Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar

Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar

B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project – Guidelines for the Students

1. Preamble
Engineering uses the knowledge provided by science with aims for helpful change in
activities/methods/processes for sustenance and future developments. Engineers rely on
subjective knowledge-how and opinions derived from personal and historical
experience with the goal of willful action and use.

In outcome-based Higher-Education Systems (HES), attributes of scientific and

technological developments of the engineering graduate programs are mainly divided
into the following domains:

 Knowledge acquisition and experiential learning through a multidisciplinary

approach and their proper deliberation in an ethical way for the development of
sustainable human society for a local/regional benefit with a global outlook.
 Development of lifelong learning skills with the team-building capacity to
implement and manage engineering projects in the most economical way to benefit
future societal needs.

A Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) project is designed to work on a problem of a

relevant engineering discipline. In a semester-long major/comprehensive project, a
student/group of students would identify the knowledge gap based on the existing works
of literature and industry practices, set out the objectives of their study, design sequential
study/experimentation, conduct/perform experiments, acquire relevant data, and
analyze for meeting the identified knowledge gap. In the process of doing the work, the
students enrich themselves with experiential learning, acquire knowledge for writing
reports/ scientific contributions, and know the possible applications of their project
outcome for societal needs and benefits.

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With this background, it is necessary that the activities of the allotment, monitoring, and
execution of the major project (MP)/comprehensive project (CP) are carried out in a
systematic way. This is possible by drafting a detailed Policy on B.Tech. Major
Project/Comprehensive Project.

The objective of this Policy for B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project is to provide

guidelines to the students and faculty members on planning and execution of a semester-
long B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project. The Policy includes the syllabus, course
learning outcomes, guidelines on allotment and monitoring of projects, evaluation,
reporting, etc. The idea is to bring parity across both the engineering schools and all the
engineering departments.

2. Syllabus
The Major/Comprehensive Project will align with the aims of the engineering program
and its areas of specialization. Depending on the nature of the engineering program, it
will be based on the recent trends in technology, computational techniques,
system/process analysis, construction/fabrication/production techniques, design
methodologies, analytical formulation, solution/feasibility, etc. The student(s) shall
carry out a comprehensive project at a relevant academic/R&D/industrial organization
based on one or more of the following aspects:

The Major/Comprehensive Project may include a Prototype Design, Product

Preparation/Development, Working Model, Fabrication of Set-up, Laboratory
Experiments, Process Modification/Development, Simulation, Software
Application/Development, Integration of Software and Hardware, Data Collection and
Analysis, Survey/Case Study, Relevance to Industry 4.0 and Sustainable Development
Goals of the United Nations, etc.

The student should perform a literature search to review current knowledge and
developments in the chosen technical area. This project will be mainly conducted as an
individual or small group project (maximum two students) under the direct supervision
of a member of the academic staff and Industrial Supervisor. The specific project topic
undertaken will reflect the common interests and expertise of the student(s) and
supervisor/s.

The student should produce proof of progress reports or maintain a professional journal
to establish work completed and schedule assigned/additional work within the time
frame specified for the project.

The student is required to submit a detailed project report prepared professionally based
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on the work carried out and the results obtained so far. In the final review, the students
are expected to deliver an exhaustive seminar presentation on the general area of work
undertaken and specific contributions to that field and present in a forum involving
poster presentations and demonstrations of operational hardware and software.

3. Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, a student will be able to
CO1: Use acquired knowledge to formulate problem definition
related to industry/research organization/societal need.
CO2: Select the appropriate modern tools and techniques to demonstrate the technical
aspects of the selected project.
CO3: Identify and apply appropriate steps to solve problems encountered during the
project implementation.
CO4: Comprehend appropriate methodologies to carry out the project.
CO5: Compile the technical reports and conclude the project work with effective
communication skills amongst peers, mentors, evaluators, and society.
CO6: Value the health, environment, and ethical practices and develop life-long
learning skills for a promising career.

