DA-IICT’s status

What is the status of DA-IICT? Is it a university, a college affiliated to any recognized university or any private institute still seeking for recognition/affiliation?
DA-IICT is a full-fledged state university (not a deemed university) since March 2003. University status has been conferred on it through a state Act of the Government of Gujarat on 6 March 2003.

Is DA-IICT recognized by UGC?
The University Grants Commission (UGC) of the Government of India has notified the inclusion of DA-IICT in the list of universities maintained by the UGC under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act. This Notification was issued on 30 November 2004.

Has DA-IICT obtained/applied for AICTE approval?
DA-IICT does not fall under purview of AICTE for recognition of its program(s). MHRD has also come out with its directives to AICTE stating that it cannot send notices to any University/Deemed-to-be-University on recognition of the courses run by them. The above circular issued in April 2006.

Has DA-IICT obtained/applied for any other agencies’ approval/accreditation?
Being a full-fledged University, DA-IICT does not aspire for any such accreditation or approval.

Does DA-IICT belong to AIU (Association of Indian Universities)?
DA-IICT has applied for the membership of Association of Indian Universities (AIU). It is just a procedural delay at their end. However, as long as UGC has approved DA-IICT, it does not affect the recognition and functioning of
DA-IICT.

Admission

How do I get admission in DA-IICT?
DA-IICT offers programs in B.Tech. (ICT), M.Tech.(ICT), M.Sc.(IT), M.Sc.(ICT in Agriculture and Rural Development), M.Des.(Multimedia) and Ph.D. Advertisement for respective admissions appears in major national dailies, generally during Dec-March with their eligibility criteria clearly mentioned. Admissions take place strictly as per the announcement made.

Can I obtain a MBA degree from DA-IICT?
No. DA-IICT is not a management institute.

Can I afford studying here? What is the fee structure of DA-IICT?
Contrary to the myth about any private institution, DA-IICT has a very nominal tuition fee structure. For B.Tech.(ICT) it is Rs 30,000 per semester, M.Tech.(ICT) it is Rs 25,000 per semester, M.Sc.(IT) – Rs 25,000 per semester, M.Sc.(ICT in Agriculture and Rural Development) – Rs 20,000 per semester, M.Des.(Multimedia) – Rs 33,000 per semester and Ph.D. – Rs 15,000 per semester.

Academics

How students get evaluated during the program?
DA-IICT follows a semester system, with A/B/C/D/F letter grades and a 10-point scale (SPI/CPI). Grading is based on continuous evaluation throughout the semester and not simply on the final examination.

How B.Tech. (ICT) program is laid out/planned?
The program includes:

1. Core courses in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), basic sciences and mathematics, humanities and social sciences, communication skills
2. Track core courses in both Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) as well as Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) (six tracks have been identified, Software Development, Distributed Systems, Computer Systems, Communication Systems, Communication Engineering and VLSI Design and Analysis)
3. Technical and open elective courses
4. Two of the three offered internships in breaks.
5. B Tech project (full semester)
6. In all there are 27 core courses (including 2 Individual Seminar courses) appropriately clubbed with tutorials and labs – wherever necessary, 2 track core courses, 2 science courses (as elective), 6 technical electives and 3 open electives along with 2 internships and one B.Tech. Project.

How much credit a student needs to earn for graduation?
A student is required to complete 162-172 credit courses for graduating in minimum 8 semesters for B Tech (ICT) program.

Financial Aid

Is there any assistantship or fellowship available for the B.Tech. (ICT) students?
Depending upon their CPI, they might get stipend in form of TAship during 7-8th semesters. Institute also offers scholarship for some students.

Am I eligible for a scholarship?
Institute is offering two scholarships: Merit Scholarship and Merit-cum-means Scholarship based on All India rank of your admission result. This takes care of your tuition fee. If you are a good rank holder, may be among top five, you are definitely eligible for getting scholarship. Formal criteria for the scholarship will be announced at the time of counselling for admission.

Eligibility for other exams

Can I write for CAT after graduating from DA-IICT?
Certainly. The IIMs had placed membership of AIU as a criterion for admission. However, in the judgement (year 2005) by the Gujarat High Court, this criterion has been set aside. Many of our students have got admissions in these management institutes after clearing CAT.

