Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Sriperumbudur

REC recently hit the headlines for hosting the 34th World Universities Debating Championship which attracted 473 teams from 76 countries. Hemalatha Raghupathi reports

Sited on a vast and verdant 45-acre campus in Thandalam village, off the bustling industrial town of Sriperumbudur — 35 km from Chennai — the Rajalakshmi group of institutions comprising Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Rajalakshmi College of Education, Rajalakshmi College of Nursing, Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, Rajalakshmi School of Architecture and Rajalakshmi Vidyashram Matriculation School, has earned an excellent reputation for providing quality professional education and industry-connected training to students.

Founded in 1997 by industrialist S. Megananthan under the aegis of the family owned Rajalakshmi Education Trust, the group’s first and flagship institution — Rajalakshmi Engineering College (REC), which admitted its first batch of 170 students in 1997, has grown rapidly over the past 17 years. Currently this hitherto low-profile college boasts an enrolment of 5,500 students mentored by 376 faculty.

Recently REC hit the headlines in Tamil Nadu for hosting the 34th World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC — the world’s largest debating tournament promoted by the Glasgow University Union in 1981) for the first time in India, between December 27-January 3. Organised by students of the REC Debating Council, the tournament attracted teams from 473 universities in 76 countries including Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, and Monash.

“We hosted WUDC 2014 as part of our larger objective to provide students the right ambience and opportunities to develop into creative, talented and globally competent professionals. Perhaps the most differentiating characteristic of REC is that we have fully integrated industry-institute partnerships and internships into our curriculum to ensure students keep abreast of latest developments in technology,” says Dr. Thangam Megananthan, chairperson of REC. An alumna of the University of Madras, Dr. Megananthan is a member of the steering committee of the Tamil Nadu chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry for the past five years.

Recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA), National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and three IT multinationals — Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant Technology Solutions and Wipro Technologies — REC currently offers ten B.E./B.Tech programmes and B.Arch; seven Masters programmes; M.Tech in biotechnology; MBA and MCA programmes in addition to eight research programmes.

The distinguishing feature of the 17-year-old REC is the strong linkage it has developed with India Inc, which enables exposure of students to real-time industry practices. Among the blue-chip corporates with whom REC has signed MoUs are IBM Global Services, Infosys, Bangalore (Campus Connect programme), Super Auto Forge, Chennai and three other companies for in-plant training, industrial visits and R&D activities.

Unsurprisingly, REC’s academic initiatives are supported by enabling infrastructure. Its picturesque 45-acre wi-fi enabled campus which features elegant white buildings interspersed with shady trees and well-maintained lawns, offers 100 spacious classrooms, 85 well-equipped laboratories, a 1,500-seat auditorium, three seminar halls, conference rooms, a well-stocked library with 48,610 volumes and 17,348 book titles, 264 national and 5,772 international journals and 5,759 e-journals. Sports facilities include volleyball, tennis and badminton courts and a football field. Separate well furbished hostels for men and women accommodate 1,800 students.

Research and innovation are also thrust areas in REC, where eight departments are approved research centres certified by Anna University. The college’s faculty of 376 includes 55 with Ph Ds in engineering, technology and science disciplines engaged in ongoing research in 11 thrust areas.

With this higher education institution still in its academic infancy, the promoter-trustees and management of REC have chalked out ambitious expansion and development plans for this 17-year-old engineering college which has favourably impacted India Inc. “We believe we are on the right track and we’ll continue our efforts to offer quality education and engage in meaningful research and development. Our focus on excellence will enable us to attain our ultimate objective of acquiring deemed university status and partnerships with top ranked universities worldwide. We have set aside 28 acres for infrastructure expansion and we’ll shortly be offering postgrad programmes in marine engineering and telecommunications. Moreover as we begin to scale up our enrolments, the cost of education per student will reduce,” says Megananthan.

Wind in your sails!