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IIT GUWAHATI STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (IITGSA)

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Instead of setting 8 new IITs', I (an IITan) want Mrs. Smriti Irani to focus on facilities and faculties of existing IITs

This issue is most important because IITs carry brand name globally. Even in existing IITs, there is lack of good faculty. There is very poor research facilities and many other things. New IITs set up in 2009 are already struggling with lack of faculty and other key issues. Setting up a new set of IITs will only add to the problems already faced by the hallowed institutions. I am an IITan, and from last 2 years I have been watching structure of IITs very closely. Already there is not a single IIT in first 100 world ranking. 
So I request her if she wants to set up new engineering colleges, then set them but brand name of IIT should not be malign and I want her to focus on exiting IITs. Also another point is, if new government is thinking that setting new IIT's would boost up research level, then they are living in a dream. If you want to boost research, then set up research laboratory in each state, insted of IIT's. 
Even after coming to IITs after clearing JEE exam, students are losing interest in study due to bad faculty and and not much study friendly environment. We know India is over populated country, but if she wants something in return from IITs except lucrative job giving institutions, then she should certainly concentrate on 'quality' insted of quantity.
If you think in similar way, please sign this petition. It is not just calling people from IITs to sign this petition but also all young pepole who thinks this is a bad idea to set up IITs in every state neglating the basic needs.

External link to sign petition:
http://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/petition-against-setting-new-iits-in-each-state-instead-of-empowering-existing-one-s


Petitioning Mrs. Smriti Irani :

Instead of setting 8 new IITs', I (an IITan) want you to focus on facilities and faculties of existing IITs'. Condition of many new IITs which were set up in 2009 is very pathetic. Many departments don't have faculties. This issue is most important because IITs carry brand name globally. Even in existing IITs, there is lack of good faculty. There is very poor research facilities. Setting up a new set of IITs will only add to the problems already faced by the hallowed institutions. I am an IITan, and from last 2 years I have been watching structure of IITs very closely. Already there is not a single IIT in first 100 world ranking. Even after coming to IITs after clearing JEE exam, students are losing interest in study due to not much good faculty and study friendly environment. My humble request to you Ma'am, is first concentrate on existing IITs. At the end, you, me and all people want a prosperous India.

WE DONT NEED AUTONOMY:IITs

POSTED BY aakash
 
Business Standard ND 2/06/2011 P1

Even as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Council decide on the "re-worked" version of the Kakodkat1 Committee report on autonomy for the IITs, the verdict by IITs is out: We don't need autonomy.

IIT directors and professors that Business Standard spoke to, said, they have enough autonomy to function well.

"In my personal opinion IITs have adequate autonomy. As an institution funded by tax payers, I do not expect to be handed more on a platter. I am willing to fight for incremental autonomy as and when I need it. We have a welt thought out Act that protects our autonomy," said M S Ananth, Director, IIT Madras.

The panel, headed by Anil Kakodkar,' former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, has advocated in its report that greater responsibility for operational and financial management be transferred from the IIT council and the MHRD, to the IIT board.

The report states that the objective of realising autonomy would he facilitated by de-linking IIT finances from non-plan support of the Government. IIT professors however, said absence of government grants might restrict their growth.

"While the whole idea of the Kakodkar Panel is rooted in providing us more autonomy, I am not so sure that this will provide us with the prospects of growth that we need in the immediate future and in the long run," said an IIT-Kharagpur professor on the condition of anonymity.

Each IIT has a board, while the IIT council is the apex IIT governing body which has participation from the MHRD, central secretaries of education and all III directors along with central government nominees.

The Committee has suggested that IITs be made independent of non-plan (operational) support from the Government for their operational expenditure while at the same time seeking greater plan (capital support to enhance research in comprehensive manner.

"My view is that a better solution is to give more autonomy to the IIT Council. The restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Finance should be removed and the Council should be empowered to take all financial decisions. Problem areas such as number of positions, pay scales, promotion policies, recruitment rules, purchasing rules should all be decided by the IIT Council," Gautam Barua-Director, IIT Guwahati.

Barua added that most of the recommendations by Kakodkar Committee are to delegate powers from the Council or the Government to the board.