Are your students eligible for admission in IIMs?
There is no doubt in it, they are eligible as any other graduates. At least 30 students, who are alumni of DA-IICT, have got admissions in different Management Institutes including IIMs.

A few are also selected in SP Jain Institute Bombay, Narsee Monjee Inst of Management Studies Bombay, IIT Bombay, NID, Chennai Mathematical Institute, IMT Ghaziabad etc.

Can I get admission in foreign university for higher studies? Is DA-IICT’s degree recognized abroad?
At least 40 students have been offered admissions in various foreign universities of international repute for higher studies (MS, Ph D and MBA programs). These universities are: MIT Media Lab, Stanford University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Arizona State University, Case Western Reserve University, Rochester Inst. of Technology, State University of New York at Buffalo, George Washington University, Univ of Florida (UFL), North Carolina State Univ (NCSU), Univ of Texas, Austin, Univ of Georgia, Univ of California, Irwin (UCI), Univ of Central Florida (UCF), Univ of Missouri Rolla (UMR), Auburn Univ, Alabama, Univ of Spain, Denmark Tech Univ (DTU), ISEP, France, Univ of Toronto, Canada.

Am I eligible for writing any competitive exams like conducted by UPSC?
Though we do not keep track of students appearing in various competitive exams, for your clarity it has been reported that students of our institute did write exams of Civil Services and Indian Engineering Services (IES) conducted by UPSC.

Can I appear for GATE?
Students of our institute have also been appearing for GATE exams under the streams of CS, IT or EC. Many students are pursuing M.Tech. and Ph D from IITs.

Hostel and other infrastructure

Can a B.Tech. (ICT) student get hostel accommodation?
Residency, in form of hostel accommodation, is compulsory for a B.Tech. (ICT) student. There are separate hostels for boys (900 seats) and girls (195 seats) in the campus itself.

What is the security arrangement in the girls’ hostel?
A lady security staff remains on duty all the time at the entrance of the hostel. Girls cannot leave hostel premises after 01:00 hrs in night without permission of the warden. Boys are not allowed to go beyond the reception area of the hostel. No male guest can go to the room of any of the girls.

What are the facilities being provided in the campus in form of services for the students?
There are many, including Sports and Cultural Complex, a well-equipped gymnasium, Music Room, Open Air Theatre, Medical Centre, Cafeteria and Food courts, ATM and STD PCO on campus, Campus Shop, Book Shop, a truly green fully networked campus

What is the medical facility available for the students?
We have a medical centre in the Hall of Residence for Men in the campus. Daily two doctors (general physician) visit campus and a panel of medical specialists is also available. All students are covered under Group Mediclaim Insurance Policy (coverage of Rs. 15,000 per annum) and Personal Accident Insurance Policy (coverage of Rs. 50,000 per annum) on completion of certain formality after registration.

Placement

What is the statistics, in general, of the placement of DA-IICT?
DA-IICT has been getting a consistent 100% campus placement every year since its first PG batch graduated in 2004 and first B.Tech. batch graduated in 2005.

What type of companies visit for campus placement regularly?
DA-IICT is a hot destination for companies like Microsoft, Accenture, MindTree, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Texas Instruments, ST Microelectronics, Arm Embedded Technology, Cadence, HP, L&T, Reliance Communications, Sun Microsystems, InterraIT etc.

What is the average salary do student get during campus placement at DA-IICT?
Around Rs. 3.25 lacs gross per annum.

What is the highest salary ever offered to a DA-IICT student during campus placement?
Rs. 9.2 lacs gross per annum.

Has anybody got an offer from abroad during campus placement?
No. We have never invited a foreign based company during campus placement

PG Admissions

How can I obtain the application form and other admission materials?

• Application Form can be submitted online or by post. If you want to submit application form by post, you should download the application form along with instructions from here and fill it and send it by post.
  
