Top Private Universities in India

Dr Ambika Devi

Assistant Prof (Sel Grade)

Dept of Applied Sciences

The NorthCap University, Gurgaon

Higher education system in India has developed at a rapid pace by adding new Central, state and private Universities. As of 2016, India has 46 central universities, 343 state universities, and 228 private universities.Next to the United States and China, India's higher education system is the third largest in the world. The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission, which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps to coordinate between the centre and the state.
 

India is well recognised for the quality of its education in the field of engineering and Sciences, spearheaded by the esteemed and internationally recognized Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Beyond IITs and IISc, there are certain other reputed universities, like University of Delhi, Delhi Technological University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, Punjab University etc, around the country, focusing mainly on engineering, technology and science disciplines.

India has 228 private universities and most of these universities are run by private bodies/societies. These Universities are approved and affiliated by University of Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi. Some of these universities provide excellent quality education and offers various programmes approved by foreign universities. The best part is, students prefer to opt private universities, as they provide better quality of education, infrastructure, faculties and placements. The list of the top private universities in India includes BITS Pilani, VIT Vellore, Thaper University Patiala, Jaypee University of Information Technology Solan, The NorthCap University Gurgaon etc. The innovative teaching methods and the excellent teaching staffs associated with these reputed universities have attracted the students to join these Universities.

The choice of a reputed private university in Delhi NCR isn't an easy task. It requires a lot of search and considerations, since a quality education is what we need to walk at the path of prosperity and improvement. The NorthCap University, Gurgaon is an intellectual destination that draws inspired students from all over India especially from NCR region. Apart from being one of the top universities in India, The NorthCap University ignites the dreams of highly ambitious students to excel in the fields of their interest and groom them to be the ones – the professionally and ethically sound individuals. The Northcap University promotes sports, encourages creative talents, emphasizes on nation-building education, innovates entrepreneurship, and facilitates employment generation. The University is included in the list of Private Universities under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act. The NorthCap University is the only private University in Delhi/NCR, as well as Haryana holding the NIRF Ranking 2016 by Ministry of Human Resource Development. The University possess NIRF ranking of 82 out of 233 Universities in all over India. Its rank is 17thamong all private Universities of India and 4thamong the North Indian private Universities.

The University campus is situated in the centre in Gurgaon city. It has a ragging-free campus and a strong alumni network. The University has an industry-oriented curriculum and excellent placement record. The University offers various undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral programmes in the field of Engineering, Management, Law and Sciences. The University is equipped with state of art library, laboratories, class rooms and research facilities. The association of various national awardees with The NorthCap University is worth mentioning. The faculty members are mentored by these distinguished research professors for developing their teaching and research skills. 

THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY steps forward in reducing the carbon footprint

Increasing pollution and carbon footprint has become a serious concern of the present time. A major source of this is the emission of harmful gases from the vehicles. The government is taking different initiatives in this regard. Being one of the most reputed universities in the northern India, THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY understands its responsibilities and has contributed its efforts in reducing the carbon footprint.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emission caused by an organization, event, product or individual. To support the national cause of reducing the carbon footprint in the environment, the University has taken various initiatives in the past. It has constructed solar panels which help in reducing the consumption of electricity from conventional sources. The University has also replaced all incandescent lights by LED lights resulting in lesser heat generation and more efficient lighting. The University has facilities of sewage treatment plant, recycling of treated waste water for irrigation, rain water harvesting pits to recharge aquifers and ensure zero storm water discharge out of the campus and much more.

Recently the University has taken a major step in direction of contributing towards a green environment by proposing the ‘odd-even’ rules for vehicles coming to the University despite the fact that we are located in Haryana. It now permits vehicles inside the University campus based on their registration numbers. The odd number vehicles are permitted on the odd dates and the even number vehicles on even dates. The University faculty and staff have come forward and supported this green initiative. They have done so by pooling vehicles with the colleagues or using public transport facilities, helping control the emission of hazardous pollutants in the environment. The staff and faculty residing in the nearby vicinity are also being encouraged to use the vehicles as less as possible while commuting to the University.

The University faculty, students and staff understand their collective responsibility of contributing towards maintaining a sustainable environment and their obligations towards the society. THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY being one of the leading universities for Engineering, Management, Law and Sciences in the North India including NCR, is a pioneer in the region to take this step which can be a source of inspiration for others to follow. 

