SMVDU Katra: Team Mechanix of the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra has emerged as the only team to qualify for the next stage from the Jammu & Kashmir and ranked under 50 among new teams in the SAE BAJA 2018. The team consisting of 25 members mentored by Dr. R.K. Mishra Associate Professor and Er. Mir Irfan-Ul-Haq Asst. Professor, was represented by five members Shivam Yadav (Captain, Steering Design), Abhishek Kumar (Vice Captain, Roll Cage Design), Abhishek Shukla (Manager, Suspension Design), Manish Kumar Singh (Transmission and Tyres) and Aditij Tandon (Core Team Member) for the Virtual Round in Chandigarh. BAJA SAE INDIA gives engineering students an opportunity to showcase skills in designing four wheeled, single seater, all terrain automobiles. These vehicles are evaluated on the basis of Static, Dynamic and Durability events taking into consideration design, cost, presentation, build quality, innovation, acceleration, maneuverability, hill climb, suspension, traction and endurance. Promoted by Mahindra and Mahindra, BAJA SAE INDIA is the biggest automobile national-level intercollegiate event which takes place every year since 2007. This year, the organizer’s received 388 entries, out of which 180 college have been shortlisted for conventional Baja and E-Baja.

The two day event held at Chitkara University, Chandigarh dated 13th & 14th July the registered teams were scrutinized for their knowledge and capability to participate successfully in the main event to be held in 2018. In which Team Mechanix obtained 149 marks out of 200 which can be elaborated as 62.4/100 in Design Presentation including viva and 86.6/100 in extempore.The evaluation process tested every participant’s knowledge on Rulebook, Design & Analysis, General Mechanical and Automotive Engineering. Based on the performance in Virtual BAJA, the team has been selected for participation in the main event to be held at IIT Ropar, Punjab or NATRIP, Pithampur near Indore. The event is being coordinated by the Automobile Club, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Balbir Singh Head, Mechanical Engineering Department, Prof. V. Verma (Dean FoE) congratulated the team for the success. Honorable Vice Chancellor, SMVDU Dr. Sanjeev Jain has also conveyed his best wishes to the team.