LIFE AT IIT-BY Ajinkya Latkar

Published in The Hitavada "FUTURE"
(By- Ajinkya Latkar, JEE AIR-894, Ex-ICADian, Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Mechanical Engineering IIT Bombay)

In May 2008, I turned 18, and two months later, I landed up at Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai. Shifting from Nagpur to Mumbai, I had expected a huge cultural shock. But that was exactly what did not happen. Things seemed parallel, if not similar. Nagpur is definitely “modernizing” fast, if “modernized” is what the public considers cities like Mumbai as. Not letting my mind wander any more, I will straight away come to the point: Life at IITs.

At the outset, the following is worth mentioning, as quoted on Wikipedia, “The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are a group of fifteen autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education established and declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Parliament of India. The IITs were created to train scientists and engineers, with the aim of developing a skilled workforce to support the economic and social development of India after independence in 1947.”

The following short and sweet write up is based primarily on life at IIT Bombay, but it is more or less the same in every other IIT. The campus of IIT Bombay is splendid. It is a small township in itself. Consciously developed, the campus has retained and increased its green cover, rich in natural flora and fauna. The other campuses are beautiful too, with each having its own different charm, yet having a shade of similarity to each other.

An important aspect of life, once you have made it to one of these institutes, is hostel life. The hostels are a hub of activity, and living here is very different than living at home. Students are allotted rooms, which are not greater in volume than cell blocks for prisoners. Initially you have a roommate, later you can have your own cell. Not to get disheartened, living in a hostel is worth living in these confined spaces. Mess food, popular as bad and tasteless, is not that bad and tasteless. Yes, one cannot compare it with the food at home, but still, it is edible and satisfactory, and not an issue at all. Also, every IIT has its very own well equipped hospital.

Academics are important, well that is what you go there for, but they are not the only thing. There exists a rich and diverse culture of extra-curricular activities on campus. In addition, there are excellent sports facilities and a multitude of cultural activities going on throughout the year. Singing, dancing, dramatics, debating, music, quizzing, you name it, and IITs have facilities for it. There are also facilities for almost every sport. There are facilities for cricket, football, hockey, table tennis, basketball, badminton, lawn tennis and many more sports. An Inter IIT Sports Meet is held every December, in one of the IITs, where students from every IIT participate and compete for supremacy. Every IIT has its own cultural and technological festivals. IIT Powai’s cultural festival is called

Mood Indigo, and technological festival is called Techfest. These are two of the largest college fests of Asia. These festivals offer opportunities to display various types of skills, in a variety of fields. In short, one can “Live One’s Passion” here.

Well, this is all about it. I hope I have conveyed the message; IITs are heavenly places to be in.

This write up might not help you to crack JEE, but, inspiration seekers, I hope this read was a treat for you people.