Hindustan University's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Established in 1985, Hindustan University, also known as Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), is a deemed-to-be-university recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The Christian minority institution has also earned recognition from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Bar Council of India (BCI), the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), and the Council of Architecture (COA). Furthermore, the university that boasts of being the most sought-after engineering institute in India is accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

Spread across 100 acres of land, the university’s infrastructural facilities provided to the students comprise arenas, auditoriums, cafeterias, and a library, among others, along with new additions such as the Venus Academic Block, Health Sciences Block, and Student Meditation Centre. In 2002, HITS unveiled India’s first Royal Enfield Experiential Training Hub on its campus. This specialized centre is designed to offer hands-on learning experiences and disseminate technical expertise regarding Royal Enfield motorcycles to HITS engineers, students, and Royal Enfield dealer technicians.

Talking about its course-wise offerings, Hindustan University offers 51 undergraduate and 31 postgraduate programmes under multiple disciplines like Engineering, Technology, Architecture, Management, Law, Fashion Design, Aviation, Applied Sciences, Allied Sciences, and Arts and Sciences.

With myriad national and international collaborations, it is evident that the university has spread its wings across the globe. However, there are a few areas that have diluted the university’s reputation to some extent. Students have expressed concern about the poor maintenance in hostels, exorbitant fines, and discrepancies from the university administration. Let’s dig in further to find out more!

Hindustan University Ranking

NIRF Ranking: A constant improvement

Other Rankings in 2023

THE Impact Rankings 2023

Hindustan University was placed 3rd in Tamil Nadu and 2nd in Chennai in the Impact Rankings 2023. Overall, it was placed in the rank band 601-800.

The Week

Our Take:

There is no doubt that Hindustan University has found its place in the ranking list of some of the top-ranking bodies. In case of the NIRF ranking, it has been ranked among the top 150-200 in the overall category across India. Hindustan University has recorded an improvement of around 50 ranks in 2023 in comparison with 2022 and 2021 in the university category. In the engineering category too, it has shown a remarkable growth in its NIRF ranking, recording a jump of 20 ranks in the last 2 years. In terms of innocation too, Hindustan University has shown quite a growth, securing a rank among 101-150 in 2023, while in the previous two years it couldn't score any rank in NIRF.

Hindustan University Academia and Batch Size

Hindustan University has adopted the Choice-Based Credit System under NEP-2020, allowing students the flexibility to select the right courses aligned with their career prospects.

Academic Composition

Hindustan University academia is a mix of classroom learning, assignments, and practicals.

Batch Size

Overall, there are a total of 6053 students currently pursuing Hindustan University courses. The numbers are quite high compared to the approved intake of 2202, as mentioned in the NIRF report of 2023. In case of engineering, the approved intake is only 33.8% of the total students enrolled. Furthermore, in the case of architecture, the sanctioned intake is only 100, however, 342 students were allowed admission to the course. Similar is the case with MBA, with 160 students more than the sanctioned intake. Nonetheless, the student-to-faculty ratio stands at 8:1, which can be deemed favourable.

Fees

The Hindustan University course fees are:

Our Take:

• Out of a plethora of courses provided, students have expressed that the two most popular courses are: Aeronautical Engineering and Automobile Engineering
• Analysing the department-wise batch size, it is evident that there is no end cap on admission. Students have also affirmed the same. However, the university has maintained a stable faculty-to-student ratio of 8:1. We have no reason to complain if this is the case!
• Students have expressed that the course fees are reasonable. It is the extra fees that universities levy, including fines, that bother the students.

Hindustan University Infrastructure

Auditorium

The university claims to have three auditoriums.

MGR Auditorium: All the cultural events and functions are held in this 1000-seater auditorium

Andromeda Lecture Theatre: The fully air-conditioned 450-seater auditorium won the Asia Design Excellence Award under the category ‘Architecture and Interior Design’.