4. Categories of Projects
The B.Tech. Final year project can be carried out at the concerned Department/School
or in industry/R&D organization/NGO. Accordingly, there are two major categories:

(i) In-house Project/Major Project (MP): The student or a group of students

(maximum two students in a group) can opt for carrying out a final year major
project at the concerned Department /School. In the case of an interdisciplinary
project, the student may carry out a project other than the parent Department
/School after due permission of both Heads.

(ii) Comprehensive Project (CP): In this case, a student, or a group of students

(maximum two students in a group) can work on his/her comprehensive project
work at relevant industry/R&D organizations/established research laboratories/
premier academic institutes/foreign universities/start-ups. Comprehensive
projects must be conducted within a company where no relatives hold leadership
positions. Furthermore, students should not report directly to any family member
during the project. Such scenarios constitute a conflict of interest and must be
strictly avoided.

5. Expectations from the Students

The Major/Comprehensive Project intends to insight into critical thinking in students

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for approaching problems based on their technical faculties. The knowledge and aptitude
gathered during the past semesters must be put to use. To measure and record the
outcome of these efforts, it is necessary to have proper documentation. Therefore, the
students, regardless of the type of their project, must submit the following documents at
the end of the course:

The project report, in a proper format, must be submitted in soft and hard copies. The
hard copy should be submitted again in the prescribed format (hardbound) with the
desired colours and font styles. The soft copy must be submitted to the Department
Course Coordinator. The project report must be electronically submitted to the
Department Course Coordinator at least one week prior to the final viva date. Following
the conclusion of the Viva, students are required to submit both electronic and hard
copies of the thesis within one week. A provision should be included for extending the
submission deadline if the review panel determines that the submitted thesis does not
meet quality standards.
(i) The student is also required to submit the final presentation files (PPT or PPTX or
PDF or any similar format), and similarity report from the prescribed Plagiarism
Checking Software.
(ii) It is desirable that the student should come up with atleast one research paper based
on the work carried out by him/her. Such a paper may be published in an indexed
journal (non-paid journal) or presented (oral or poster presentation) at a reputed
conference. The student must submit copies (hard and soft) of the
published/presented research papers to the concerned internal Supervisor. In the
case of the poster presentation, a flex print of the poster needs to be submitted to
the Department concerned.
(iii) The student(s), with the concerned Supervisor (s) explore the possibility of filing a
Design/Process Patent based on the novelty of the research work.

There may be a situation where the research may not be published directly due to a non-
disclosure agreement with the company in the case of the comprehensive project (CP).
In such situations, the student must take pre-emptive actions and work on a parallel
article/poster/prototype close to or based on the ongoing work that can be presented
without conflicts. The course of action must be pre-planned before the start of the project
by the student and the expert respective thesis supervisor.

6. Guidelines for Allotment of Topics/ Project Supervisor for the Major Projects
The major project should align with the objectives of the concerned engineering
program and be relevant to its specialization. The following procedure is to be adopted

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for the allotment of the in-house project to students:

(i) To collect tentative titles/problem definitions (minimum two) from the
Department's faculty members, preferably during November.
(ii) To share all the problem definitions with the students, preferably during the last
week of November.
(iii) The students may interact with different faculty members and understand the
project, its requirements, prerequisites, its alignments with their future plans, etc.
(iv) The final allotment of a Project is to be done purely on a merit basis (CPI of
Semester VI).

7. Guidelines for Allotment of Topics for the Comprehensive Projects

The following procedure is to be followed while the allotment of a Comprehensive
Project (CP) to students:
(i) To collect a probable list of names of the industries from the Career
Development Cell during or by other means.
(ii) To allot projects and internal supervisors to the students.

8. Interdisciplinary Projects (Within the University)

The students of two Engineering Schools (School of Technology and School of Energy
Technology) should be allowed to undertake interdisciplinary projects (where
supervisors from two different schools/departments are involved). For such projects,
based on the problem definition, the expertise of the faculty, and the quantum of the
work, two Supervisors (Supervisor-1 and Supervisor-2) are to be decided. Such a
decision is to be taken in consultation with the respective Heads of the Departments. In
this case, Supervisor-1 will be fully responsible for the entire process of the project and
its successful completion. For all such projects, both Supervisors should get equal credit
for any intellectual research outcomes (Papers, Patents, Awards, Achievements, etc.),
and the annual performance appraisal.

