Jitu

Last year more students got admitted to IISc than the capacity allowed. So the E-Block that was marked for demolition and partly F-Block got reactivated and some single rooms in those blocks got converted into double rooms. I even heard that the director said during the welcome ceremony that he was thankful that some students dropped out.

This year the situation is worse. The hostel administration booked even guest houses to accommodate the new students. However they still fall short of around 200 beds (150 boys, 50 girls). Again zero learn effect and always others are blamed. This time it is the government and its raised quota. However a quota is given in percentage. To explain the mathematical effect, I will give an example:

Let’s say, the current quota is 0% (i.e. non-existent) and 1000 students get admitted. Now a quota of 30% is introduced. So 700 students that do not belong to the quota and 300 students to whom the quota applies get admitted. But the number is the same. This would be too simple and would not raise the number of admissions in total which is the effect the institute is aiming for. However in a bucket that can hold 10 liters of water, no one would get even the idea to put 12 liters of water inside.

Now in the despair, the administration asks for volunteers who are willing to share their single room with a newly arriving student. If someone does so, his hostel rent of Rs.4000 is waived, but the guest pays double the original fee. So here no losses are made for the hostel office. In addition since an additional table, chair and/or cod is not provided, they expect the volunteer to share a single bed with an unknown person. Honestly, the cods are not king sized and not everybody is slim. Oh, choosing the candidate is also not an option, since the allotment is based on lottery. As an alternative, two seniors can share a room and the free room is then alloted to new students. If you do not believe it, what I am saying here, have a look at these notes from the notice board.

Honestly, who is willing to give up one of the last places where someone can have some privacy (the bathroom is the other place) for Rs.4000? So there are some questions that came up intro my mind:

• How will the situation improve over one semester only? How many students are expected to pass out? More than 200? The early batches are not THAT strong. So next year the situation worsens even more.
• Why do not the members of the faculty (allow the students to be admitted) nor the administration (allow the faculty to do so) take some of the new students into their big houses/apartments?
• I expect that tents will come up (already suggested) or that the 2 big rooms above the A and B messes get converted into dormitories. One for boys and one for girls. Rudimentary sinks and toilets are already available.

Welcome to IISc! See, not even arrived and already in trouble. Let’s have some tasty marshmallows grilled over a cosy camp fire, located between tents, and let’s sing some old country songs.

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