Good Shepherd Hall: It is equipped with LCD screens and projectors. Conferences are organised in this university hall.

Library

The Dr. K.C.G. Verghese Research & Resource Centre, which serves as the central library of the university, boasts an extensive collection of books spanning Engineering, Science, and Humanities.

Sports

The students are provided with sports facilities like Horse Riding, Football, Basketball, Cricket Volleyball, among numerous others, under the Department of Physical Education. Apart from its 15-acre sports playground, the university also boasts about its Glass Root Football Field

Our Take:

The vast library and its equally vast collection make the university an ideal destination for academic pursuit. At the same time, there were a lot of speculations regarding the Horse Riding Club. Is it really there? However, students have asserted that the university does have around 5 horses, and the club opens at 6 in the morning. They further added that there is a fee levied for those willing to join the club. The university's focus on extracurricular activities proves the university's stand in terms of the overall development of its students.

Internet

The university claims that buildings are linked through optical fibre, encompassing both single and multi-mode connections, spanning approximately 2000 meters in distance. Labs, staff rooms, and offices are interconnected via a local area network (LAN) and have internet access.

Primary Link: 1000 Mbps (Spectra)

Secondary Link: 155 Mbps (Airtel)

Counselling and Well-being Center

Hindustan University provides students with a counselling centre to deal with their academic, behavioural, emotional, and social challenges from time to time.

Hostels

The university provides 5 on-campus hostels and 1 off-campus hostel. As per the university officials, residential hostels are furnished, air-conditioned, and have attached bathrooms, a dining hall, and indoor recreation facilities as well.

Residential Girls Hostel: Kasturba Hostel, Bethany Hostel, Susan Hostel

Residential Boys Hostel: Galaxy Hostel, Jupiter Hostel

Off-campus Hostel: Orient Hostel

Hostel fees, as set by the university, are:

Our Take:

Despite the hostel facilities provided, students prefer the nearby residential apartments instead of university hostels. When asked about the same, they responded that the hostel rooms are congested with no proper maintenance. Students occasionally take pleasure in the food provided in the mess, but most of the time it is not at all delectable.

Cafe/Hangout

The university boasts about providing numerous cafeterias and hangout joints for the students. These include the following:

Commute

According to the university officials, they maintain a fleet of 50 buses, providing transportation to key city locations for the convenience of both students and the staff. Students with personal vehicles need to obtain a vehicle pass. The fees charged are mentioned here:

Our Take:

Students have voiced that the university already has a parking zone, and owing to the university’s location 22 km south of Chennai, the fee charged for a vehicle pass is unreasonable.

Other Facilities

Apart from classrooms and laboratories, students also have access to facilities like Bank/ATM, a clinic, a reprography centre, a beauty salon, a supermarket, an open-air theatre and a few other arenas.

Hindustan University Placements

As per the official records, Hindustan University was ranked India's 17th top engineering institute by the Times of India in 2021 for its placements. The university further boasts about its placement record of 82% for 2022, the highest salary package of INR 31 LPA, and the average salary package of INR 5 LPA.

Some of the university's top recruiters are:

Department-wise Hindustan University placement statistics (NIRF 2023)

Engineering | Course Duration-4 Years

Our Take:

With a placement percentage of 87.2%, the placement is considerable. However, students have said that the number of dream companies visiting the campus is very low. Most of the companies that recruit students are either BPOs or insurance companies.

Architecture | Course Duration-5 Years

Our Take:

The placement for the UG 5-year programme is quite satisfactory, at 94.2% in Architecture. The median package offered for this programme is also quite good.

Management | Course Duration-2 Years

Our Take:

97% of students got placed, which is pretty good. However, students have expressed that hardly a few big corporate names visit the campus. IT companies are the most visible recruiters during the campus placement drive.