• To submit application by post, please send the filled application with a  Demand Draft (with your name and mailing address, and program name written on the reverse) of Rs. 1000/- drawn in favour of DA-IICT and payable at Ahmedabad, to Convener, PG Admission Committee, DA-IICT, Near Indroda Circle, Gandhinagar - 382 007, Gujarat, India. 
  

What is the venue for the admission test?

All tests and interviews will be held at DA-IICT, Gandhinagar, Gujarat except for MSc(IT) program. We are exploring the possibility to hold MSc(IT) entrance tests at Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur and Indore, in addition to our Gandhinagar Campus.

Is any weightage given to scores obtained in GATE or CEED? 

For the MTech program, applicants with a sufficiently high GATE scores (all India rank) in the relevant disciplines will be offered Direct Admission or be directly called for interview (exempted from appearing in the written test). 

Similarly, for the MDes program, applicants with a sufficiently high CEED scores (all India rank) in the relevant disciplines will be offered Direct Admission or be directly called for interview (exempted from appearing in the written test). 

Who can get direct admission to a program?

A number of seats in MTech and MDes programs are set aside for direct admission to candidates with outstanding GATE and CEED scores respectively. These candidates will be informed about the direct admission by mail and they can accept the offer without coming to the campus.

Is any weightage given to scores obtained in exams other than GATE or CEED? 

For other programs, no specific preference is given, but you should automatically perform better in the Admission Test than those who have not done well in any or more of these examinations.

What is the duration of the Admission Test?

Varies from 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the program.

What is the Admission Test pattern and syllabus?

Different admission tests will be conducted for the different programs. The tests will mostly be multiple choice except for PhD and MDes candidates.

The syllabus for the tests will be as follows:

• M.Tech.: basic subjects covered in any of the undergraduate programs specified as the qualifying from relevant disciplines, reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• MSc(IT): mathematical, analytical, and computer aptitude.
• MDes(Multimedia): design skills, creativity, and aptitude.
• PhD: problem-solving skills related to the relevant areas of specialization.

What is the minimum percentage for eligibility ?

Please see the individual program write-up for eligibility criteria.

What are the job prospects after the completion of the program?

DA-IICT has a Placement Services Cell, which assists student to obtain jobs. For placement statistics for previous years, please refer to the main website.

Are there any scholarships or financial assistance for students ?

• All selected students for MTech and PhD programs are given financial assistance in the form of teaching / research assistantships.
  
• Financial assistance may also be available to a limited number of students selected in other programs.

Can I apply for more than one program?

• You can apply for more than one program but you need to apply separately for each one.
  
• You can do this either by submitting more than one application online or by sending in more than one form by post.
  
• Each separate application will require a separate DD for the requisite application fee.
  
• Admission test and interview will be conducted on different dates for different programs.

What is number of seats (intake) for different programs?

• The maximum number of seats is indicated in the write-up for each individual program.
  
• Actual intake will depend on the performance of the candidate during the admission process.
  
• During 2008-09 session, number of seats on offer are as follows:
  • 40 for MTech (ICT) (There is a possibility that additional seats may be released.)
  • 60 for MSc (IT)
  • 20 for MSc (ICT in Agriculture & Rural Development)
  • 20 for MDes
  • No fixed number for PhD

What are the categories for Post Graduate registration available?

• A student may register in a given semester in two possible categories: resident registration and external registration. Only resident registration will count towards the residence requirement for a degree. A foreign student on student visa will not be considered as an external student.
  
• To qualify for resident registration, the student must register for a duly approved course program and pay the prescribed tuition and other fees, including any outstanding dues.
  
• To qualify for external registration, a student must register for a duly approved research program, and pay the prescribed registration fees, with the provision that the PG Committee may, in special cases, permit registration for coursework also. However, this qualification is subject to the proviso that a regular M.Tech. student may not avail of external registration for the purpose of obtaining an ‘S’ grade for thesis work, as detailed in Section 2.4 (e) of PG program manual.
  
• A Ph D student must register under resident registration in the semester in which the Ph D thesis is submitted for evaluation. This requirement may be relaxed in exceptional cases by the Post-Graduate Committee on the recommendation of the student’s
  Ph.D. thesis advisor.