Jagran Lakecity University BBA Review By Prashant Shrivastava

JLU on paper looked like should have been on course to become one of the top universities in Bhopal but that hasn’t happened and there are reasons for it. Jagran Lakecity University Bhopal has fell short on academics and placements because rest other things they have taken care of very well. Be it hostel facilities for outsiders or even the entire infrastructure of the campus. They are managing two campuses and both of them are class apart. Not a single faculty was good and we were worried about our future because we knew that this way things will only go grey. Thankfully, after a lot of permissions, we were allowed to skip classes in the final year and most of us started preparations for the entrance exams and more than half or our class even went for it. Some made pacts while some went along as the scores were required for all to be on the same page. We had nothing to play for at the JLU because we knew that there won’t be any placements and no matter how much trumpets do the university blow, we are not going to get any.

Academics has to be clinical in my books because if there’s a loop hole there then all one can wish for is to get through. The final year we saw a remarkable comeback from the college and comeback in the sense that compulsory attendance rule that was hurting the most was gone and that perhaps was the only good thing that happened to us academically. There’s no point beating around the bush because academics were really poor as the classes will get over at any point in time because there was literally no time followed. So, the academic display was quite poor and it remained same throughout.

When I talk about talent then on paper some of the faculties were great because they were MBA from top colleges of India while most were freshers and graduated recently. So, our future ropes were given in the hands of such people who didn’t even know how to teach the students. Faculties were like a stress fracture that takes time to get heal or sometimes even never gets heal. The stress fracture of JLU faculties was such that they should have quitted but who will say no to a handsome salary that they were paid for their job.

I doubted many when they said that placements will not happen because the management kept on giving us assurances and we also had an optional training for the placements. At one point, I became certain that yes placements are going to happen. However, when the final semester was about to end, a long haul of speech was given by the management for not providing us placements. So, that was a really poor effort from the university as they didn’t even try for the placements to happen. There was no visible difference in JLU and other private universities that project themselves as one of the best universities and provide 100% placements.

Well one will also have to appreciate good things because when one look at JLU Bhopal hostel one will only have one word to say and that is wow. I used to stand and admire the hostels because for reasons we were not allowed to be a part of the hostel was that we were from Bhopal. This pathetic rule stands in almost all the colleges and universities in India. If there are not that many outsiders who can fill the hostel rooms why not allow the local students who have to travel 15 miles to reach the college a hostel facility.

On infrastructure point, I will fancy JLU Campus winning the battle on all fronts. I have seen IIT Delhi campus and our infrastructure was quite better than that. Academics may have collapsed but the infrastructure was ever growing because the university was planning to add few other courses and therefore the construction work was going on for many new buildings to be a part of JLU campus. I will give as much credit that the university commands for infrastructure because they have brought the best facilities possible for students at the campus. I wish they have brought some quality teachers too because without them no matter how good the infrastructure do they build, the university can never become a university of prestige.

The two of the biggest fests that is the sports fest and annual fest were the biggest in Bhopal. The campus life here makes an impact but if learning quotient is missing the jig-saw puzzle will never be solved. So, I can introspect on campus life in two ways. Firstly, for the students who just came for fun at the university. They would agree that the campus life was one of the best at JLU. Secondly the ones who were serious about their future and knew that there’s no way they could build their future but with a degree in hand, will agree that campus life was of no use to them.