"A board does not adequately represent the main stakeholders, the government, the faculty and the staff. Also, there should be some uniformity among the IITs, 15 autonomous boards will dilute the IIT brand," said Barua.

The recommendations of the panel have also proposed a fivefold fee hike from the current Rs 50,000 to t2.5 lakh for the undergraduate engineering programme. The additional funds, the report says, will be utilized for providing greater autonomy to the IITs. First draft of the report was presented by the panel to the MHRD this January which has , since been reworked keeping in mind the ministry's concerns about fee hike and ttie associated problems. The new recommendations, while keeping fee hike intact, suggest a scholarship for deserving candidates.

As per the report, IITs will subject themselves to a comprehensive institution review by an internationally eminent group once every five years.

"The MHRD is concerned about being responsible to audit, and the parliament about the way in which IITs spend taxpayer's money. The Kakodkar report talks of additional autonomy that comes from spending one's own earnings. The latter will not be as accountable for what IITs do with their own earnings as with tax-payers' funds," added Ananth. The committee was set up in October 2009. Among other members it includes: T.V. Mohandas   Pal, former Director (Human Resource), Infosys; Hari Bhartia, Co Chairman and Managing Director of Jubilant Organosys K. Mohandas, Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Health and Allied Sciences and Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, IIT Madras.

IIT Guwahati Director Gautam Barua, IIT Mandi Director T. Gonsalves and IIT Kanpur Chairman M. Anandakrishnan were special invitees on the panel.
 

Finding faculty will be a challenge when we expand: Gautam Barua, Director, IIT Guwahati

POSTED BY paras

Bikash Singh, ET Bureau Jun 3, 2011, 02.09am IST


Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) will nearly double its student intake to around 6,000 from the current strength of 3,400 over the next five years. The 13-year-old institute, which was established as part of a political accord, taken several initiatives to attract bright students, director of the institute, professor Gautam Barua, Director, IIT Guwahati told ET. Excerpts from an interview: 

Is there a government directive behind the decision to increase student intake?
There is no directive from the government to increase capacity. All the old IITs are now expanding, taking student capacity to 6,000-plus. Our expansion is in tandem with other IITs.

How did you arrive at 6,000?
Every year, since our inception, we have been adding 400 students. While there is no fixed figure, our numbers can cross 6,000 in the next five years. We cannot grow faster than this. Finding faculty, and funding will be issues. Even if the government offers help with funding, the main constraint will be hiring faculty. Growth has received an impetus after reservation of seats for other backward class students.
What will the break-up of seats look like? What percentage of seats will go to B-Tech and M-Tech courses? 

It could be 50% of seats for each. It could also be 45% for undergraduate courses and 55% for post- graduate courses. This year, we had 710 PHDs. At present, PHD students comprise 20% of the students, which we would like to move up to 30%.

What challenges are you likely to face?
Getting good students is a challenge. We have taken a number of initiatives to attract them, though. These include allowing M-Tech students to move to PHD courses after one year, depending on performance. We have also allowed B-Tech students to work on PHD thesis at the end of the third year, which can later be used in the PHD course. With this incentive, students can wrap up their PHDs quickly. We are also building more hostels and increasing their capacity to 6,200.
Setting up of physical infrastructure in time is another challenge. Land fills, construction have all to be planned in advance. We have sought Rs 750 crore as capital expenditure for the 12th Plan period.
Since it is a residential campus, we have to ensure all the arrangements are in place. On the other hand, in a typical American university, none of the 30,000 students or faculty members stay on campus.

Do you think good students and teachers will choose IIT Guwahati?
It is becoming difficult to get good students to do their PHD, as they get lucrative job offers. Getting students in general, however, will not be a problem as we can double the JEE student intake.
The problem is in getting students at the post-graduate level. Students from private engineering colleges do come, but are not that good. At this stage, it is difficult to work on them.
Our faculty strength is 269 while the number of students is 3,400. The gap is huge, which holds true for other IITs too. We are trying to close this gap. More teaching staff will mean less load on them, giving them more time for research. The non-faculty staff strength is 323. We were able to secure the ministry's approval for creation of a 100 new posts, while many more on contract will be absorbed. So with 3,800 students by August, the number of posts will go up to 418.

