According to some of my friends studying at NIT Calicut, the ECE branch is better in placements than the Mechanical Engineering branch.

• The placement greatly depends on the Aptitude and Academic record of the candidate. 
• The Teaching quality of both of these departments is not so good. 
• The candidate needs to work by themselves. The faculty might not be cooperative.
• Other than just depending on library books, candidates can prepare by learning from the internet as per the syllabus. 
• It is important to know that the departments are very strict about their attendance policy. 80% attendance is mandatory for all students. 

Only of the bright thing at NIT Calicut is that the exams are conducted only from the taught portions of the professors and not the whole syllabus. The course curriculum is a bit old and not current industry-oriented. The campus life, facilities and hostels are good. Students here have a decent college life with less extravaganza.

One of my friends graduated from IGIT this year. Here are a few things that I got to know about the Mechanical branch at IGIT. 

Placements:

According to the statistics the placement sector is down in almost all colleges of Odisha. Seeing on the placement statistics of past years hardly a core company came for placement in IGIT.

• Companies like Vedanta, Jindal, and Bhushan did come for the core sector but the probability of students getting selected is not up to the mark.
• Most mechanical engineers join TCS or Tech Mahindra in IT. Very few of the students get placed in core companies like Vedanta, Jindal, or Bhushan.

This same situation can be seen in colleges like VSSUT and CET too. But they arrange some off-campus for mechanical students. Going in other campus placement is good in CET followed by VSSUT than IGIT. But that doesn’t make a big difference. Placement is almost the same in these colleges for core companies.

About Mechanical Branch:

The mechanical branch is one of the most strict branches of the institute. 

• It has well-equipped labs or workshops and this is something mechanical engineers brag about.
• IGIT has more reputed and respected professors in mechanical engineering as compared to other colleges.

The quality of education is average.

It will be better if you opt for CET followed by VSSUT and then IGIT. CET/VSSUT does call mass recruiters as compared to IGIT. IT jobs play the role of saviors since the number of core jobs is quite less. and are not likely to get a boost in near future.

The students can get better placement in NIT Raipur. One will get good opportunities and exposure in the mining branch too. Moreover, the experience at NIT is far better than BIT DURG.

• The curriculum followed by BIT DURG and even NIT Raipur is outdated.
• The institute is at least 10 years behind the current industry practice as compared to NIT Raipur.
• At least 30 years behind if we compare it with the US or European schools.
• The industry clientele had taken leaps and bounds in terms of technology and what the students study is old-era theories that have little relevance in practice now. 
• Many industries hire graduates through campus interviews, 1st train them for 3 to 6 months to prepare the students as per industry requirements and update the knowledge.

The table shows a brief overview of the institutions:

So overall, if the students are into mechanical or mining, don't rely too much on what the book taught you, be aware of current trends and practices.

IIT Bhubaneswar is a new IIT and was established in the year 2008. On the other hand, IIT Dhanbad is an old IIT. Being an old IIT, the academic curriculum and academic flexibility are more functional at IIT Dhanbad than any other new IIT.

Many of my friends have passed out from IIT Dhanbad who were highly satisfied with their placement considering their JEE advance ranks. In the placement drive 2020, the highest package offered to the mechanical branch at IIT Dhanbad was INR 17 lakhs per annum. 

Changing your branch is comparatively easier at IIT Dhanbad. So, even if you are compromising on your branch of choice, you can get it altered to your choice once you join in.

To conclude, I would suggest you go for IIT Dhanbad.

NIT Uttarakhand is the last choice of the majority of students among all other NITs. It has the lowest ranking, poor placement records, and no awards or academic excellence. It is considered a Tier 4 institute. 

On the other hand, IET Lucknow is a prestigious institution, especially for engineering students. It is one of the best UPSEE institutes in Lucknow. Moreover, it is considered academically strong and has earned good recognition.

Check the following table for a brief insight on relevant statistics of both institutes:

Generally, ECE is better than ME but it applies to the institutes which are nearly on the same level. In this scenario, pursuing ME from IET Lucknow would be the better option in terms of placements, a recognition that would later help you in finding a job through off-campus placement.