Dr Lalit Awasthi is NIT head

Hamirpur, October 11

Dr Lalit Awasthi assumed the charge as director of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here today. Prior to this, he was the director of NIT Jalandhar in Punjab and was holding additional charge of the local NIT from the past few months. He was given additional charge of the institute after various anomalies surfaced pertaining to selection of staff.

Dr Awasthi had served at the NIT here earlier as head of Computer Science and Engineering Department and was entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Institute of Engineering and Technology at Pragatinagar in Shimla district. While at Pragatinagar, he was also the director of the JN Government Engineering College, Sundernagar. He also served as the founder director of Mahatma Gandhi Government Engineering College, Jeori, at Rampur.

The director said the experience he had gained while serving at various institutions would help him improve the quality and standard of education at the NIT. He would focus on more research and development projects and improve the ranking of the institute in the national and international arena, he added. — OC