IIT-Guwahati students lead march against corruption

POSTED BY king

IIT-Guwahati students led some 150 volunteers in the march against corruption organized in the Assam capital on Sunday. They trekked 4 km from Sonaram High School to Latasil Field, a symbolic ground where the Assam government stages officials functions including Republic Day parade. "The two-hour event was meant to send a message to the government and bureaucrats that corruption will not be tolerated any more. Our cause was voluntarily supported by various organization here," said IIT student Ravish Vasan, one of the organizers of the march that was flagged off by social activist Meenu Choudhury and Vinay Khandelwal.
The marchers included members of Chinmaya Mission, Marwari Yuva Manch, Art of Living Foundation, Leo Club, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and students of Army Public School.
The march in Guwahati was part of a nation-wide programme by a group of social activists and people from various fields striving for a corruption-free India and seeking stern and transparent anti-graft law called Jan Lokpal.
The march coincided with Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary.

NEW Leaning Tower of IITG

POSTED BY john

I am a second yearite..just visited the new hostel in the making..named brahamputra...i was damn shocked to see the inpiration dese people got from leaning tower of pisa...
i mean that hostel clearly showcases the carelessnes of the management ....a clear wastage of public funds..
the person living in that hostel is no more than a rabbit in snake's cage...in this earthquake prone area where already kameng and barack are in the danger light..making another hostel like this which has already tilted under its weight and bad earth filling.....i believe something really need to be done to this...
an immediate awareness and action is needed by all iitg junta and people from outside as well
we need to come out as a family on dis issue..

Kakodkar Committee set up to decide the future of IITs and the AUTONOMY issue

POSTED BY ravi
  
MHRD Constituted Committee to "Suggest a Roadmap for the Autonomy and Future of IITs as World Class Institutions for Research 
& Higher Learning" is chaired by Dr A Kakodkar, Chairman, BoG IIT Bombay.

The committee seeks feedback on IIT System from all its stakeholders. The online survey is set up at.

                 http://www.casde.iitb.ac.in/feedback

Kindly spare some of your valuable time to provide your inputs. 

Subansiri Hostel is not safe anymore!!

POSTED BY bana
 
Dear all,

This is very very sad and regretting issue in an institution like IIT that the only girls' hostel SUBANSIRI is not safe anymore.
Since last year (June 2009),  there have been numerous incidents of burglary in SUBANSIRI hostel mainly during the hostel
extension work. All the incidents were reported and complained to concerned authorities of the institute. But as expected, 
there was only assurance and no action was taken. Same incident has taken place yesterday night also, and three mobiles 
and cash was stolen. 
 
This to inform all the students and conscious members of IITG that we SUBANSIRI BOARDERS are expecting 
cooperation and support regarding the safety issue.

Thank you all.

Why IITG Buses have stopped coming to Hostel Area ?

POSTED BY zurich

As we all know more than 80% of the IITG population resides in the Boys Hostel Area (i.e. Umium, Barak, Kameng, Manas, Dihing, Kapili and Siang). The Green Valley Buses have been coming to these hostels in the past and the students were comfortably boarding the buses from the nearest bus stand. But surprisingly, without any visible logic the buses have been made to start from the Guest House and go straight out of the Campus without taking even a single round inside the Campus.
Now the students have to walk about a km before they can catch the bus to the city and do the same to come back to their hostel after coming from city.
The Administration has started a new Bus service inside the Campus. The bus is seen almost all the time moving around empty in the Campus as the timings are not accurate and are not in accordance with either the class timings or the timings of the City Bus which leaves from the Guest House.

It is not clear as to why the the system of Buses coming to the Hostel which was successfully being implemented for the past 5 years has been suddenly changed without taking any opinion or feedback from the Students Community who are the main sufferers of this illogical action of IITG Administration.

Complaints regarding Dr. Sushanta Karmakar of CSE Dept.

POSTED BY rakesh

Parallel algorithm (CS501- in Even Semester in 2009-10 academic year) course instructor Sushanta Karmakar (http://www.iitg.ernet.in/sushantak/) is a kind of person who should not be here in IITs. He does not know any thing about parallelism, I am not confident whether he knows algorithms or not at least. His correction of papers is completely random and expects everything to be bookish. If you write anything on thinking the problem he will directly scratch it off and does not consider any explanation from any student no matter how valid it is. Once he has corrected the paper he never put his pen down to change the marks he has given even if it is his concepts that are wrong.

