conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science. Postgraduate students are required to complete coursework in addition to a thesis or dissertation that entails independent research under the guidance of a faculty. Postgraduate and doctoral Ph.D. students are also involved as teaching assistants for undergraduate courses. An MBA course has been recently introduced by the Humanities department. NITK also offers MCA (Master of Computer Application) course for graduate students in which admission is done on the based on NIMCET (NIT MCA Common Entrance Test). NITK from 2003 is offering Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. program for Mtech and other post graduate students. Rankings NITK was ranked 16th among engineering colleges in India by India Today in 2020 and among government engineering colleges by Outlook India in 2021. It was ranked 10 among engineering colleges by the National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2021 and 32 overall. Research Research in the institute is mainly sponsored by central and state government agencies with grants for the academic year reaching . Faculty go on sabbaticals at foreign universities to encourage research and teaching interactions. Consulting activities are also conducted through the industry-institute partnership cell. In January 2020, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and NITK have signed an MoU to jointly set up a 'Regional Academic Centre for Space'.This centre will act as a facilitator for the promotion of space technology activities in the southern India and carry out advanced joint research and development activities in the area of space technology applications. The centre will pursue advanced research in the areas relevant to the future technological and programmatic needs of the Indian space programme. Student life Being primarily a residential institution along with Surathkal beach less than a kilometre (0.62 mi) away, a unique culture has developed over the 50 years of NITK's existence. Since 2002 when it became a centrally funded institution, NITK has opened doors to students from all over the country. Students involve in technical activities, as well as cultural events supported by one of the many student-run clubs and organizations on campus. An open-air theatre called Student Activity Center is the venue for most of the music performances and movie screenings. Beach events are unique to NITK, with sand sculptures and kite flying being recent highlights. Engineer (a national level technical symposium) takes place typically around the last week of October and Incident (a cultural festival) is