Aliah University Reviews & Rating - Student, Faculty, Hostel, Placements, Campus

Campus at a Glimpse

Aliah University was born out of Mohammedan College of Calcutta, founded by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of the East India Company, in 1780. The college was elevated to university status in 2007 by the state government. It also received an autonomous status. Currently, it is run by the Department of Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education, Government of West Bengal. 

It is a co-ed university that is approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Aliah University offers a wide range of courses, including traditional programmes in Islamic studies, Urdu, Arabic, and other technical subjects in engineering and science. 

While Aliah University strives to provide holistic education to its students through well-built infrastructure, ample facilities, and an all-around curriculum, it lacks in several areas. Students on various platforms have reported a dearth of good faculty, exposure, internships, and placement opportunities. Apart from that, various incidents of protest and controversy related to the management have occurred on the campus. To make a conscious choice, let’s examine more details about Aliah University! 

Aliah University Rankings: Still to spot a rank! 

Aliah University participated in the NIRF India Rankings from 2019 to 2022 but didn’t secure a spot. Also, it has not been ranked yet by any prominent ranking agencies such as THE, QS, Outlook, The Week, and India Today. 

Our Take: 

Aliah University’s lack of ranking in any of these prestigious rankings is a cause for concern. It suggests that the university is not yet performing at a level comparable to other universities. However, it should be noted that rankings are just one metric for assessing the quality of an educational institution. One can’t rely completely on rankings to form a perspective! 

Aliah University Academia & Batch Size

Aliah University is a multidisciplinary university offering 20+ courses in the disciplines of Technology, Science, Management, Arts, Humanities, and Law. It has 4 departments offering a range of educational programmes, including UG, PG, and PhD. Here is a list of departments and Aliah University courses.

Being an autonomous university, Aliah University has its own curriculum, which it claims to be holistic. The university follows a Choice-Based Credit System and comprehensive and cumulative assessments, as per the UGC guidelines. The examinations are held on a semester basis, and the results are declared following the grading system. 

As per students, the university prioritises the overall development of the students. The curriculum is updated but doesn’t make students industry-ready. Lack of co-curricular activities, industrial training, and exposure have been experienced by the students. 

Our Take: 

Aliah University offers a variety of courses to choose from, including both traditional and trendy programmes. While the university strives to provide a holistic academic environment, incorporating industry training and exposure opportunities would further enhance the student experience and prepare them for the global workforce. At the same time, the university needs to prepare its students for the modern industry through various training programmes embedded in the curriculum.

Aliah University Infrastructure

Aliah University has three campuses for different departments located in New Town, Park Circus, and Taltala. The New Town campus is the main campus, with more than 150 classrooms and a capacity of 12,000 students. Let’s explore the campus’ infrastructure and facilities in detail. 

Classroom: 

The classrooms at Aliah University are spacious and well-maintained. According to the students, classrooms are well-lit and have basic furniture like benches, desks, and whiteboards. Some classrooms are ICT-enabled and have mikes and podiums. 

Laboratories:

An adequate number of laboratories are available for different departments, such as the computer lab and ECE lab. As per students’ reviews, most labs are well-equipped. However, some laboratories lack adequate facilities and machines. 

Library:

Each campus of Aliah University has its own library with adequate reading materials. The Newtown Library has books on technical subjects. On the other hand, the Park Circus Library has books on non-technical subjects. The library at the Taltala campus has books on Islamic theology.   

Internet:

According to the students’ feedback, the Internet facility is accessible across the campus of the university. 

Commute:

Inter-campus bus facilities are available at the university for easy commuting. 

Hostel:

At present, Aliah University has three hostels: 2 for girls and one for boys. According to the students’ reviews, preference is given to outstation students in hostels. As the number of hostels is quite low, local students don’t get a chance to get accommodation there. Moreover, the hostels are affordable and usually allotted to students with low economic backgrounds. Hostel rooms are clean and comfortable.

Activities:

Students have reported that annual fests and events are not conducted frequently at Aliah University. However, the freshmen and farewell parties are organised by the students. Other extracurricular activities are held occasionally. 

Cafe/Hang-out:

The university has a well-maintained and affordable canteen, according to the students’ reviews. The food served is good in taste and quality. Moreover, there are various hangout places near the campus, such as Eco Park, NICCO Park, Eco Urban Village, City Centre 2 Mall, Axis Mall, Central Mall, and Victoria Memorial.