9. Month-Wise Expected Project Activities

Effectively, the B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project duration is of four to five
months. The month-wise expected activities are highlighted in the figure below:

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10. Progress Monitoring

The progress of the projects (both CP and MP) is to be monitored regularly by the
concerned Project Supervisors and the Project Evaluation Panels (Jury). It is
expected that all B.Tech. Semester VIII students working on
Major/Comprehensive Projects should fill out a weekly report describing the
activities/work carried out by him/her. The concerned Project Supervisor from the
PDEU will go through the weekly report and provide necessary guidance to the
concerned student(s). The prescribed format for the weekly report is attached as
Annexure-I.

Apart from these, two Interim Presentations are to be arranged at the Department
Level. The Interim Presentations are to be evaluated by Project Evaluation Panels (a
Jury comprised of faculty members). The weightage of the Interim Presentation is
30 %.

In the case of Comprehensive Projects, it is expected that the Internal Supervisor

should visit the concerned Industry at least once during the project span and get
updates.

11. Project Evaluation

The project is to be evaluated by the Interim Presentations and a Final Presentation.
All such presentations are to be assessed by a panel of examiners (a Jury). Each Jury
should have a minimum of three members, including the concerned Project
Supervisor(s). The members of the Jury are to be approved by the concerned HoD
and Director. The Department should include external examiners in the Jury for the
Final Presentation. Senior Alumni with more than five years of research/academic
experience may be invited to the juries.

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In the case of Comprehensive Projects, the Department may invite the Industry
Supervisor by online/offline mode.

The project is to be evaluated based on the following parameters with the assigned
weightage:

Interim Presentation -I 15 % Weightage Parameters as Attached in

Annexure-II
Interim Presentation -II 15 % Weightage Parameters as Attached in
Annexure-II
Final Presentation 50 % Weightage Parameters as Attached in
Annexure-III
Project Report/Paper/Patent 20 % Weightage --

The marks obtained by the students in the Interim Presentation should be displayed on
the notice board and also be informed to the student through email within one week from
the respective Interim Presentation. The concerned Project Supervisor(s) should give
detailed feedback to the student based on his/her performance during the Interim
Presentation. Preferably, such feedback should be conveyed to the students through
email.

12. Rubrics for Evaluation

The rubrics for the evaluation provide guidelines to the Evaluators/Examiners for
assessing the students’ learnings at different levels. Each student is to be evaluated
against set criteria. In general, the following criteria/parameters are to be assessed
thoroughly:
 Problem definition, literature survey, and identifying the research gaps
 Contribution and learning in terms of theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge
 Approach to solving the problem
 Report writing
 Presentation skills
The detailed rubrics are provided in Annexure IV.

13. Project Report

The project report should include a problem statement, a literature survey, and an
adequate explanation of methodology, data/input, results, analysis, and the final
outcome.

Specifically, the followings should be included as part of the project report:

 Title of the Project
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 Abstract
 Introduction
 Objective
 Research Methodology
 Results and Discussion
 Conclusion
 Future Scope of Work
 References
 Similarity Report
 Publication/Patent based on the Research Work

The project report should be made in LaTeX or MS word.

The student should avoid any kind of Plagiarism in the report. Once the report is ready,
the student should generate a Similarity Report (quantified value of Plagiarism) using a
standard Plagiarism Report. As per the UGC regulations of 2018 on the Promotion of
Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational, similarities up
to 10% (minor and unintentional similarities) may be tolerated. However, it is highly
desirable that the Project Supervisors should take due care and guide the students to
avoid any kind of similarities.

14. Project Certificates/Undertakings

The Final Project Report should include the following certificates/undertakings:

(i) Certificate of Originality of Work: The students are required to submit a

Certificate stating that the research work is original in nature and not submitted to
any other school/university for any other degree/diploma. Similarly, an
Undertaking of ‘No Plagiarism’ is also required. The prescribed format for the same
is attached as Annexure V.

