Tripura University Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at Glimpse

Tripura University is a public university located in Suryamaninagar, near Agartala. It was previously a branch of Calcutta University but eventually became a central university. Tripura University has received NAAC Grade 'B' accreditation for its good performance in academics, research, and placements. Sanctioned by the UGC, it is partnered with 46 affiliated institutions. At present, Tripura University has 2 faculties, 44 departments and 4 Centres of Study along with 4 departments under the Directorate of Distance Education. As many as 58 programmes including undergraduate, postgraduate, postgraduate diploma, certificate courses, as well as other postgraduate programmes are offered under this university.

Spread across a 75-acre campus, Tripura University offers adequate infrastructure and good campus life, with hostels, a canteen, a library, labs, and sports fields all within its premises. The institute offers a diverse environment and welcomes people from all backgrounds, especially from economically weaker sections. There are a few internship opportunities available for students so they can get a hands-on learning experience that will prepare them for the job market after graduation. The university has an excellent faculty of well-educated, highly skilled professors who are always ready to guide the students. Now coming to the drawbacks, Tripura University placements are poor and have gone down in the last couple of years due to a lack of mass recruiters visiting the campus. However, the management is working actively to improve the placements. Another setback is the university's location. The campus is located away from the main city in a rural region with no proper transportation facilities. The administration's inability to provide commute facilities is a major issue that students have to face. 

Tripura University NIRF Ranking

Tripura University did not receive a rank in the NIRF Rankings 2023 despite submitting data. However, it has been recognized by other ranking bodies as follows -

• Ranked 1001-1200 in the world and 401-500 in Asia in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023

• Ranked 1101-1200 in the world and 701-800 in Asia in the QS World University Rankings 2023

Our Take

All university rankings are based on a range of factors, such as faculty-to-student ratio, academic reputation, research citations papers published etc. The reason why Tripura University did not make it to the NIRF Rankings 2023 could be due to its inability to meet one or more of these criteria. The university should prioritize factors such as the faculty-student ratio and inclusivity, and focus on outcome-based education to foster an environment good for research productivity and positive peer perception, which will eventually help achieve higher rankings in the long run. It is important to note that improving rankings does not happen overnight, it requires consistent efforts over a period. 

Tripura University Academia & Batch Size

Tripura University has implemented the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS), which allows students to select courses from a variety of departments. Furthermore, the institution allows students to transfer credits earned from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to their self-study reports for a more comprehensive and personalized educational experience. Internal tests with assignments are conducted at the end of each semester. Exams are moderately difficult, but they are passable if students pay attention in class. The university exam pass rate is high, although one or two students occasionally fail. Tripura University also offers scholarships to eligible students, which is one of the major reasons why students seek admission here. 

Our Take

The CBCS system is a flexible and more student-centric approach. We believe it will help the students to better manage their time and workload. Due to the interdisciplinary approach, students will be encouraged to take up courses from different disciplines, which is likely to promote a broader understanding of various subjects. However, they may have to be more careful while planning their course of study. One setback is that the education system at Tripura University is not job-oriented as more emphasis is given to theoretical content, syllabus and timely examinations rather than practical knowledge. In this aspect, the institute needs to update its course curriculum as per the industry standards and provide students with practical skills training for a successful career. With scholarships being offered under various schemes, students with poor financial backgrounds can be better equipped to meet the educational expenses that might seem unaffordable otherwise. 

Tripura University Infrastructure 

• Classroom:There are 113 classrooms in total. The university's buildings have accessible restrooms, ramps, tactile paving, and elevators.

• Auditorium/ Seminar Halls/ Labs: The university has an auditorium and seminar hall. The university campus has a well-equipped network lab, electronic and microprocessor labs, digital image processing labs, programming labs, and so on.

• Library:The university's main library can accommodate 250 students at once. It has print books, print journals, CDs, DVDs, Thesis/Dissertations, reports, newspapers, e-journals, and e-books in it, and it is well-stocked and knowledgeable. Through e-ShodhSindhu, library patrons have access to 14 online databases and more than 30,000 e-books. 

• Internet:According to the university self-study report 2021, the campus is equipped with Wi-Fi and LAN, modern systems, and network equipment, with a student-computer ratio of 4:1. However, it is only for staff members' official tasks and students do not have any access to university Wi-Fi according to the reviews shared on Quora. 

• Hostel: The university also has hostel buildings with a capacity of 100 students.

• Activities:There is a sports ground within the university premises. However, it is only big enough for a few games like badminton and volleyball. A cricket field is also being built. Tripura University's sports board organizes several sports and events for university students each year, such as inter-departmental football and volleyball competitions.

• Cafe/ Hang-out Places: Tripura University has a canteen that is large enough to accommodate numerous students.

Our Take 

Our take on Tripura University's infrastructure is that it is average and there is a lot of scope for improvement. The university must provide Wi-Fi service to students and not only to teachers so they can access online resources to supplement their in-class learning, research topics, do practical tasks or submit assignments. Besides, the internet is also essential for them to stay connected with the world outside of academics. The university administration should upgrade the basic classroom setting to digital classrooms. Virtual classrooms and smart learning are more engaging and interactive than traditional classrooms. As far as the hostel accommodation is concerned, the majority of the students at Tripura University live in PGs since the hostel facility is for ST-category students only. In this aspect, the university must extend hostel facilities to all the students. They should increase the number of hostel wings to accommodate more students. The current intake capacity of only a hundred students is not good enough. Furthermore, since there is no banking facility on campus, it is difficult for students to commute every time they are in need of cash or monetary assistance. The university must install ATMs within the premises so students do not have to step outside campus and search miles for ATMs. 