Our Take: 

Aliah University has a well-maintained infrastructure with adequate facilities. The classrooms, laboratories, and library are spacious and well-ventilated. However, some students have complained about the lack of adequate equipment at the labs. At the same time, more hostels can be built to meet the needs of the students. Also, the university must focus on organising more activities, events, and fests to help students develop their personalities through active participation. 

Aliah University Internships and Placements 

Aliah University Internships:

The university has collaborated with the National Small Industries Corporation and Bassetti ITES Private Ltd to provide industrial training and internships to students. According to the students’ reviews, only 20% to 30% of students receive on-campus internship opportunities, and others look for off-campus internships. 

Aliah University Placements:

Aliah University hasn’t released any placement report for the 2022-23 academic year. Based on the NIRF 2022 report, the placement rate of the 2021 batch was extremely low. 0.9% to 33% of UG students and 0.125% to 3.6% of PG students were placed. Above that, the median package ranged between INR 1.80 LPA to 4.30 LPA. Here is the breakdown of Aliah University placements for 2021. 

Course-wise Placement Statistics 2021:

Top Recruiters:

• TCS
• Cognizant
• Infosys
• Wipro
• TVS
• Capgemini
• Tech Mahindra
• Hitachi Consulting 
• HCL
• Asian Paints
• Kotak Life
• Berger
• ICICI Bank 

Based on student input in online forums, the highest package offered at Aliah University placements is Rs 12 to 14 LPA for popular courses such as B.Tech and M.Sc. However, the scope for placements in most of the courses is extremely limited. 

Our Take: 

After analysing the Aliah University placement statistics and student reviews, it is clear that the university fails to provide ample internship and placement opportunities to its students. In 2021, only 2 students from the three-year UG courses were successfully placed with a median package of INR 1.80 LPA. It can be evident that, except for B.Tech, no efforts have been made to provide job opportunities to other students. This strongly speaks to the university’s inefficiency in providing industry exposure to students. 

Aliah University Diversity & Demographics

Aliah University is a less diverse university than many other universities in India. It is evident from the fact that the vast majority of its students are from its home state of West Bengal. Additionally, the percentage of male students is comparatively higher than that of female students, creating a male-centric environment. 

Let’s inspect the demographics in detail to gain better insight! 

Student Population:

Aliah University enjoys great regional popularity, with 93% of students belonging to West Bengal. This can be due to various factors, including the fact that it is led by a minority community. Local students belonging to a certain religion might be more interested in getting admission here. This might have resulted in a smaller number of students coming from other states and abroad. The same reason can work for the unequal gender ratio, which is around 5:3. Whatever the reason may be, Aliah University needs to take steps to increase diversity on campus. 

Aliah University Faculty/College Administration & Management

Aliah University has a mix of experienced and new faculty. As per NIRF 2022 report, the university has 211 faculty members, including PhD and PG degree holders. There are some highly qualified and knowledgeable teachers committed to teaching and research. However, many faculty members are less experienced and average in terms of teaching quality, as per students’ feedback on Quora. 

The administration and management team of Aliah University is responsible for the overall running of the university, including academics, finance, and student services. While the team is qualified and motivated, it can do more to improve the exposure opportunities offered to students. 

Our Take: 

Aliah University presents areas of both excellence and improvement in terms of faculty, administration, and management. It should focus on recruiting and retaining more experienced and qualified faculty and providing more opportunities for students. 

Aliah University Location

Aliah University is situated in Action Area I, IIA/27, New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal. It is easily accessible through road, rail, and air transport. Let’s have a look at the nearest transportation option from the campus. 

• One can catch a local bus within walking distance from the campus. 
• The nearest railway station is Bally Railway Station, located within 30 minutes of reach. 
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the nearest airport, located at a distance of 10.6 km.  

Aliah University: Expectation vs Reality CLD Verdict!

Aliah University caters to less than 3,000 students across its three campuses. It should not be difficult to provide a robust curriculum and ample job opportunities for a state-run university. However, the scenario is just the opposite of what is expected. The university offers satisfactory infrastructure and facilities but fails to offer ample exposure and job opportunities. 

It appears that the students enrol at Aliah University due to its low fee structure, which ranges from INR 5,000 to 50,000 for the complete course. Additionally, the majority of the students and faculty can be found belonging to the Muslim community, as Aliah University is for a particular minority community. 

Our Final Checklist!