(ii) Certificate from the Project Supervisor/Industry Supervisor: The student has
to obtain a Certificate from the Project Supervisor(s), Industry Supervisor
(wherever applicable), concerned HoD, and Director for satisfactory completion of
the project. The format for the same is attached as Annexure VI.

In the case of multiple Project Supervisors, the signatures of both Supervisors are
essential.

The project report should include a declaration page specifying whether large language
models (LLM) like ChatGPT or Bard have been used. If such tools are employed, their
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usage should be limited to text polishing and grammar correction. Guidelines on this
topic should be incorporated into the updated policy document.

15. Final Project Presentation

The final presentation of the project work will be in front of a jury. The student will
prepare a formal PowerPoint presentation covering the following aspects related to the
project carried out by him/her:
 Name, Roll Number, Department, Name of the Supervisor(s), etc.
 Problem Statement
 Motivation for the Project
 Objectives of the Project
 Literature Review
 Method Adopted
 Results (Analytical/Simulated/Measured)
 Conclusions/Summary
 Future Scope of Work
 Outcomes/Achievements (Papers/Patents/Presentations/etc.)
 References

16. Time Schedule
The detailed schedule of the Major/Comprehensive Project should be communicated
through an Academic Calendar at the beginning of semester VIII. A generic plan of
project-related activities is given in a Table below:

Activity Schedule
Appointment of a Course Coordinator at the Department November 2nd Week
Level
Meeting with the Students and Faculty Members November 3rd Week
Inviting the Project Definitions from the Faculty Members November 4th Week
Sharing the Project Definitions with the Students December 1st Week
Allotment of Project Supervisor(s) December 3rd Week
Start of the Project Latest by January 1st
Week
Interim Presentation-I February 2nd Week
Interim Presentation-II April 1st Week
Visit the Industry by the Project Supervisor(s) March
Submission of the Draft Copy of the Report to the Project April 4th Week
Supervisor(s)

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Submission of the Final Report, PPT, Copies of Papers, May 2nd Week
etc. to the Course Coordinator
Final Presentation May 3rd Week

17. Feedback from the Industry Supervisor for the Comprehensive Project
For the Comprehensive Project, the students’ feedback is to be obtained from the
concerned Industry. The feedback is to be taken into account while assigning the marks
during the final presentations. The feedback is to be obtained by the concerned
Departmental Project Supervisor of the student. Proper confidentiality is to be
maintained while receiving feedback. The format for such feedback is attached as
Annexure VII.
18. General Guidelines for the Students
 During the project span, the students need to maintain attendance as per the
University norms.
 The initial Interim Assessment (IA) and the final project presentations will be conducted
in presentation format, whereas the second assessment will be carried out in poster format.
 During all presentations (Interim and final presentations), the student needs to come
in formal attire (Males - Light Shaded Shirt and Dark Trousers, Females - Light
Shaded Shirt and Dark Trousers or Salwar Kameez).
 Students must submit Weekly Progress Reports as per the prescribed format.
Failing to do so will result in a penalty of the mark(s).
 Students must ensure that there should not be plagiarism of any type in the Project
Report/Presentation or any Project Outcome (Paper, Patent, Book, etc.). Any
attempt at Plagiarism or use of unfair means/practices will result in severe
disciplinary action as per the University norms.
 In case of any conflict in the selection of the exact Project Definition by two
different students, the allotment will be made on merit by the respective Course
Coordinator.
 If a student wishes to change the Project Definition/Project Supervisor/Industry, the
permission of the concerned Head of the Department must be obtained. Such
changes are permitted only up to thirty days from the date of commencement of
semester VIII. The student will not be allowed to change between CP and MP after
the last week of December before the start of the new semester. Only the title change
will be allowed.

