GetMyUni's Verdict on SASTRA University

Midhun Hari

“SASTRA University is a highly ranked university that offers great educational opportunities to its students. However, the management does impose what can be described as several archaic and stringent rules on its students, especially its female students.”

The Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy(SASTRA) is a deemed University that has been ranked as one of the top universities in Tamil Nadu. The University is spread across 3 campuses, in Thanjavur and Chennai. 

One of the demerits of the University is the strict rules imposed on the students, especially female students. Whether it be the rules inside the hostel or within the campus, the rules that the University asserts are for the safety of the students, are pretty restrictive.

Table of Contents

• Variety of Courses
• Competent Faculty
• Good Placement Record
• Great Infrastructure
• Bittersweet Student Life
• Final Verdict

Variety of Courses

SASTRA University offers UG, PG and PhD programmes at the Kumbakonam and Chennai campuses. While the Kumbakonam campus provides Arts, Science, and Technology courses, the Chennai campus offers non-STEM courses. The university emphasises strongly on innovation and research. Furthermore, the courses are designed so that students can explore interdisciplinary courses for credits.

Costly Courses

The tuition fee at SASTRA University is moderately affordable. The affordability for the students obviously depends on their financial background. The fees are definitely significantly higher than most government institutions. Compared to other private institutions in the country offering similar courses, the college fees are around average.

Competent Faculty

The faculty at SASTRA University are academically and pedagogically proficient. The students generally have found their faculty to be knowledgeable and supportive. The students say that their teachers are methodical and meticulous in their teaching. Furthermore, the University faculty and students are encouraged to research various domains. 

However, it must be said that, like any educational institution, there are few teachers that students favour over others. This may be due to their expertise in the subject and teaching, their general attitude towards the students or both. The less favoured teachers need to improve their skills and techniques to garner the respect of the students.

Good Placement Record

SASTRA University has performed well in its placement drives. The college placement drives have managed to get more than 85 per cent of the students placed in various roles. The quality of the placements is also above average, with the median package being better than many of the other institutions.

However, the maximum and median packages offered have dropped in the past few years. Moreover, although the university performs well, it still has to get better to catch up with many of the other similar institutions in the state.

Great Infrastructure

The Infrastructure at SASTRA is top-notch. The campuses are built to provide the best academic atmosphere for the students. The campus in Thanjavur is spread over 300 acres, and the buildings are well-maintained.

The classrooms are equipped with blackboards and projectors to facilitate learning. The laboratories in the various departments are well-equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. Many of the labs are air-conditioned. Furthermore, interdisciplinary research centres have been set up to advance quality research at the University.

WiFi covers the campus and is accessible throughout the campus. As for campus security, CCTV surveillance has been installed, and security staff have been appointed. For sports enthusiasts, the college campus infrastructure includes a variety of sports centres to cater to the different sports. The students are given access to these facilities for their physical well-being.

The library at the University covers two storeys and is well stocked with over 1,00,000 books covering all the various subjects. Furthermore, the library is digitised, and the library portal is accessible to the students.

Comfortable Hostels

The hostels have been set up to provide accommodation to the students. The first-year students are allotted rooms through an allotment system. The rooms that are allocated to first years are usually 4-occupancy. However, starting in the second year, students get to select their rooms, and several options are available - 1,2,3 and 4 occupancy.

The hostel rooms are well furnished, and the students are provided with all the basic amenities. The bathrooms and toilets are common for first-year students. However, options for separate bathrooms are available for students starting from the second year. The hostels are not very expensive, although it does depend on the type of rooms the students select. The hostel fees range from 16,000 to 24,000 per year.

Furthermore, isolated instances of theft have been reported inside the hostel, although they are not at all prevalent. Another issue that students face is the shortage of water and electricity cuts that happen often.

Is the Mess Food Good?

The students are served meals at the hostel mess. There are several messes in the campus that cater to the students. The mess fee ranges from INR 3000-3700, depending on the number of days in the month. The mess is maintained well and is hygienic. The taste of the food for most students, however, is average.

Only vegetarian food is allowed inside the campus. The mess and the several canteens only serve vegetarian food. If the students wish to have non-vegetarian food they will have to go to a restaurant outside the campus.

Bittersweet Student Life

The student life at SASTRA University can be described as bittersweet. Yes, the students, once they graduate, leave the university with very fond memories that last a lifetime. Many events take place in the course of the year. Students can join several clubs and societies to develop their extracurricular skills.

The Cultural Fest- Kuruksastra is a time of great enthusiasm in the college. The National-level technical festival ‘Daksh’ is also conducted every year. The sports fest at the institute is called ‘Colosseum’. The theme and event list of the fests is decided and conducted by the student coordinators under the guidance of the management.

There is significant diversity in the student community. Students from different parts of the state and the country study at the university. Some students, especially from the north Indian states, may face a language barrier initially, although they will eventually figure it out.

Strict and Archaic Rules in Campus

One of the aspects of the university that has a serious impact on the quality of student life is the strict rules and regulations. For instance, the boys are required to enter the hostel by 8:30 PM, and girls are forced to enter the hostel as early as 6:30 PM. The students find this rule to be among the most restrictive.

Another rule is that students are not allowed to go to their homes more than 2 times a year. When they do go, they are required to take permission prior. The boys are allowed to go outside after getting permission. However, for the girls, there are very few occasions they are allowed to go out, and those are under strict conditions. The permission culture is prevalent in the university.

As for the dress code in the university, the boys are expected to dress formally. They are not allowed to wear T-shirts or shorts while attending classes. As for the girls, they are allowed to wear churidars only. 

Final Verdict

To summarise, SASTRA University is an excellent academic institution that offers its students great academic growth and career opportunities. That said, the institute is not without its flaws. The pros and cons of the university have been mentioned below:

*Source: sastra.edu