MNNIT to shut one MTech course, double seats in another

The institute has initiated steps to close down its software engineering PG course and increase the number of seats in the MTech computer science and engineering programme from the existing 25 to 50

PRAYAGRAJ : The Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT)-Allahabad initiated steps to close down its once popular MTech in software engineering programme and planned to double the number of seats in the MTech computer science and engineering course, institute director Prof Rajeev Tripathi said.

No fresh admissions in the software engineering post graduate course would take place now.

The move was prompted by waning interest in the software engineering course among top aspiring techies, as well as firms taking part in the placement exercise.

The institute’s Senate approved a proposal in this regard at its recently held meeting. The proposal would now be put before the institute’s apex decision-making body, the Board of Governors (BoG), for a final approval, confirmed Prof Tripathi.

He said that the institute planned to instead double the seats of MTech computer science and engineering course from the existing 25 to 50. The step follows an in-depth study undertaken by the institute.

“A scrutiny of past records showed that MTech in software engineering programme was low on the preference of top aspirants as compared to the MTech computer science and engineering course and, as a result, the MTech software engineering was attracting aspirants much lower in the merit. We also observed that even companies hiring our students preferred MTech computer science and engineering pass-outs over the MTech software engineering pass-outs, believing that the course in computer science and engineering to be more holistic and covering a wider spectrum of skills and knowledge as compared to software engineering which they perceived to focus on just software designing and testing,” he explained.

Prof Tripathi said though the MTech in software engineering was a well-designed robust course, covering all essential topics of CSE but having specialised electives, the institute decided to go strictly as per the demand and close the post graduate programme in software engineering.

“The 25 seats of MTech in software engineering would now be merged in MTech computer science and engineering course which remains the top choice of aspiring techies attracting top rankers from across the country, thereby allowing an intake of 50 students in it. We are confident that this would not only attract better students, but also ensure better placements,” he said.