Good day Sir, owner of a small-scale textile unit in Ahmedabad. For 15 years, I've catered to local demand, but competition from large mills and imports is squeezing margins. My two sons are graduating in engineering and want to modernize our operations with automation, AI-based quality inspection, and direct-to-customer e-commerce. Yet, we lack capital and know-how. I worry about loan interest rates and whether outside investors will value our traditional craft. How can a family business like ours bootstrap modernization projects? Should we partner with tech startups or apply for government grants under Make in India? Moreover, how do I groom my sons to be future-ready leaders who respect our heritage but embrace digital transformation? Any strategic roadmap or mentoring suggestions from your own journey building businesses would be invaluable.

Ans: Yash, Candidates must have passed their Class 12 (or equivalent) examination in 2023, 2024 or be appearing in 2025 to register for JEE Main; those who passed earliere.g., in 2016–17) are not eligible. Similarly, the IISER Aptitude Test requires first-time Class 12 completion in 2023–25 (or reappearances in those years, with better performance considered) and a minimum 60 percent aggregate (55 percent for SC/ST/PwD).

Recommendation: Since your Class 12 pass year (2016–17) falls outside eligibility windows, complete (or re-sit) your 10+2 via a recognized board (such as NIOS) in 2025 to qualify. Once you secure a valid 2025 pass certificate, register for JEE Main and IAT to pursue engineering or science programs for 2026. However, periodically verify the eligibility criteria for these exams online to stay informed of any updates till January 2026. All the BEST for Your Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Bhargavi, With an MHT-CET Home- rank of 86 998 (approx. 87th percentile), CSE (Data Science), AI&ML and AI&DS seats at premier Mumbai colleges (e.g., VJTI, COEP, ICT) are out of reach. However, several AICTE-approved, NAAC/NBA-accredited institutes maintain closing percentiles nearer 80–90, ensuring guaranteed CAP-round admission. The following ten colleges in Mumbai satisfy all five institutional benchmarks—accreditation, faculty quality, infrastructure, industry tie-ups and placement consistency—and admit home-state candidates at percentiles at or below your score: Atharva College of Engineering, Malad West. Thakur College of Engineering & Technology, Kandivali East. Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, Bandra West. Vidyalankar Institute Technology, Wadala. Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra West. Rizvi College of Engineering, Bandra–Malad Link Road. SIES Graduate School of Technology, Nerul. Institute of Chemical Technology affiliated courses, Mumbai. MET’s Institute of Technology, Kalyan–Dombivli Highway. Datta Meghe College of Engineering, Airoli. Recommendation: Atharva College of Engineering leads for its balanced AI&ML and Data Science labs, accessible Malad location and 85% placement average; Thakur College excels with strong AI&ML curriculum and 82%+ placements; Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues COE offers AI&DS specialisation with 84% consistency; Vidyalankar IT provides reliable IT/Data Science pathways; Thadomal Shahani Engineering College rounds out top five for its robust industry projects and multimedia AI labs. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: IIITDM Kancheepuram, IIIT Sri City and IIIT Kalyani are within reach for a female General?category candidate with a 96.3 percentile in JEE Main through CSAB counselling. At IIITDM Kancheepuram, the General closing rank for B.Tech CSE was 21 841 in CSAB 2024, well above the equivalent of a 96.3 percentile. IIIT Sri City’s CSE closed at 31 705, and its AI & DS branch at 32 632, easily accessible at your percentile. IIIT Kalyani’s CSE cutoff ranged up to 56 089 in Round 2, fitting within your rank band. These institutes all uphold AICTE/NBA accreditation, PhD?qualified faculty, modern labs, industry partnerships and 75–95% placement consistency.

Recommendation:
Pursue IIITDM Kancheepuram for its design?centric CSE curriculum and robust placement support, then IIIT Sri City for its emerging AI specializations, and IIIT Kalyani as a third option. As backup, consider private?college CSE programmes at Jaypee Noida, Galgotias Greater Noida or Chandigarh University, which offer accredited courses, dedicated placement cells and flexible admission criteria. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Ayusha, With a JEE Main percentile of 93.75 (which roughly translates to an All-India rank of about 75,000), it is very unlikely that you will get a CSE seat in the CSAB Special Rounds at NITs or IIITs, since all General-category CSE closing ranks in NITs are between 1,000 and 11,000, and in IIITs, they are between 1,000 and 58,000. Among GFTIs, Assam University’s CSE intake closed between 20 000–60 000, still below your projected rank. Therefore, CSAB admission to core computer science is not feasible.

Recommendation:
Given these realities, allocate CSAB preferences toward allied branches in GFTIs (for instance, Electronics Systems at NIELIT Aurangabad) and simultaneously apply to private-college CSE programs such as Jaypee Institute of Information Technology Noida, Galgotias University Greater Noida, Chandigarh University, J.C. Bose University Faridabad and SRM Chennai to secure accredited CSE pathways with strong placement cells. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Ganesh Sir, The B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering with specialization in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Amritapuri campus was introduced in the academic year 2021–22 under the newly revised BTC-AIE curriculum, marking it as one of India’s pioneering undergraduate programmes to formally integrate robotics engineering with advanced AI methodologies. The four-year course emphasizes multidisciplinary learning across machine vision, robotic kinematics and dynamics, AI-driven motion planning, sensor fusion and autonomous systems, taught in state-of-the-art labs equipped for hardware-software integration. Accreditation by NAAC A++ and AICTE ensures rigorous academic standards, while Ph.D.-qualified faculty from Mechatronics, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering design an outcome-based pedagogy. Industry linkages with leading robotics and automation firms facilitate capstone projects, internships and applied research collaborations. Although the inaugural batch graduates in 2025, Amritapuri’s robust placement ecosystem—engaging over 220 recruiters annually across engineering disciplines—augurs well for AI & Robotics students, who benefit from established corporate partnerships, a dedicated placement cell offering pre-placement training, and alumni mentoring.

