NIT Srinagar attempts to rebuild relationship among student community

NEW DELHI: With tempers finally cooling down at National Institute of Technology in Srinagar and all students having taken their exams, the institute is making an attempt to help rebuild the campus environment that came under serious strain after a conflict between outstation and Kashmiri students over cheering against the Indian cricket team.

Coming up this month are the NIT Srinagar Global Alumni meet and an international conference it is co-hosting with Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. The first of the major exercises to rebuild the relationship among the student community will be the Global Alumni meet on May 22-23. More than 200 alumni are expected to touch down at the campus for the meet, which is being actively organised by all student groups at the institute.

To be opened at the Nigeen Club at Hazrtabal, Srinagar, the alumni meet will also involve a visit to the old NIT campus at Naseem Bagh, followed by student and alumni interactions and department wise interactions with noted alumni for better career guidance to students. “The idea is to normalise things on campus,” said an authority at the institute.

“There has been friction and unfortunate animosity among student groups and it is strongly felt that this issue needs to be addressed on priority. Over 1,400 students had left the campus as well. With all students having returned to campus and the exams having been held peacefully, things are getting back on track and we hope to improve it further as also advised by the HRD ministry, hence greater focus on both academics as well as student engagement exercises which will be beneficial to all.”

The academic focus is already being reinforced with an address given by the IIT-Kharagpur director last week. From May 25 to 29, NIT-Srinagar will be co-hosting with IIT-Kanpur an International Conference on “Nanotechnology for Better Living” NBL - 2016. To be hosted at the picturesque campus of the Sher-e-Kashmir University, it aims to bring wellknown national and international scientists to share knowledge in the emerging area of nanoscience.

The conference is expected to see 20 plenary talks of Nobel laureates and distinguished scientists, besides 80 speeches by well-known global academicians. Meanwhile, waking up to the dangers posed by recent incidents across various campuses from Hyderabad University to JNU and NIT-Srinagar, the human resources development ministry is looking at ways to sensitise the academic leadership across institutes.

Following the Srinagar controversy, it is expected that a workshop or refresher course may be held for NIT directors in New Delhi to generate awareness on various aspects and also to advise them to be better informed about the activities and sentiments on campus. With nine new NIT directors soon to be appointed and another 12 new appointments expected later, all new directors are likely to be sensitised on the issue.