Mysuru: Here is an example of how technical education can bring about changes in the lives of the differently-abled. Eight students of JSS Polytechnic for the Differently Abled(JSSPDA) in the city have been hired by a Bengaluru-based aerospace and defence firm as junior engineers in the recently conducted campus placement drive.

All the eight hearing-impaired students are sixth semester students attached to the electronics and communicationengineering department. One of them is a girl student. They are offered a CTC of Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.

“Ten students attended the campus placement drive of Rossell Techsys. Among them, eight students were selected. They will work on aircrafts. Around 20-25 of our students are already working in the company. The E&C department achieves 100% campus placements every year,” college principal B Elangovan said.

It may be recalled that JSSPDA is the first-of-its-kind in the country and only polytechnic in Karnataka offering professional education at diploma-level of three years duration with English as the medium of instruction for differently-abled students. At present, seven diploma courses are being offered at the institute. It offers free education to all through AICTE scholarship.

Meanwhile, all the 18 final semester students of the jewellery design and technology course have also been placed in the campus recruitment drive. These students are offered Rs 15,000 monthly salary with all benefits, Elangovan said. “Our institute was the first to launch a three-year jewellery design diploma course. The course is in great demand,” he said.

70% of students have been placed: College principal

“In the last 3-4 years, we have been able to ensure campus placements for 60%-70% of the students. Many are opting for higher studies through the BE lateral entry scheme,” he said. “Most of the students who complete diploma in computer science prefer higher education,” he added.

Chethana L, one of the students who got selected in the campus placement drive, said she is very happy. "My goal is to perform well in the future," Chethana said.