I want to raise some serious concerns regarding the functioning of the Student Placement Committee (SPC) at MNIT Jaipur.
This is not about saying that SPC members are technically weak. Many of them are genuinely talented and may deserve their selections. The issue is whether the placement process is fair and whether the same rules are being applied to everyone.
1. Eligibility criteria changing rapidly
One of the biggest concerns is the rapid and seemingly selective changes in eligibility criteria.
A company visited MNIT for an Intern + PPO opportunity. Under the original criteria, students who had already obtained an internship in their pre-final year were not eligible to apply. Because of this, several SPC members were reportedly ineligible.
Then, almost overnight, the opportunity was changed from Intern + PPO to Intern + FTE. Suddenly, those students became eligible and eventually some of them were selected.
Again, this is not about saying that those students were not technically capable. They may genuinely have been among the strongest candidates.
But the question is: why was the eligibility criteria changed at exactly the point when a group that was previously ineligible became eligible?
If eligibility criteria have to be changed, there should be a clear and documented reason, and the change should be communicated equally to all students.
2. OA rules and selective enforcement
There are also serious concerns regarding Online Assessments.
There is a perception among students that SPC members or their friends can get away with things during OAs that ordinary students cannot.
If cheating is prohibited, the same rules should apply to everyone.
Same company. Same OA. Same rules. Same monitoring.
Technical ability should not determine who is allowed to break the rules.
3. Students opting out at the final stage
In one company, four students in the IPT process reportedly opted out just before the final round.
The issue is not that students cannot change their minds. The issue is that there appeared to be no red flag or equivalent consequence for opting out at such a late stage.
If one student can withdraw immediately before the final round without consequences, while another student can receive a red flag for a comparatively minor issue, then students have every right to question whether the rules are being applied consistently.
There should be a clearly defined policy regarding late-stage withdrawals, and that policy should apply equally to SPC members and non-SPC students.
4. Red flags for questionable reasons
There have also been instances where students were reportedly given red flags for things such as not plugging a cable back into the CC after an assessment.
If this is genuinely a violation, there should be a clearly communicated rule and objective evidence.
And if the allegation depends on knowing the student's exact computer/location, there should be a verifiable basis for establishing that fact.
Otherwise, it creates a perception of selective enforcement.
WHAT ARE WE DEMANDING?
1. Resignation/reconstitution of the current SPC.
Given the repeated concerns regarding conflicts of interest and selective enforcement, the current SPC should resign or be replaced through a transparent process.
2. An independent placement committee.
We demand an independent placement committee with zero involvement of students in decisions regarding eligibility, shortlisting, red flags, disciplinary actions and company-specific selection rules.
Students can assist with coordination and communication if required, but students should not have the power to decide the placement fate of other students.
Student involvement should be limited to coordination and communication. Decisions affecting careers should be made independently by faculty/administration.
3. Resignation of Rakesh Jain Sir.
Given the concerns surrounding the functioning and administration of the placement process, we also demand the resignation of Rakesh Jain Sir from his role/responsibility related to the placement process, or at minimum an independent review of whether he should continue in that position.
This is not intended as a personal attack. It is a demand for institutional accountability.
Finally, this is not about jealousy and it is not about stopping technically strong SPC members from getting jobs.
If an SPC member is good enough to get selected, they should absolutely get selected.
But being technically talented does not justify an unfair or opaque process.
Students deserve a placement system where nobody needs to be friends with an SPC member, where eligibility criteria don't mysteriously change overnight, where OA rules are identical for everyone, and where disciplinary action is not selectively applied.
Same opportunity. Same rules. Same consequences. Independent decision-making.
That should be the minimum standard for placements at MNIT Jaipur.