He even did not get the Student Feedback forms filled by us, I don't know how he managed the academic section (may be he might have filled by himself ) or how the academic section got convinced. When ever he teaches anything what ever he speaks out of his mouth was completely and absolutely mugged up.


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Now what ever happened in last semester, leave it apart.. But now the same person is going to teach the OS course which is supposedly taught by Director sir every year. We can't even assume this person know the basics of OS. Since it is a compulsory course the 3rd yearites will have to face many problems in their career.

So please let that situation not happen and please take necessary actions against the selection procedure for professors in IITG.

Where do the FUNDS and GRANTS taken in the name of IITG Students go?

POSTED BY kamal
Guys,
Have a look at the following news article of August 2007 :

 Taken from : http://www.assamtimes.org/business/283.html

So $75000 i.e. Rs.35,23,498 was accepted by Director, IITG from HP in August 2007.
As HP India Director announced, the Grant was given to Director for accomplishing the following for IITG students:

1. For integrating mobile technology and educational infrastructure and transforming the way 
    subjects are taught on its campus
2. For purchase of things like HP tablet PCs, wireless networking cards and printers , optical 
    drives for IITG students

Director, IITG assured HP while accepting the grant that the huge grant will benefit the students of IITG greatly. 

Now we are the ones in the name of whom the Grant was accepted for bring in Mobile Technology, Tablet PCs, Wireless Cards, Optical Drives which would supposed to "transform the way subjects are taught on IITG Campus".

3 years have passed. Have you seen any of the above on our Campus? 

Just give it a thought. This is just one such Grant. In a institute like IIT every year Crores of Rupees are given as Funds from the Indian Government which are coming from the taxes the Indian Citizens pay and Grants from Commerial Sector as a gesture of social work. 

Are these funds being utilized correctly? Do we students even care about them. We are not even aware of the huge loss we are having due to our ignorance and lack of unity. We deserve more guys. Wake up !!!

No TREES besides Campus Roads even after 15 years

POSTED BY paras

IITG is nearly 15 years old  now. The campus is huge with the Departments and Lecture Halls at one end and Hostel at another with the students walking or cycling to and fro evryday taking about 15 mins everytime. We all are aware of the heat in the peak time of afternoon. Now I find it very surprising that with the roads and pavements already in place for several years and with the huge amount of funds from the Government spent on beautification why are there no trees besides most of the roads of IITG? All I see are empty round wooden supports along the roads all over the campus which are replaced by new ones every other month with no trees in them.  Is this futile way of spending the funds all we can expect from the administration?

Just look at the difference in the Campus at IITG and IITB. We can no longer hide behing the excuse of being a new and upcoming IIT being 15 year old and having a estabilished campus (not to mention the green environment in assam).



I am speacially talking about the following roads:
- Between Siang and Academic Complex (via Library building)
- Between SAC to KV Gate
- Between Dihing and Kapili

These, among others, are the most used roads by all students everyday and we are left with no option other than walking directly under the intense sun. It seems niether the Administration nor the Environmental Club, Prakriti secretaries have given a thought to this end. Its time to wake up guys...

Is the Placement Cell doing its job ?

POSTED BY aakash

Have a look at the Placements this year:

Its June ! And we have ONLY 50% of the MTechs placed. Now what do you have to say about that..The whole country looks up at IIT placements and have you had this in mind when you joined IITG ?
Alcheringa and Techniche Issues
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Unfair Paper Checking by Prof. Santosh Biswas, CSE

POSTED BY kumar

A 2005 Batch BTech CSE student Gaurav Chaddha was given 22 / 100 marks in  his exam paper by CS department faculty Dr. Santosh Biswas.
On finding that this is not what he deserved Gaurav alongwith some friends went to the Professor for re-evaluation and and got the rightly deserved 88 /100 marks.
See the following video to see what happened:



This is just one of the several instances of unfair and biased checking by Professors. As the End-Semester answer sheets are not returned the chances of such a thing happening increases.

