-drama depicting the act of goddess Durga killing demon Mahishasura, who had been granted the boon of immortality by Lord Shiva. But Durga succeeded in killing the demon king as all Gods, including Shiva, gave Her their weapons. This was one of the several performances that youth groups presented during a talent hunt organised by the Pratibha Kala Kendra, an art, music and dance academy in Rourkela, on June 11. The event held ahead of the three-day Raja festival that commences from Friday saw an array of classical, contemporary, Western as well as fusion dance performances. At the end of the show, certificates and prizes were distributed to the winners. Waste bane nSpeakers expressed concern over the huge generation of e-waste in the country at a daylong seminar at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), Bhubaneswar. “E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. A survey conducted in 2007 found that over 3,00,000 tonnes e-waste was generated in India, which is expected to touch 8,00,000 tonnes in 2013,” said member secretary of State Pollution Control Board L.K. Tiwari at the “Management and Handling of e-waste” seminar. He said about 19,000 tonnes of e-waste, which included various kinds of electronic gadgets such as computers, mobile phones, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators and various other equipment, was recycled. About 95 per cent of this was done in the unorganised sector and people working in those areas were exposed to various hazards including radiation. Tiwari added that the guidelines issued by Central Pollution Control Board for environmentally sound e-waste management suggested principles of producer responsibility and reduction of hazardous substances. Senior scientist of the ministry of environment and forests N.L.N.S. Prasad said 65 cities in India contributed for more than 60 per cent of the e-waste generated in the country. “Generally we don’t want to throw away anything. We have a mind to procure more. The best way to handle these gadgets will be through the manufacturers who should take back the used articles,” he said. Love for greenery nThe Balasore Art and Craft College sought to raise environment awareness by organising a drawing competition for school children in association with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach)-Balasore chapter. The event was held on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5. Around 80 students from various schools, who were categorised under different groups, projected diverse ideas and thoughts on flora and fauna. Some of them wrote catchy captions to accentuate their artwork while others relied on vivid sketches to spread a loud and clear messages on environment consciousness. The six best drawings were awarded. Intach-Balasore convener Himansu Das urged all participants to plant one sapling in their area and look after it. Driems-Industrial Training Centre, Cuttack, also observed the day by organising a “Save Environment and Role of Students” seminar. Driems has also bagged the ‘Prakrutimitra’ and ‘Prakutibandhu’ awards constituted by the state forest and environment department for massive plantation and maintaining pollution free environment on the campus and adjourning areas. Offers too many nIt was a tough choice for Ganeswar Miniaka, a B.Com graduate of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (Kiss), Bhubaneswar, but he has decided to head to IIM-Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Ganeswar, who hails from Rayagada district, got six IIM calls, including those from IIM-Ranchi, IIM-Raipur, IIM-Kashipur (Uttrakhand) and IIM-Udaipur after clearing the rigorous Common Admission Test last year. He had secured a second division in Class X and then 68 per cent marks in Class XII. He passed Plus Three commerce with first class marks plus a distinction from Kiss.