Hello , I'm 56 yrs now & have been running my Interior Design firm since last 30yrs , off late I feel lack of energy & not able to take the stress in business .As I'm the sole proprietor the stress factor is too high with lots of risks. At times I feel like hanging my boots , but do not know what to do in future as I cannot sit at home . Suggest any option where I can handle things with ease & at the same time earn my living too. Thanks Deepak

Ans: Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh offers a B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering with a Data Science specialization, admitting 60 students annually. It holds NAAC A++ accreditation and is ranked 101–150 in NIRF Engineering. Its CSE branch recorded 141 placement offers for 124 eligible students in 2021-22, 132 for 119 in 2022-23, and 95 for 119 in 2023-24, averaging around 100% placement consistency; the institute reported a highest package of ?83 LPA, an average of ?15.97 LPA, and a median of ?12 LPA in 2022-23. BITS Pilani, Goa campus provides a four-year integrated M.Sc (Economics) program, emphasizing rigorous analytical, econometric, and policy-oriented training, housed in a NAAC A++ and NIRF 151–200 ranked institute. In 2024, 91.79% of Economics graduates secured placements with an average package of ?21.14 LPA and a median of ?17.65 LPA, backed by 283 recruiters and robust internship opportunities. Both programs feature modern facilities, strong industry linkages, and curricula aligned to data-driven and economic analysis careers.

recommendation: Opt for BITS Goa’s integrated M.Sc (Economics) for superior average placements, rigorous quantitative and analytical training, and diverse industry engagements; consider PEC’s B.Tech CSE (Data Science) for an engineering pathway focused on computing and AI only if a technical degree is the primary priority, as it trails slightly in average placements and curriculum breadth. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: DTU’s BTech CSE achieves consistent placement percentages of 88–93% over the last three years, with an average package of ?15.45 LPA in 2024, and over 350 recruiters—including Salesforce, Samsung, Deloitte, and Adobe—participating in its drives. BITS Pilani’s Electrical & Electronics Engineering records placement rates of 95–98% for its 90-seat first-degree batch, with an average package of ?19.71 LPA and top recruiters such as Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, SanDisk, Nvidia, and Cisco. At BITS Hyderabad, overall undergraduate placement rates were 94.87%, 93.45%, and 87.23% between 2021–23, with a 2024 average package of ?20.36 LPA, and core recruiters including Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Intel, Micron, Nvidia, AMD, MediaTek, and Reliance. DTU CSE offers strong software and data-science exposure, while BITS EEE at Pilani provides core electronics and instrumentation focus with top-tier recruiters, and Hyderabad combines emerging-tech labs with broader industry engagement.

Recommendation: Opt for BITS Hyderabad EEE for its balanced core and software recruiter network and high average packages; choose BITS Pilani EEE if you prioritise peak placement percentages and legacy brand strength; select DTU CSE only if your son’s passion is firmly rooted in software and AI/data analytics. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Rishabh, At IIT Roorkee, admission to the BTech program mandates a minimum of 65% in Class XII for SC/ST/PwD candidates or top-20 percentile in their board, so your 69.2% easily met the entry requirement. The Training and Placement Department does not enforce additional board-mark criteria at placement time; eligibility for campus drives hinges on JEE Advanced rank, current CGPA, technical skills assessments, internships, projects, and soft-skills workshops rather than Class XII scores. While some companies list 60–75% in 10th/12th as a documentary screening criterion, this threshold is uniformly applied and rarely affects shortlisted candidates, since IIT students almost always exceed it. Industry surveys and peer accounts confirm that most recruiters prioritize undergraduate performance, coding aptitude, and interview results over secondary-school marks. Over the last three years, IIT Roorkee CSE placements have consistently surpassed 90%, with a 2024 branch-specific average package of ?34 LPA, underscoring that board marks do not influence recruiters’ confidence. Consequently, your 69.2% in the boards will not impede placement opportunities at IIT Roorkee, provided you maintain strong academic and extracurricular performance throughout your BTech program.

Recommendation: Concentrate on achieving a high CGPA at IIT Roorkee by deeply engaging with course projects and elective labs, securing meaningful internships, and participating in hackathons or research initiatives. Leverage the Career Development Centre’s skill-development workshops, mock interviews, and networking events to hone technical, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Your sustained performance, portfolio of work, and proactive engagement with recruiters will drive placement success regardless of Class XII marks. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Syed, The 5-year integrated MTech in Electronics & Communication at IIIT Bangalore delivers an average placement package of ?36.2 LPA in 2024 across 578 offers, with on-campus full-time placements around 68% despite its smaller cohort and research-intensive focus. In contrast, NIT Trichy’s 4-year BTech ECE, ranked 9th in NIRF Engineering 2024, has achieved placement rates of 87.7%, 97.6%, and 89% over the last three years, with a ?23 LPA average package and consistent >85% student placements. IIIT Bangalore emphasizes cutting-edge labs, research collaborations, and higher average salaries tied to its integrated postgraduate structure, whereas NIT Trichy offers a well-established BTech curriculum, a robust alumni network, and steadier placement consistency with broader core and software recruiter engagement.