Harassment by Dean Sukumar Nandi

POSTED BY aaa

Here at IIT Guwahati, we all are facing problems on a regular basis created by Prof Sukumar Nandi who is heading the Academic Sections. We are trying to give voice to the harassed students of IITG who have been a victim of harassment, demoralization, partiality, politics, humiliation by Prof Nandi.
Prof Nandi, by his petty politics and low thinking has spoiled the entire environment at IITG and the entire academic temperament is getting degraded.

Kindly post the problems faced by you so that Prof Nandi cannot continue with his tyrannous attitude.

Dual Face of Director Gautam Barua

POSTED BY king

The Director of IITG, Gautam Barua, has good persuasive skills. His sweet talks hide a lot in the background which needs to come to light.

In the past few days, we have been hearing a lot of ethical lectures regarding IIT-JEE Coaching from Gautam Barua. He is against IIT-JEE Coaching system and has also banned the students from teaching in coaching institutes as expressed through his following two emails.

1.

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Subject: JEE Coaching by Students - An appeal
From: "Gautam Barua"
Date: Thu, March 18, 2010 3:09 pm
To: stud@iitg.ernet.in
deans@iitg.ernet.in
----------------------------------------------------------

We found that a number of IITG students have been involved in JEE
coaching in the city. We have warned all of them to stop this or to face
disciplinary action.
While "earning while learning" is an accepted practice in society, and
many students with limited means need to earn to continue their
studies, JEE coaching is not an acceptable activity. Why is this so?
1.First of all, when our students take part, the coaching institute uses
the name of IIT to attract students. This use of the brand of IIT cannot
be done by someone who is an IIT student. There is no quality control
over the students who are doing the coaching. There is no selection
process by the IIT system (In fact we have found that most of the IIT
students doing coaching do not have very good CPIs. A good CPI too does
not ensure quality. Some students stay over in summer doing an
internship, but actually they are doing coaching in the city. Almost all
of them are "academically poor" students). So the quality associated
with the IIT brand gets diluted. There is therefore a big element of
fraud in this exercise as the coaching institute students and their
parents get duped by the use of the IIT name.
2. The IIT system is against the whole concept of coaching for JEE. The
Govt. of India and the IIT system are working on ways to stop or reduce
the menace of coaching for JEE. We therefore cannot stand by and see our
own students take up coaching.
3. Taking part in coaching is not an occasional job to be done over
weekends. Its needs preparation. It usually ends up in students bunking
classes. Their results at the IIT suffer. The whole academic atmosphere
in the IIT gets vitiated.

I request the co-operation of the student community to stop this
menace. It is only with your co-operation through peer pressure on your
fellow students that we can completely wipe out coaching by students.
After you graduate, if you wish to take up coaching as a career, we
cannot, and will not stop you. I reserve the right to disapprove though.

--
Gautam Barua
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati


2.

-------------------------------------------------------
Subject: IIT Coaching
From: "Gautam Barua"
Date: Thu, May 6, 2010 9:35 am
To: btech@iitg.ernet.in
Cc: fac@iitg.ernet.in
----------------------------------------------------------
I am getting reports that a number of B.Tech students are teaching in
IIT JEE coaching institutes in the city. IITG does not allow its
students to do coaching while they are on campus. All of you who are
doing this have to stop. Anyone found doing coaching 1) will be
immediately asked to vacate the hostel he / she is staying in, 2) will
have a letter sent to his parents / guardians, and 3) disciplinary
proceedings will be initiated.

All faculty taking in IIT students (IITG or other IIT) as summer
internees may please take an undertaking from each of the students. The
undertaking must have at least the following sentences : "I promise
that I will devote my full time to the summer internship. I promise that
I will not teach or assist in any way in any IIT JEE coaching
institutes in the city of Guwahati during the period of internship."

--
Gautam Barua
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati


Many of us after reading these emails may think that the Director is a person of high morals. But have a look at the pictures below which are taken from one of the IIT-JEE Coaching Institute's Brochure. The Director alongwith some other professors of IITG have been participating in the functions of Impact Coaching Institute every year from the time it has started and is encouraging students to join the Impact Institute misusing the IIT brand name. It is gathered that he has a share in the institute. This is a fraud with the society and the Director is filling his own pockets by running and advertising Coaching Institute himself.

It has also been heard that IITG Academic Sections staff is the Franchise owner of the Narayana Coaching Institute in Guwahati and this internal politics is also one of the motive behind the emails.




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