Hindustan University Diversity and Demographics

The university website mentions that students from across India choose to study at Hindustan University. On an international level, the university claims to have provided education to students from Sri Lanka, the African continent, the Gulf countries, Singapore, and Malaysia. In India, most students come from Kerala and Andhra.

International Global Exposure Programme

The university claims to provide students with the needed exposure at the global level with the help of its 150 partner universities worldwide, through:

• Semester Exchange/Semester abroad
• Internships in Industries abroad
• Research Internships
• Study Tour
• Participation in Competitions
• Summer Programmes

Hindustan University: Gender Ratio Index

Our Take:

The female-to-male ratio is not satisfactory at merely 31.7%. The lowest female population can be seen in the UG 3-year programme, comprising just 30.9% of the total student population in the course. The university needs to work on itself to increase female representation on campus.

Hindustan University: Diversity Representation

Our Take:
Analysing the data, students from outside Tamil Nadu comprise only 36.3% of the total students, including 112 international students. It is apparent that the local students favour Hindustan University more as compared to those from outside Tamil Nadu.  One reason that the students voiced against such low numbers is the linguistic barrier as many staff and faculty members are not well-versed in Hindi.

Hindustan University Faculty and Administration/Management

Hindustan University Faculty

As per the official website, the male-to-female ratio of faculty members stands at 54:46, with 70% of them hailing from Tamil Nadu and the remaining from across India.  The university also boasts about recruiting faculty members from abroad. Hindustan University NIRF Report 2023 records the total faculty count at 674.

The department-wise student-to-faculty ratio as per the NIRF 2023 report is cited below:

Our Take:

Faculty-wise, the feedback received from the students was mixed. Faculty from a few departments, like B. Des, B.Arch, BSc, MBA, and EEE, among others, received notable gratitude from students. Regardless, a few students from other departments voiced that the quality of teaching has not met the required standards.

Hindustan University Administration/Management

The administrative department has not turned out to be influential for the students.  Many students had similar issues. Refund and fine-related issues were spotlighted the most. Citing an example, students voiced that they took admission to the university by paying a fee of INR 2, 50,000. Later, they were informed abruptly that the course was unavailable and advised to transfer to another college. Due to financial constraints, they were unable to switch colleges, and as a result, they are still awaiting a refund after 4.5 years. If the news is to be believed, the university students protested against the management by vandalizing its campus. They claimed that the management imposed unduly high fees for miscellaneous purposes, including registration fees for exams.

Source- Deccan Chronicle

Our Take:

Calculating the comparable criticisms from the students regarding the unavailability of courses and non-repayment of fees, it is apparent that the university has not taken any perceptible measures against the same. We can conclude that since 2016, after the protest, the university has been revolving around the same state of affairs every year.

Hindustan University Location

Located at Padur on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai in Kelambakkam (Tamil Nadu), the university is at a distance of 22 km from Chennai, extending from Old Mahabalipuram Road to Muttukadu Lake. Students have claimed that public transport is a convenient means of reaching the university.

Our Take:

We came across considerable comments where students were baffled about the campus location as the web searches displayed 2 addresses.  When asked about the same, the current university students provided the following clarification:

Hindustan University, Admission Office: 40, G.S.T Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600016

Hindustan University, Campus: Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), Padur, Kelambakam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 603103.

Hindustan University Expectation vs Reality - CollegeDekho Verdict

Considering the architectural build and the varied infrastructural facilities, it is transparent that the university has left no stone unturned to provide the best to its students. Students have also accepted the same. However, they have also added a few concerns that they want the university to address:

• Improvements in hostel facilities and the quality of mess food.
• Modifications in the functioning of the university’s Centre for Open and Digital Education (CODE), as many students stated that their fees were not refunded despite the classes being cancelled.
• Transparency in the fines charged to students.
• Reimbursement of the fees that students paid at the time of admission and had to back out because of the unavailability of courses. This further raises concerns about whether the university actually offers the 130 courses it claims to provide!

Final Review Checkbox!