B-SCHOOLS IN DELHI-NCR COME TOGETHER AT ECONOMIC FEST

Application of theoretical concepts is a crucial part of studying economics and business management. The focus of most B-Schools in Delhi-NCR today is to encourage and motivate students to apply their business knowledge to solve real world and contemporary challenges. Due to the increasingly complex nature of organizations and businesses in the modern globalized world, business schools need to impart relevant, current and cutting-edge knowledge and skills to their students so that they have an edge over others. By just acquiring an economics or MBA degree one could understand the theory but may not necessarily understand its application in say - marketing. Economic fests provide students a platform for healthy interaction and to showcase their talent. 

In this context, one of the young leading B-Schools, the School of Management at THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY (NCU) organized an economic fest ‘Arthshastra’.Economics and Business Management students from different universities and colleges across Delhi-NCR participated in various competitions that tested their knowledge and grasp of economics and business concepts and theories.

At Arthshastra the simulations, competitions and presentations motivated students to interact, discuss and analyze various situations and provided important insights into the world of economics and brushed up their business acumen. The events covered areas of practical relevance to entrepreneurs including a mock stock market, asset price volatility etc. It enabled students to identify viable business opportunities, feasible and sustainable business options.

Discussions are an excellent strategy for fostering intellectual agility and enhancing student motivation and passion for the subject. They create opportunities for students to practice and sharpen a number of skills like communication and leadership skills, including the ability to articulate and defend positions, enlist and evaluate evidence, consider different perspectives and develop their own views. Benefits associated with educational fests include opportunities to:

• Stimulate thinking and deepen understanding of concepts and theories.

• Apply theoretical knowledge to solve problems and maximise creativity.

• Test understanding of theory and helps develop new insights.

• Learn from other’s perspectives.

• Develop intellectual and critical skills as well as group work skills.

• Prepare and deliver oral presentations.

• Encourage students to apply and test their learning.

In summary, NCU’s Arthshastra helped to enhance the self-confidence and leadership skills of students which are essential qualities in any business organization. It helped economics and business management students to understand the working of the business world and develop managerial skills among budding entrepreneurs in an environment of enthusiasm and competitive spirit.THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY has more such events planned for 2016.

Post your comments or contact us at http://ncuindia.edu/                                                                           

Written by Rekha Mathur

‘YOU ARE NOT YOUR BRAIN!’ A TALK AT ONE OF THE BEST ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN HARYANA

A talk at one of the best engineering colleges in Haryana, THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY, on 23 November 2015, on a unique topic ‘You are not your brain’was delivered by Brother Neville Hodgkinson, former medical and science correspondent of several national newspapers in the UK, including The Sunday Times, Sunday Express, and Daily Mail. He is now a student and teacher for more than 20 years with the Brahma Kumar is World Spiritual University and Chairman of the ‘Janki Foundation for Spirituality’, a UK-based charity.

Br Neville’s interest in mind-body medicine led him to take up the practice of meditation and spiritual study in the early 1980s.  He said that science is supportive of spirituality and to support his statement he quoted several research studies. Br Neville observed that just because we cannot see the spiritual aspect of reality with our physical eyes, it does not mean it is not there. You cannot see radio waves, but you can listen to the radio. It is the same with our brains. We can experience spiritual vibrations internally, and send them out to the world. 

In the field of Neuroplasticity scientists have discovered that the brain changes with every thought and feeling. It is believed that the left side of the brain controls positive thoughts and the right side, negative thoughts. “You are what you think! Whatever you are -changes your brain and it keeps changing all the time, with every thought. So in effect, you are the master of your brain and you must nourish your brain with positive thoughts”, says Br Neville.

The energy of the human mind is one of the greatest but the least understood energy resource of the universe. When we understand and harness this energy, we possess the key to happiness and contentment.Discoveries in the fields of brain science, quantum physics, mathematics and biology are enabling us to explore consciousness in greater depths. Consciousness is a universal phenomenon which is guiding the brain to learn ways of the materialistic world. This theory is supported by near death experience and meditation of yogis and he quoted from the book ‘Consciousness Beyond Life – the science of the Near Death Experience’ by Dr Pim van Lommel.He said that we never lose consciousness, even when in coma or deep sleep.

