Sunday 23 November 2014

Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Matunga

Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Matunga
Note: VJTI, Matunga is an autonomous institute affiliated to Mumbai University

Location:
Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, popular as VJTI, is an esteemed autonomous government engineering institute located in central Mumbai. It is just a 5 minute drive or 12-15 minute walk from Dadar (W. Rly & C. Rly.), Matunga (C. Rly.), Wadala (Harbour Rly.) and King’s Circle (Harbour Rly.) stations. Number of BEST buses plying from all parts of Mumbai is also a good option to reach the college.



Infrastructure:
The campus of VJTI is huge, one might even get lost initially. Lots of open space, a cricket and a football field, tennis courts and basketball court are available for recreational activities. However the buildings being old, the classrooms and the labs are not places you’ll enjoy being in. “You’ll get baked to death in the heat during the summers”, says a second year Mechanical student. Many instruments in labs are old which often fail to function properly. You can access internet from computer labs whenever you wish. Wi-Fi connectivity has been promised but not been installed yet.

Hostel facilities are available but are pretty old and obsolete. Twin or triple sharing rooms are usually not clean. Washrooms in the hostels as well as college invariably stink.



Fees:
Rs. 54,000/year for General category; much less for Reserved categories.



Faculties:
“Faculty of the Civil branch is excellent”, says a final year student. Departments like Information Technology and Mechanical have excellent teachers. There is a lot of room for research work in these departments. Above average teaching in other branches, but you cannot expect more from professors of a government engineering institute. However, the importance of professors is much more here because of its autonomous nature. Many times the questions asked in the final exams are straight from the professors’ notes. Many experienced faculties have retired in the recent past and the new appointees do not match them in knowledge, qualifications or experience. However, they make up for all these with their enthusiasm and friendly nature.





Placements:
Placements at VJTI are certainly top notch. The college has consistently maintained the cent percent streak for most of the department. The name of the institute and its legacy are enough to get excellent placements, perhaps the best in Mumbai after IIT-B. Multinational companies like Microsoft (16 lpa), Google (19.95 lpa), Goldman Sachs, Oracle, Morgan Stanely, Yahoo and Deloitte also place a few students sometimes. Amongst mass recruiters Infosys, L&T and Cognizant tops the chart. Average salary is around 3.5 lakhs p.a. Special thing about placements here is that core engineering branches of Civil, Mechanical & Electrical don’t have to compromise by taking up an IT job. They get their branch specific job profiles, which is hardly the case in any Mumbai University colleges.

  Read an elaborate report on latest placements.



Attendance:
At VJTI, Civil branch is very strict about attendance. For other branches, it is not much of an issue, on a simple condition that you do not spoil your relations with the professors. “Panga mat lena mere dost” says a final year Computers student. However, there are always exceptions and you have to identify those professors and attend their lectures regularly.



Canteen:
VJTI canteen is certainly not bad for a government college. There are cleanliness issues; often it stinks a bit, but overflowing with students most of the times. Though it is quiet spacious, during lunch break, you’ll have to strive hard to find a place. The food is damn cheap and tasty, too. Ragada Samosa (Rs. 20), Fried Rice (Rs. 35) and Samosa Pav (Rs. 10) are the hot favourites. Non-vegetarians also won’t regret.



Crowd:
Crowd at VJTI is sad; rather, nerdy would be more appropriate. Students get engrossed when it comes to technical festivals, be it their own college fest or any other, and this happens all round the year. Students from the Reserved Category are seen in healthy numbers (Thanks to the 50% reservation quota)



Hangouts:
Various restaurants in Matunga and among favourites are Mani’s Idli, Sherry’s Rolls and Frankies (best and the cheapest), Garnish, Classic, Relax, etc. There’s Only Parathas and Madras CafĂ© for those who eat only in 'elite' restaurants. CCD is also close by.



Festivals:
Technovanza is the technical festival of VJTI. Pratibimb is the cultural festival and Enthusia is the sports festival. Many other fests organized by hostel folks are held all-round the year.



Famous Alumni:
Chaggan Bhujbal - Minister of PWD and Former Deputy CM of Maharashtra
Sekhar Basu - Director, BARC
Anil Kakodkar - Former Chairman - Atomic Energy Commission of India
Amit Chandra - MD, Bain Capital India


Verdict:
While many students say that Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) has lost its lustre, yet it eclipses many other institutes in terms of innovative methods of teaching and facilities provided to students. And undoubtedly, the legacy has been its pivotal factor. Its name is known to many, even outside the country. Must take if you get your desired field.

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