Recommendation:
Given its cutting-edge interdisciplinary curriculum, premier accreditation, specialized robotics-AI laboratories, strong industry collaborations and emerging placement ecosystem, this CSE – AI & Robotics programme at Amritapuri stands out for students seeking a research-driven, industry-aligned pathway into intelligent autonomous systems, with high potential for robust placements upon the first graduating cohort. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Rajaram, IIIT Hyderabad’s dual-degree Computer Science programme is housed within one of India’s top-ranked engineering schools, securing 47th place in the NIRF 2024 Engineering rankings and74th in the Overall University category. Its CS-focused research and teaching also place it in the 601–650 band globally for Computer Science & Information Systems in QS World University Rankings 2025. Among private institutions, India Today ranks IIIT Hyderabad second in its 2024 Engineering (Private) survey, reflecting excellence in faculty quality, infrastructure, industry linkages, research output and graduate outcomes. NAAC’s A++ accreditation, NBA approval, nine research centres, 93% CSE placement consistency over three years and a 1:10 student–faculty ratio further underscore the programme’s strength across key institutional benchmarks. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Vijay, BML Munjal University’s B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering admits candidates who meet its academic and entrance requirements, which include a minimum of 60 percent aggregate in Class XII (Physics Mathematics, English plus one optional) and a valid JEE Main score at or above the 55th percentile. While CUET-UG scores are also accepted, for the JEE Main pathway the closing cutoff has historically aligned with this 55th percentile threshold.

Recommendation: For a competitive application, ensure your JEE Main percentile comfortably exceeds 55, maintain strong XII marks, and consider backup CUET options to maximize admission prospects. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: You have not mentioned your academic background, nor have you specified which branch you applied to at Jaipur National University. Anyway, please note, Jaipur National University (JNU), established in 2007, is a private university in Rajasthan that has earned NAAC A+ accreditation and UGC approval across its 17 schools offering diverse undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. The university maintains comprehensive infrastructure with 158 state-of-the-art laboratories, a 100,000-book digital library, 1,500+ computers, Wi-Fi enabled campus, sports complex, separate hostels for boys and girls, and modern auditoriums with 300-seat capacity. Industry engagement is strengthened through MOUs with 16 prestigious Rajasthan companies including JK Tyre, DCM Shriram, and Gravita India Limited for placements, internships, and collaborative projects. Placement statistics indicate approximately 85% placement rate with over 250 companies participating, an average package around 5.5-6 LPA, and highest packages reaching 27 LPA from recruiters like Amazon, TCS, Infosys, Deloitte, and IBM. Faculty quality receives a 3.9/5 rating from 427 verified reviews, with PhD-qualified teachers providing supportive mentorship and industry-relevant curriculum. However, negative feedback emerges from employee reviews on Glassdoor showing 2.9/5 rating with complaints about poor management, low salaries, and disrespectful treatment include delayed degree certificates (taking up to a year), unresponsive administrative staff, fee refund issues for cancelled courses, and limited Wi-Fi data allocation. The university also faces confusion with the controversial Jodhpur National University, which was banned in 2015 for issuing 25,000 fake degrees—though this is an entirely separate institution with no connection to Jaipur National University.

Recommendation:
Consider joining Jaipur National University if you prioritize affordability, decent infrastructure, and acceptable placement opportunities, as it meets essential educational benchmarks with NAAC A+ accreditation, comprehensive facilities, and established industry partnerships. However, remain cautious about administrative responsiveness, ensure all documentation is properly maintained, and verify course continuation before fee payment to avoid potential issues. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.

Ans: Sreekutty Sir, as of today, I hope all the rounds of JoSAA counselling are over. At NIT Nagpur, general?category Chemical Engineering HS seats close at rank 34109 ECE at 12196, while CSE at 7169; a CRL of 21670 exceeds all HS closing ranks, so no upgrade at VNIT Nagpur is feasible. However, CSAB special rounds offer CSE/ECE seats at other NITs and IIITs within your rank band. IIIT Guwahati admits general CSE up to 26817 and ECE up to 42006. IIIT Sri City’s CSE cutoff is 31705 and ECE 46722. IIIT Una’s CSE cutoff is 30916 and ECE 49414. NIT Jalandhar OS CSE closes at 14114 and ECE 20714, and NIT Goa OS CSE at 34858. These institutes are AICTE/NBA-accredited, staffed by PhD faculty, equipped with modern labs, maintain active industry partnerships, and record 75–95% three-year placement rates.

Recommendation:
For best CSE/ECE upgradation chances, prioritize filling CSAB preferences for NIT Jalandhar for its robust HS/OS quotas, IIIT Guwahati for its strong research-industry linkage, and IIIT Sri City for its emerging tech labs; IIIT Una and NIT Goa serve as reliable alternatives for broad seating and consistent placements. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

Follow RediffGURUS to Know More on 'Careers | Money | Health | Relationships'.