Recommendation: Choose IIIT Bangalore ECE if you aim for a high average salary, research exposure, and an integrated MTech pathway; opt for NIT Trichy ECE for stronger placement consistency, greater brand recognition, and a proven BTech track record. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: KJ Somaiya College of Engineering (KJSCE) ECE program, ranked #201–300 in NIRF 2024 and NAAC accredited, offers a comprehensive curriculum with core modules alongside minors in IoT & Automation, AI, Robotics, and Computer Vision. Supported by 85 labs, 13 emerging-tech centers, and an incubation hub, students engage in projects and internships. ECE records placement rates between 80% and 90% over the last three years, attracting 110+ recruiters annually including Microsoft, Google, JP Morgan, Barclays, and Infosys. A dedicated placement cell and industry collaborations ensure robust job opportunities and average packages of ?9–11 LPA in recent cycles.

Recommendation: Choose ECE at KJ Somaiya College—its consistent 80–90% placement, NAAC accreditation, robust labs, and top recruiters create strong core and software opportunities. Actively leverage electives in IoT and AI, and engage with the placement cell to secure internships and roles, maximizing career flexibility even without CSE admission.All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Vardhaman College of Engineering, ranked 151–200 in NIRF 2024 and NAAC A++ accredited, reports 82–86% placement for its BTech cohorts over the last two years, with mechanical engineering students benefiting from campus drives by Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, TCS and others and an average package of ?6.41 LPA. Muffakham Jah College of Engineering & Technology, also NAAC A++ and in the NIRF band 151–200, has a placement cell engaging 2,200 recruiters, recording an overall average package of ?7 LPA and highest offers of ?45.78 LPA, but mechanical branch-specific placement was only 35–50% in 2021 with average packages around ?8 LPA. Both institutes are AICTE approved, offer modern labs and strong industry interface.

Recommendation: Prefer Vardhaman College of Engineering for mechanical engineering due to its higher branch-specific placement consistency and solid average packages; consider Muffakham Jah only for its broader recruiter network and higher overall averages if mechanical placement rates improve, otherwise Vardhaman offers more reliable outcomes. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Lakshmi Madam, IIT Kharagpur’s BTech CSE, with a dedicated Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning specialization, has placed approximately 93% of its CSE graduates over the last three years, channeling students into software, analytics, and core tech roles via a strong CDC and recruiters like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and McKinsey. Its curriculum blends fundamentals, AI/ML™, data science projects, and research options within a 4-year program. IISc Bangalore’s BTech in Mathematics & Computing, limited to 52 seats, delivers a rigorous math-computing syllabus—probability, optimization, machine learning labs, and deep learning foundations—but reports that only about 4% of its undergraduates opt for placements as most pursue higher studies; those placed secure roles in analytics and R&D at top firms including Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Cisco. IISc offers unparalleled research exposure and a Bengaluru location advantage, while IIT Kharagpur provides broader industry access and higher placement consistency for immediate AI/data analytics careers.

Recommendation: Choose IIT Kharagpur CSE with AI/ML specialization for superior placement consistency and direct industry pathways in AI and analytics; select IISc Mathematics & Computing only if your son prioritizes advanced research and higher-study prospects in mathematical computing. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: With a 6,812 CRL rank and 99.566 percentile, your son’s chance to shift to NIT Warangal ECE is slim: the General All-India closing rank for ECE was 2,234–2,360 in Round 2 and 2,234 was the final cut-off across all rounds in 2025. His rank falls outside these thresholds, making allotment in subsequent JoSAA rounds unlikely. Among the three institutes, NIT Rourkela’s ECE department leads in research output with 551 journal articles, 859 conference papers, 6,681 other publications, 9,940 citations, and an h-index of 39, reflecting strong faculty research credentials. NIT Warangal follows closely, producing 485 journal articles, 617 conference papers, 8,089 other works, 6,139 citations, and an h-index of 34. IIIT Allahabad’s ECE faculty, while highly qualified, shows comparatively lower output—373 journal articles, 267 conference papers, and 4,871 citations with an h-index of 29.

Recommendation: Retain IIIT Allahabad ECE seat as NIT Warangal ECE is out of reach; consider NIT Rourkela for superior faculty research strength or NIT Warangal for a balanced academic and placement record if a lateral move becomes available.All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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

Ans: Lohith, NIT Patna’s B.Tech Mechanical Engineering, ranked 55th by NIRF 2024, achieved 100% placements in 2023–24 with top core recruiters through its placement cell. IIIT Naya Raipur’s B.Tech ECE, a 2015 GFTI, recorded about 78% placement in 2024 with an average package of ?13.9 LPA and highest ?25 LPA, driven by industry tie-ups with Deloitte, Ericsson, and others. Both offer modern campuses, but NIT Patna ME excels in placement consistency and national stature, while IIIT NR ECE offers focused electronics exposure. Recommendation: Choose NIT Patna Mechanical for assured core placements; opt for IIIT Naya Raipur ECE only if electronics specialization is your priority. All the BEST for the Admission & a Prosperous Future!

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