NIT Rourkela asks students to post certificates ‘at their own risk’

NEW DELHI: The National Institute of Technology Rourkela, on Wednesday, asked its first-year MTech students to send their original certificates and documents through “speed post or registered post” for physical verification “at their own risk”.

NIT Rourkela provides stipends for MTech students which amounts to Rs 12,400 per month. However, MTech students who joined in 2020 have not received their stipends for over a year as the institute said that the “stipend shall be released only after verifying the genuineness of the original certificates”.

In a notification emailed to students, NIT Rourkela said that the first-year MTech “admission process was purely provisional subject to verification of original documents during physical reporting” for the 2020 batch who joined amid the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

The institute asked students to “post or send their original documents” via speed post or registered post “at their own risk”. The institute said that it “will not be responsible for any delay or loss of the documents in transit”. Alternatively, students can also physically submit the documents “in the dropbox kept with the security personnel at the campus main gate”.

The assistant registrar, NIT Rourkela, in a notification said: “As per institute rules, confirmation of the admission and further continuance in the academic programme is subject to physical verification of original certificates/documents and submission of three certificates in original viz.Conduct Certificate, College LeavingCertificate/Transfer Certificate and Migration Certificate.”

The decision was taken after a meeting of deans and head of departments on Tuesday, the assistant registrar said. M.tech students, on April 2, had sent a letter to the director asking to release the stipends and complaining that their mails raising the issue go unanswered.

“Although some students have raised concerns about the risks of sending original documents through post most are just relieved that they will be getting their stipends. I don’t think they are thinking of the risks of sending documents through post as they are happy that the administration has finally given in to their demands,” said an MTech student who did not wish to be named.

Students also claimed that other NITs have released stipends by verifying documents online without insisting on physical verification.

NIT Rourkela authorities, however, maintained that the risk should be borne by the students and that stipends cannot be released without the original documents.

“If you are sending the documents through post then that is your responsibility, the institute will not be responsible. But I don’t think if students sent it through a registered post that it will be lost. Alternatively, students can also opt to send through someone who can deposit it in the box kept in front of the main gate,” said Pradip Kumar Das, registrar, NIT Rourkela.

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