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Annexure I: Format for the Weekly Progress Report

Name of the Student

Roll Number

Complete Address of the

Industry/R&D Organization
where a student is working
(if applicable)
Name of the Supervisor
from PDEU
Email of the Supervisor
from the Industry (if
applicable)
Mobile Number of the
Supervisor from the
Industry (if applicable)
Problem Statement

Progress Made in Week 1

Progress Made in Week 2

Progress Made in Week 15

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Annexure II: Evaluation Sheet for the Interim Presentation

School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar

Department of Engineering
B.Tech. in Engineering

B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project – Interim Presentation

Sr. Name of the Student Roll No. Understanding of the Project Question Total
No. Problem Definition Progress Answer Marks
and Literature Survey
Marks

10 10 10 30

Signature of Supervisor Signature of Examiner Signature of Examiner

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Annexure III: Evaluation Sheet for the Final Presentation

School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar
Department of Engineering
B.Tech. in Engineering

B.Tech. Major/Comprehensive Project – Final Presentation

Sr. Name of the Student Roll No. Quality and Research Question Report Total
No. Quantity of Outcomes Answer Marks
Work Done
Marks
20 20 10 20 70

Signature of Supervisor Signature of Examiner Signature of Examiner

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Annexure IV: Rubrics for Project Evaluation

Criteria Excellent Good Average Needs

Significant
Improvement

Problem definition, The problem is The problem is There is a The problem is

Literature survey, and well-formulated formulated scope for poorly
identifying the research and feasible satisfactorily improvement formulated
gaps and is feasible in the problem
formulation
Contribution and There is a very There is a There is little There is no
learning in terms of significant contribution to contribution to contribution to
theoretical knowledge, contribution to technical technical the technical
practical knowledge technical knowledge. knowledge. knowledge of
knowledge. the student.
Approach to solving the All the All the Many of the Very few
problem objectives are objectives are objectives are objectives are
satisfactorily satisfactorily not satisfactorily
achieved achieved satisfactorily achieved
achieved
Report writing The report is The report is The report is The report is not
well written as written as per written as per written as per
per the given the given the given the given
formatting formatting formatting formatting
guidelines. guidelines. guidelines. guidelines.
However, in
some places,
corrections are
needed.
Presentation skills Exceptional Presentable, Presentable, Lack of
presentation Positive attitude, And sufficient Confidence and
skills and confidence. confidence. presentation
with good skills
desired
Confidence.
 Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Gandhinagar

Annexure V: Certificate of Originality of Work

I hereby declare that the B.Tech. Project entitled “XXXX” submitted by me for the partial
fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Technology to the Dept. of XXXX Engineering at the
School of XXXX, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, is the original record of
the project work carried out by me under the supervision of Prof. XXXX.

I also declare that this written submission adheres to University guidelines for its originality,
and proper citations and references have been included wherever required.

I also declare that I have maintained high academic honesty and integrity and have not falsified
any data in my submission.

I also understand that violation of any guidelines in this regard will attract disciplinary action
by the institute.

Name of the Student:

Roll Number of the Student:

Signature of the Student:

Name of the Supervisor:

Designation of the Supervisor:

Signature of the Supervisor:

Place:

Date:

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Annexure VI: Certificate from the Project Supervisor/Head

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Major/Comprehensive Project Report
entitled“ ”
submitted by Mr./Ms. , Roll No.
towards the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree
in Bachelor of Technology in the field of Engineering from the School of
, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar is the record of work
carried out by him/her under my/our supervision and guidance. The work submitted by
the student has in my/our opinion reached a level required for being accepted for
examination. The results embodied in this major project work to the best of our knowledge
have not been submitted to any other University or Institution for the award of any degree
or diploma.

Name and Sign of the Supervisor Name and Sign of the Industry Supervisor

Name and Sign of the HoD Name and Sign of the Director

Place
Date

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Annexure VII: Feedback from the Industry Supervisor

Name of the Student

Roll Number of the Student
Name of the Industry / R&D Organization
Name of the Industry Supervisor
Feedback / Evaluation by the Industry Supervisor
Sr. No. Question Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor
(10/10) (8/10) (6/10) (4/10)
1 Whether the student is visiting the
site/industry regularly?
2 How is the knowledge and skills of
the student?
3 Was the student able to manage the
daily given tasks?
4 Did the student meet your
expectations?
5 How is the overall impression (soft
skills, smartness, teamwork, etc.)
of the student?
Whether the student is suitable for
placement in your organization/industry?
Remarks by the Supervisor

Signature of the Supervisor

Place

Date