Tripura University Internships and Placements

Tripura University Internship

There are limited internship opportunities given to students at Tripura University. Students can get up to an INR 10,000 stipend per month through university internships.

Tripura University Placement

According to the Tripura University NIRF Report 2023, a total of 141 PG students were placed. The average package offered to PG (1-year) and PG (2-year) students was INR 3 LPA and INR 2.60 LPA, respectively. For PG (3-year) courses, the average package stood at INR 10 LPA. The following table shows the total number of students who appeared and got placed during the 2022 placements drive. 

NOTE: The "NA" indicates that there was no data available on the NIRF report for the given year.

Our Take

Considering the placement report given above, Tripura University placements are very poor, and students don't get enough jobs after the completion of the degree. The fact that of both UG and PG students, only a few postgraduate students received placements during the campus recruitment is discouraging. This may indicate that students with only a graduate degree from the university are considered less qualified by recruiters or may not have the knowledge/skills demanded by employers. The university administration should focus on providing training, particularly to UG and diploma holders to ensure they have a fair chance of getting selected. The absence of mass recruiters, fewer hirings and a more rigorous selection process are a cause of worry for fresh graduates. Even the average annual package offered by employers is not at par with the industry standards. Going by the market reports, IT firms have been hiring less than half of the freshers they hired the previous year. This could be a major reason for the poor placement rates. Furthermore, very few university departments allow for university-sponsored internships. Despite having a placement cell that works with the Equal Opportunity Cell to provide better placements for students, Tripura University needs to level up a lot and work more on bringing recruiters home and training students.

Tripura University Diversity & Representation

Tripura University offers co-education facilities with both female and male students and faculty members. According to the university self-study report, the institute provides admission to students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The majority of the students are from the northeastern states, particularly Tripura, where economically deprived students do not have the opportunity or money to travel to other areas of the county.

Tripura University Male-Female Seat Intake

According to the university self-study report 2021, the following number of male and female students are at the university: 

Tripura University State-Outside State Seat Intake

The majority of the students studying at Tripura University were within the state. A fraction of students also were admitted to Tripura University from outside the state indicating the university has fewer names outside Tripura. 

Our Take

Enrollment of students at Tripura University from diverse socioeconomic, educational, and cultural backgrounds indicates that the institute promotes gender and cultural diversity, which is commendable. Students seeking admission here need not worry about gender, religion, culture, caste and creed. This also opens up a lot of opportunities for the students to interact among themselves and adapt to each other's culture and traditional values. Although the majority of the seats are filled by students from within the state, Tripura University sees several applications from outside the state and even the country for that matter. Therefore, it is safe to say that the university is well known among other state students and foreign nations. However, the university has fewer female students as compared to males, which may be due to the poor, inconvenient location of the institute or more number of female students opting out of college after graduation. 

Tripura University Faculty/ College Administration & Management

Tripura University has around 158 faculty members who are highly qualified with postgraduate and PhD degrees, according to the university's official website. The teachers are quite helpful and encourage students to seek academic assistance whenever needed. The faculty assists in making students accountable by delegating programme duties to them. However, the faculty members are limited with the student-teacher ratio being 1592:157, which has been highlighted by the university itself in its self-study report published in 2021.

Our Take

According to our research, we didn't find any negative reviews or feedback about Tripura University faculty members. This indicates that students are satisfied with the faculty and that the university administration is doing a good job of maintaining good relations and interactive sessions between teachers and students. There is a conducive learning environment, which is great. However, as per the institute's self-study report, it is facing difficulty attracting new professors because seed money cannot be provided to newly employed faculty members due to a shortage of funds. The university management must strive to raise more funds to hire more staff and faculty members. Alternatively, they may consider recruiting guest lecturers for a single semester or academic year in case of a shortage of funds. Only then will the teacher-to-student ratio be balanced. 

Tripura University Location

Tripura University location is NH8, University Rd., Suryamani Nagar, Agartala, Madhupur, Tripura 799022. The university is located away from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, the university's location in rural areas causes problems for students. There is no university transportation available for students, making it difficult for students living in remote areas to attend university. In addition, the Tripura University canteen food is average, and therefore, if students look for nearby cafes and restaurants, there aren't any that will cater to students' taste buds. There are no nearby department stores, medical stores, hospitals, or grocery stores near the university.

Our Take

One of the major issues that students face is the lack of proper transportation services provided by the university. The university must work in this direction and dedicate a fleet of bus services to solve the students' transportation problems. The university should also set up a few stops for basic necessities, such as a medical store in times of emergency, a Xerox shop etc. for the convenience of students. 

Expectation vs Reality CollegeDekho Verdict

Tripura University is not a top-ranked institution in India, but it is a well-known institute in the state. It is a feasible university for local students who don't want to relocate to another state for education. The Tripura University campus provides the necessities, guaranteeing a modest yet comfortable campus lifestyle. The university’s academic course structure does not fully correlate with industry criteria, and the same has been highlighted by the university in its self-study report. At this university, internship prospects are limited. Tripura University offers poor placements. However, the university management is working to uplift its placements. The university faculties and teachers are the backbone of the university, but they are limited. The university needs to hire more teachers. One of the reasons for the outdated Tripura University infrastructure, a limited number of faculties, and limited management staff is a lack of revenue from sources other than the government.

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