60 NIT-Srinagar students placed

New Delhi: Sixty students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar have been placed in software, construction and management roles this year, with the highest annual package offered during the recruitment drive topping Rs 19 lakh, according to a placement committee coordinator.

Amit Kumar, the coordinator, said Optum, Samsung and Lowe’s were among the recruiters. While seven students have been offered annual packages of Rs 19.56 lakh each, the highest so far this year, the average salary package is between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. Last year, the highest offer was of Rs 28 lakh.

NIT Srinagar, which has 360 students in its final-year batch, had suspended classes on August 3, a day after the government issued an advisory asking all tourists to leave the state. Following this, hundreds of non-local students left the institute for their home states with help from the management. On August 5, the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370, under which Jammu and Kashmir had special status.

Placements, which had begun on August 1, were restarted on August 27 in Ghaziabad, where students have been staying in a hostel, said Kumar. Some interviews also took placed during a pooled recruitment drive with Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi, said Kumar.

Placements at the institute are unlikely to restart now as internet access in the Valley is still restricted to a few kiosks each in government offices, and recruiters don’t prefer to come in such a situation, according to placement committee members.

Internet and mobile telephony services were suspended in Kashmir on August 4, a day before the government’s move on Article 370. Post-paid telephone services were restored only earlier this week.

ET had reported earlier that the institute is planning to continue with placements in the winter break. Placement committee members said they are confident of good placements this year as well, although it would be delayed.