UVCE History

This article is based on a humorous and highly sarcastic piece originally published in the college magazine of 1975, giving us a glimpse into the infamous "Nale Banni" era of the campus.

“The Nale Banni Culture”

This is mainly about the office culture of the 1970s, especially their response to the students. Even today, the office is manned, but the original 1975 author uses heavy sarcasm to describe their work.

He states that the office is manned by a "truly organized and efficient staff," and further adding to their indiscipline, he notes they seem to follow the time zone of some other part of the world. No doubt why the general public harbors a distaste for stereotypical government offices.

"If you reach the office regarding any personal or academic work, you will firstly encounter a sleepy-looking clerk who will tell you, 'Nale Banni' (Come tomorrow) even before he has heard your plea."

Anonymous Student1975 College Magazine

These were the unfortunate experiences of the late 70s. Imagine you’ve come to the college, leaving your village or city some 500-1000 kms away, needing a crucial academic document. You go to the office with a light of hope, and before you can even utter a word, you hear it: "Nale Banni".

The Academic Gamblers & Branch Rivalries

The author then takes on the academic side of the late 70s. Even then, our college faced its share of bureaucratic hurdles. The staff seemed to get sadistic pleasure gambling with the students’ marks. He mentions an important highlight: class marks were in abundance at the new campus and the main block (our current location), but were in dire shortage "across the road" (the Mech block).

Here is how he humorously described the different engineering branches of that time:

Civil

The Civil cousins taking the initiative and setting up their shops all the way out at Kengeri.

Electrical

The Electricals had loosened up their machinery, hence they were warned before they even entered their labs.

Electronics

According to the 1975 author, it was 'better not to mention them' at all.

Mechanical

The Mechs, having always been the black sheep of the family, stayed away across the river of traffic (Mech block).

Architecture

Coming to the 'infant Arch Department', he brutally jokes that it would have been better if there had been an abortion.

The "Exam Mania"

At that time, exams were once every 6 months, unlike the 3-month semester system of today. He describes it as the "exam mania." This resulted in an increase of campus violence and created immense tensions in the staff room. During this period, the staff members tended to move around in gangs, harboring bad memories of the "canine and murderous instincts" displayed by the future engineers.

There was a very powerful student union and association, which even made the staff scared enough to move in groups. This was college life at that time—the worst and the best parts. Whatever the comparison may be, U.V.C.E. was, is, and will stand tall forever.

Then & Now: Bridging the 50-Year Gap

While the 1970s author joked about the "black sheep" Mechanical block and the "Nale Banni" office, 2025-26 tells a different story of transformation:

Infrastructure

The Mech Block Evolution

The 'black sheep' area is now witnessing a massive overhaul with the construction of an 8-story Mechanical Block (₹85 Crore project), aiming for completion by June 2026.

Modernization

Digital Office

The sleepy clerks of the 70s are being replaced by digital transparency. With the new Digital Library (inaugurated Dec 2025), students now have access to global resources instantly.

Achievement

The Legacy

Despite the 'exam mania' and branch rivalries of the past, UVCE continues to produce leaders, with recent milestones like the Smart India Hackathon 2024 wins proving that the 'canine instincts' have evolved into world-class innovation.

The ‘Nale Banni’ Culture: A Humorous Look at UVCE Office Life