Mr. N. S S N Murthy is an Associate Professor of Physics and the Head of the Department of BS and H at the International School of Technology and Sciences and Women. He holds a B.Sc. degree, an M.Sc. in Physics and is currently pursuing a PhD in Solid State Physics. With 17 years of experience, he has also worked as an Academic Counselor and Admissions Counselor and has worked at institutes like AIMS College of Engineering, KIMS College of Engineering and MAHARANEE Degree College. Mr. Murthy has two patents published in his area of expertise.

Mr.N.S S N Murthy

You have held key positions at education institutes throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

When I first joined academia and started teaching, I was motivated to spread information literacy among the new generation. I believed that there was a high level of learning productivity among the students and enormous potential to be offered to them. It motivated me to help students build their professional careers and work towards class maintenance.

Being the HOD of ISTS of engineering for women what is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

My leadership style is multi-faceted and I adjust according to whom I am interacting with. I believe in leading with effective delegation for my colleagues and fellow teachers. There must be leadership through transparency and communication for a college to function smoothly. I also try to lead by example and with equality to be fair to all.

The education systems in India and other foreign countries are structured very differently. In your experience, what can an inbound student gain from studying here in your institute?

I have observed three fundamental differences between the foreign and Indian education systems. The primary one is that the curriculum was designed with more practical exposure at foreign universities that meet the needs of industry. Whereas our curriculum was planned as a concept-oriented approach when compared with foreign universities. Assignments are an integral part of foreign universities and the submission of assignments should be unique. Here, assignments are not unique and seem to be copy-cats in Indian universities. Abroad, industry-academia collaboration is highly dominated and this rate is lower in the Indian education system.

How does the curriculum of ISTS engineering for women ensure the best practice of industry?

Our college was affiliated with both the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2022. It also achieved autonomous status in 2023. We designed a curriculum that primarily focuses on both outcome and skill-based education. The curriculum of ISTS is implemented by the consideration of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 which comprises both core and multi-disciplinary courses. We also introduced skill-based courses such as soft skills, aptitude, and reasoning courses for the benefit of students in the curriculum. We designed four internships from various companies each year to fill the gap between industry and academia. We have implemented two technical projects, one is treated as a mini-project in the third year and the other one is a major project in the final year.

What do you think should be the Institute's top priority over the next 5 years?

We have revived the research centre at JNTU-Kakinada. We are planning to strengthen the research centre which will mainly focus on various innovative research projects and collaborative projects with industry. We are also planning to improve the quality of publications, both from the faculty fraternity and the student community. We have also started an incubation and entrepreneurship cell at our campus in 2023, where we are inviting innovative ideas from students in all disciplines. The best ideas will be transformed into patents and implemented in real-time applications. We are also planning to transform our ISTS into one of the prominent women deemed universities.

What do you see as your institute's greatest strengths?

ISTS has been working to become the prominent destination for women’s education for the last 13 years in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states. We have all the major programs with over 5000 plus students admitted to our campus. Some programs we offer are diploma, B.Tech, M.Tech, MBA, and MCA. Moreover, we have well-qualified 200-plus dedicated faculty members in all disciplines. All the departments have PhD holders with good academic and research backgrounds. The college provides all modern facilities and amenities, such as wifi, an RO-drinking water plant, a bookstore, a canteen, a gym and sports facilities. All our laboratories are well equipped with computers and spacious classrooms.

What would you like people to know about your college they may not know?

We are transforming the lives of ordinary girls from rural backgrounds into superwomen by helping them become eligible for jobs in both the core and software sectors. We have been achieving 100% placements for the last five years. We have also been securing more than 90% pass percentages consistently in all disciplines for the last eight years. Additionally, our students have been achieving university gold medals. Our institution provides high security for all girls with multiple CCTV cameras with 24/7 monitoring.

Any message you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

I would like to tell you that today’s young generation is highly talented and skilled due to the resources available to them. The only thing you need is some desire and to think big to achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid of failure; instead, treat it as a stepping stone to success. You should work hard with interest, and then you will reach the mountain-top. I wish that you have bigger, bolder and brighter futures.