Kalam to visit NIT Srinagar

KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, Aug 6: President A P J Abul Kalam is visiting the prestigious National Institute of Technology (NIT) here on August 19.

Days ahead of his visit, the Institude is bracing up for his arrival.

The Srinagar based NIT, sources at the Institude said, is the first NIT across the country to receive the President.

The mood is upbeat within the campus and the preparations are at its peak.

It was only last year that the erstwhile Regional Engineering College (REC) here was upgraded into the NIT.

Dr Arun Kumar, principal secretary to Governor S K Sinha, confirmed his visit to the Institude.

"He will be spending an hour in the Institude and may possibly deliver a lecture there", he said.

Director NIT, Ms S K Pandey, when contacted, said the President is scheduled to have an interaction with the students of the institute as well.

"The President is himself a scientist and the students here are enthusiastic about his visit", she said.

Besides, she said, the President may also have interaction with the faculty.

She said the preparations are in full swing to receive the President.

The Institute is bracing up for the occassion and is getting a facelift.

The security has been beefed up in and around the Institude, several weeks ahead of his visit.

The class rooms, laborataries and the hostels are witnessing a cleanliness drive.

"This is a rare occassion for the NIT and first time during last one and a half decades of violence, the first citizen of country is paying his visit to the Institude", a faculty member said.

The Institude is in the process of improving its infrastructure and bring it at par with other NIT's of the country.

It is also procuring scores of acres of land situated at some distance from the Institude where additional constructions will be made.

The President's visit is expected to provide the much needed succour to the Institude.