Universities must pay attention to their responsibility to help students become workforce ready. Even if there is a gap between what businesses desire and what they seek, students continue to study after high school to get employment opportunities and earn more money. Career preparedness must be prioritized because colleges are entrusted to nurture the talent of future workers. Higher Education is the source of professional capabilities for industry executives.

Jobs requiring a degree have decreased by 45 per cent since the commencement of COVID-19, demonstrating that businesses increasingly emphasize abilities and experience more than getting a college degree. For this reason, educational institutions must assess how well they prepare students for the workplace and modify their cocurricular and academic programs accordingly. They must also constantly change their specializations and programs to reflect the abilities that employers value.

The College of Engineering, Sakharale, currently known as the Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Rajaramnagar, was founded in 1983. The goal was to become an internationally renowned institution dedicated to excellence in education, research, and the creation and dissemination of information to create socially responsible professionals. RIT has a beautiful green campus of 17 hectares and buildings covering 54,000 sq. m. RIT has emerged as a leading technological institute in Western Maharashtra through its dedicated and disciplined approach to providing quality technical education over more than thirty-seven years.

To learn more about the institute, dive down:

The Director’s Message

RIT has developed an admirable reputation among Indian engineering institutes over the course of more than three decades. With the ultimate goal of student happiness, RIT emphasizes providing students with a high-quality education by involving and empowering our teachers. The team prioritizes both research and knowledge generation at the same time. Currently, the institute has 46 patents registered and six marketable products.

The faculty is aware of its obligation to develop a student from the 12th grade into a professional engineer over the course of four formative years. As a result, it ensures that students acquire technical knowledge and a broad range of abilities that will prepare them for life in the real world. It has drawn talented, youthful faculty who support and advise students in their academic, research, sports, and cultural endeavours. Its students’ commitment to their objectives, as well as their integrity and care for the rural society they live in, are of the utmost importance.

The institution successfully uses the academic autonomy awarded by UGC and Shivaji University Kolhapurawarded academic autonomy. The institute has implemented a choice-based curriculum structure (CBCS), an honours program, a minor program, and cutting-edge teaching and learning methods like PBL and the flipped classroom. The use of ICT tools to enhance educational quality is heavily stressed at RIT. In the eighth semester’s final exam, there are four uniquely created choice-based verticals. According to their future goals, students can select any one of the three verticals: entrepreneurial development research experience, industry internship, or capstone project. Through in-plant training, internships, and actual projects based on industry, its students connect with industry continuously.

“We insist that our faculty continuously upgrade to provide direction for future teaching-learning innovations. RIT has consistently produced excellent results and placements, and its alumni can be found in prominent organizations in India and overseas.”

The Technical Education Quality Improvement Program II (TEQIP II), a World Bank project with funding of Rs. Six crores for postgraduate programs and research that is innovation-driven has been completed by the institute. According to a 2016 NIRF study by the MHRD and AICTE, the institution came in at number 75 among the top 100 technical institutes. The NBA in New Delhi has accredited and reaccredited most of our programs, and we are NAAC-accredited with an ‘A+’ grade.

Through NETRA, RIT has launched a centre for innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurial development (National ESDM Technology Research Academy). The Maharashtra Innovation Society, Maharashtra, has chosen it to lead the start-up activity in RIT with a funding of Rs. 5 crores. Additionally, it has secured Rs. 3 crores in funding from the Indian government’s Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. Eight student start-ups and four external entrepreneurs are supported by this RIT program. RIT has 55 registered patents, 12 products are commercialized and received external funding of Rs. 2.06 Crores.

RIT’s core principle is to “Develop no tiny plans, for they have no magic to stir men’s blood; make huge plans, aim high in hope, and work.” It never stops innovating and moving forward. The team states, “If these are values you believe in too, you will do well at RIT. If you have the drive and determination, come to RIT, and we will help you realize your dreams!”

Kasegaon Education Society

One of the top educational institutions in Western Maharashtra is the Kasegaon Education Society. The late Shri. Rajarambapu Patil, a prominent leader, founded it in 1945. Society concentrated on bringing education to the rural masses by considering the requirement for time. The society established schools in the adjacent villages and a hostel at Kasegaon for kids from lower socioeconomic classes.

Hon. Jayant Patil, who was Ex. Minister Water Resource Development and CAD, Government of Maharashtra and Member BOG, RIT. His son entered public life through educational endeavours, just like his father before his premature and tragic death in 1984. Hon. Jayant Patil transformed society over time by expanding educational resources. Currently, the society is home to 15 higher education institutions and 31 primary and secondary schools. This primarily consists of two information technology institutes, three arts, commerce, and science colleges, an engineering college, a polytechnic, two management institutes, a nursing institute, an agricultural polytechnic, a pharmacy college, and an international school.