Silence and meditation can be a wonderful tool to reconnect with one’s self. “Silence is when we allow the mind to be still, loving and peaceful. This helps us to develop awareness of the flow of the spiritual dimension and its unique strengths and powers.” He said that successful scientists have been able to strike a balance between public discussion followed by withdrawal and contemplation. 

The audience was deeply interested in Br Neville’s talk as was evident from the interactive session that followed. A practical meditation session was later conducted by Sister Urmil to give an opportunity of feeling the power of silence. NCU’s student Akanksha, a follower of the Brahma Kumar is, rendered a beautiful song to the accompaniment of music which mesmerized the audience.

Post your comments or contact us at http://www.ncuindia.edu/                                        

Written by Rekha Mathur

HOW INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA COLLABORATE AND INNOVATE IN ENGINEERING COLLEGES IN INDIA

Creativity and innovation are buzzwords today and multidisciplinary, socially relevant projects meeting industry needs are highly encouraged in premier engineering colleges in India. One such institution is THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY (NCU). With the Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy gaining momentum, industrial collaboration will greatly facilitate academia in knowing what is happening new in the industry as they are in direct contact with the market/customer. The industry is the biggest source for the application of the latest knowledge, tools and techniques. Today’s manufacturing has become highly-automated, IT-driven and‘smart’ along with prime focus on energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection.

Project competitions by the industry encourage innovation, promote application of scientific and technological knowledge in students. They offer opportunities to apply theories into practice, showcase their talent, find solutions to problems by pooling different disciplines together and arriving at a holistic approach in terms of practicality and ingenuity. It is also a time to identify and fill the gaps between the professional skills of students and industry requirements. Industry collaboration enhances student employability and also builds their confidence for entrepreneurship - a bridge between the classroom and the real world. For the industry, collaboration through competitions brings in fresh innovative ideas and a time to shortlist prospective employees, on the basis of their potential. It’s, a win-win situation for both!With this objective, Mitsubishi Electric India launched a science and technology competition ‘Mitsubishi Electric Cup’ a national level automation competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Mr Makoto Yokoyama, Director and Division Manager, Mitsubishi Electric India says, “As a prominent player in Factory Automation in India, it is our duty to transfer knowledge and share information with students in the technical domain. Through this initiative, we aim to introduce them to the latest technology and knowledge, based on practical application.”

NCU’smultidisciplinary team ‘Electrotech’ has been shortlisted in the top 24 teams from amongst 100 teams across India after having clearedthe First Stage ‘Basic Knowledge Test’ (a closed-book exam with group discussions),Second Stage ‘System Design and Presentation’.The team comprises of four students: Chaitanya Jhanji and KulbhushanGogia (Dept. of Mechanical Engg ) Sahil Saini and Karan Malhotra (Dept of Electrical and Electronics Engineering), faculty members: Mr. Pradeep Rohilla, Principal Advisor & Coordinator (Dept of Mechanical Engg), Ms Anjali Garg, Co-Supervisor (Dept of Electrical, Electronics &Communication Engineering).‘Electrotech’ will competein the Finals at Pune from 10-13 February 2016.

‘Electrotech’is developinga working model of an automated car parking system for efficient utilization of the car parking area to address the topical issue of shortage of vehicle parking area in the metropolitan cities like Delhi. The project is socially relevant as it will provide a cost effective automated car parking solution for the benefit of society (India is projected to be theworld’s most populous country by 2050. It is also estimated that India’surban population will constitute nearly half of the country’s total population,straining an already stressed infrastructure.In context to the urbanization the number of private vehicles in India is expectedto grow by more than 3 times by 2021by a Survey Report by IBM).

Today it is efficient energy use using Smart, Safe and Sustainable Manufacturing, what will it be ten years hence?

