Last year when the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the department of architecture and planning at the National Institute of Technology-Calicut (NIT-C) found itself in the third position after IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Roorkee.
When the NIRF was released on Thursday, the institute retained its position after the two IITs, which have been maintaining their winning streak three times consecutively.
According to NIT-C architecture faculty, the department’s commitment to teaching and research has once again helped it maintain excellence, beating exclusive schools of planning and architecture in Delhi, Bhopal, and Vijayawada and IITs in Chennai and Mumbai.
“Our impeccable team which works in great synergy has contributed to the growth and reputation of the institution. The rankings help us assess and improve our performance, besides identifying gaps. Our strength lies in our professional interactions, hands-on attempts on live design and planning problems, and engaging with the alumni,” Dr. P.P. Anil Kumar, professor and head of the department, architecture and planning, NIT-C, said.
He added that the department had over the decade actively helped society by extending its knowledge and skills for the restoration and beautification of schools and orphanages through social engagement during the 2018 and 2019 floods.
“The talent pool of the department has been actively inducing knowledge into the Rebuild Kerala initiative of the State government,” he said.
Dr. Anil Kumar said the first comprehensive reference textbook on ‘Smart City planning’ in the country was written by a faculty member of the department. Also, the department has been offering consultancy services in architecture, urban planning, structural design, building services and allied areas. Promotion of outreach and inclusivity is a priority for the department.
He added that the department had successfully organised the third edition of the International Conference on Design Pedagogy and Contextual Aesthetics (Thanima 3) in March this year. The event addressed homogenisation of design and thereby the need for revisiting tenants on teaching and learning design.