Several renowned awards, including the ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Dalitmitra Puraskar’ and the ‘State Prize for Educational Institutes’ have been given to the society. The society has also received certificates of recognition from C-DAC & MKCL for its outstanding contribution to computer literacy.

The 1983 establishment of the Rajarambapu Institute of Technology has established itself as a significant step forward for society and a tool for broadening its horizons.

Awards and Achievements at Institute Level

The Unique Selling Points and Achievements of Institute level, Staff and Students is as follows:

• RIT is an Autonomous Institute since 2011-2012.
• Institute is accredited with ‘A+’ grade by NAAC.
• National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking–
• 2016 – Institute is ranked 75th across all over India, 7th at State level and 1st in Shivaji University, Kolhapur, as per MHRD, Government of India.
• 2017 – Ranked 172nd across all over India & 14th at State level.
• 2021 – Ranked in the band of 201 – 250 Institutions in India.
• RIT is ranked within the first 50 Institutions across all over India in ATAL Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in August 2021.
• RIT is awarded Platinum Rank in first 150 Institutes in AICTE-CII Survey 2020.
• All eligible UG & PG programmes are accredited / reaccredited by NBA, New Delhi.
• Institute is TEQIP (Technical Education Quantity Improvement Program) Phase II funded with project funding of Rs. 6.00 Crore from the World Bank through Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
• RIT is rated as AAA+ Institution in Engineering Special Rating in West Zone of India’s Best Engineering Colleges 2021 survey by Careers 360.
• RIT has won One District One Green Champion award for Swachhata Action PlanExemplary Performance Awards 2020 -2021 by Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education, New Delhi (MGNCRE).
• Permission is granted by AICTE for International admissions under Foreign National (FN) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) quota.
• Institute is accredited by the Institution of Engineers (India), Kolkata.
• Institute has implemented Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from First to final year students. Honour and Minor certification is offered with additional 20 credits. Foreign languages like Japanese, German are incorporated in the curriculum. RIT is preparing students for competitive examinations such as GATE, GRE through Finishing School.
• More than 50 student clubs are established for holistic development of students. E.g., Sports, Dramatics, Dance, Art, Music, Media Cell, Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell), Autonomous Electric Vehicle (AEV), Internet of Things (IoT) etc.
• RIT has signed 150+ MoUs with Industries, Research Organizations and Universities in India and 10+ with Foreign Universities. Some prominent among these are –
• Lawrence Technological University Southfield, USA
• Canadian Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship and Management CITEM Ontario – Canada
• University of Nottingham – Malaysia
• Asia University – Taiwan
• BICOL University – Philippines
• Teesside University, Middlesbrough – London
• Infrastructure University – Kuala Lumpur • Universitas Pendidikan – Indonesia
• RIT has a dedicated R&D cell to nurture the research, innovation and entrepreneurship ideas among faculty and students. RIT has received grants worth Rs. 1.5 Crore in the last three years from AICTE, Department of Science & Technology (DST) and industries. Institute has 55 patents filed. Our 12 products are commercialized.
• Funds of Rs.5 Crore are sanctioned for RIT-TBI through the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSINS). Institute has established NETRARIT Foundation, a Section 8 Company registered to GOI, which is Technology Business Incubator with the vision ‘To convert Engineering Campus into Product Innovation Center (PIC).’ Currently 25 Start-ups have been incubated from the sectors like AgriTech, Healthcare, IoT, Robotics, Manufacturing, etc.
• Placement – Every year more than 75% to 80% students are placed.
• Institute is selected for funding for Idea Development, Evaluation and Application (IDEA) Lab by AICTE with 1.05 Crore. The objective of IDEA Lab is to develop. innovative and creative engineers with Learning by Doing.
• RIT publishes Journal of Engineering Education Transformations (JEET) in partnership with Indo-US Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE). It is a Journal with a focus on Engineering Education Research. It is a Scopus Index Journal published every quarter.
• Community Radio Station (CRS) is established in 2021 with the name of Radio Sugar 90.8 to fulfil the social responsibility.

Aligning Innovation with Knowledge

RIT strives to provide innovation and excellence in academic design, delivery, and evaluation to guarantee that students are comprehensively developed for employability, entrepreneurship, and higher education. The team produces and maintains the curriculum to provide experiential learning through industry links and adapt the curriculum to the changing needs of business and society globally.

To recruit talent, the institute wants to be at the forefront of cutting-edge technological research, innovation, and intellectual property production. Additionally, it aims to keep talent by fostering connections based on accountability, engagement, mutual respect, professionalism, and integrity.

To develop students into socially responsible global citizens, the institute uses alums to help build leadership skills, social awareness, and a passion for lifelong learning. It also works to develop and maintain world-class infrastructure and adopt contemporary automation technologies for organizational efficiency.

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