A schematic diagram of the proposed project is shown below:

Written by Rekha Mathur

THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY celebrates International Year of Light

Year 2015 is being celebrated as the International Year of Light.  One of the best engineering institutions in Delhi NCR, THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY, Gurgaon celebrated this event by organizing a workshop. The SPIE-student chapter of NCU organized a One-day workshop on Optics to celebrate International Year of Light (IYL-2015) on 14October 2015. Prof Ajoy Ghatak (formerly at IIT Delhi) and Prof Kehar Singh(Distinguished Research Professor at NCU)graced the occasion as the distinguished speakers. They enlightened the participants on various aspects of optics such as polarisation,laser, fibre optics, holographyetc. They also spoke about some of the noble laureates in the field of optics and highlighted their contributions in providing crucial breakthroughs.  In his opening address, Pro Vice-Chancellor of NCU,Brig. SK Sharma (Retd) emphasized the importance of optics in science and engineering and congratulated SPIE- Student Chapter of NCU for celebratingthe International Year of Light (IYL-2015).In addition to the special lecture sessions, there were demonstrative sessions on holography and polarization, in which different types of holograms,polaroid, polarizing sheets etc. were demonstrated.This was followed by a quiz based on optics and its related applications in the field of science and engineering.The workshop was attended by more than 100 undergraduate and post graduate students from various colleges of NCR.The event witnessed an enthusiastic participation from the SPIE members and others.The aim of the workshop was to motivate and inspire the students. Interaction with the speakers was highly enlightening for the students. The relevant videos, impressive presentations and real-time examples had a tremendous impact on the participants who felt excited to pursue higher studies in the field of optics.

The event was coordinated by faculty advisor Dr. Sunanda Vashisth, faculty coordinators Prof. AK Yadav,Ms. Amanpreet  Kaur and Mr. Naman Joshi. The student coordinators were Mohit  Yadav(President) and Neha Gosain(Vice President) of SPIE- student chapter. 

SPIE (an International Society of Optics and Photonics) is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach in the field of science and application of light. The SPIE-student chapter at NCUhas been actively involved in various academic and research activities since its inception. There are more than fifty NCU students registered as members in this chapter, giving it an edge in being one of the best private universities in Delhi NCR.

Why a Top Engineering College in India changed its name

We are immensely proud that ITM University, Gurgaon, has come a long way since its inception in 1996. As an integral member of the ITM family, I do confess,you have known us to be continuously evolving and challenging conventions. In a span of a few years, we have grown to be one of the foremost educational institutions in North India. As a testimony of this fact, you will be delighted to know that we have been ranked No.1 Emerging University in India by the Higher Education Review in April 2015 and also achieved the First Rank in Private Universities in Haryana in June 2015.

To further expand our vision and to take our University to greater heights, we are happy to announce that ITM University, Gurgaon has rebranded itself as ‘THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY’ or ‘NCU’ for short. The new name, we believe captures the essence of our vision, guiding principles and our mission for excellence. It is inspired by our geographical location in the north of the country in the National Capital Region. NCU’s new logo has the ‘Bridge’, a mnemonic which represents the connection between the ‘classroom and the real world’ using multidisciplinary value based education imprinted with an industry relevant curriculum. In its new avatar, NCU continues to empower its students for a lifetime of personal and professional fulfillment.

The rebranding of a Top Engineering College in India was necessitated by a variety of factors, external and internal. As you are aware, since our establishment in 1996, the ITM brand attained iconic status and became synonymous with innovation and excellence in academics. It also evoked a sense of trust and integrity amongst its stakeholders. However, it did not reflect our evolution from an institute of technology and management to a University offering multidisciplinary courses engaged in cutting edge research. We have substantially expanded our offerings to include Law, Sciences and Commerce,which have also acquired a reputation for excellence, and are planning for more. The acronym ITM was limiting our expanded vision and mission. 

In addition, certain other universities/institutions are also using the same acronym i.e. ITM, which is confusing our stakeholders and public at large. The need of the hour calls for a smart new and distinct identity that symbolizes innovation, creativity and geographical location in the North of the country and close to the National Capital.

University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi has notified the name change of ITM University, Gurgaon to the NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY (NCU) on 26 August 2015. An Ordinance notifying the name change was earlier promulgated by the Governor of Haryana vide Haryana Government Ordinance No. 2 of 2015. The University is already included in the list of Private Universities under section 2(f) of the UGC Act.

Under the circumstances, it was the right step for ITM University, Gurgaon,to change its name to THE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY (NCU). Post your comments or contact us for all your higher education queries at http://ncuindia.edu/