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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Arrival by train/bus

If you arrive at the Bangalore Central Train station (SBC) or by bus at the City Bus Stand (this area is also called Majestic), go to the local bus stand. Take a bus to Malleshwaram or Yeshwantpur. Ask the driver or conductor for TATA Institute. IISc is not commonly known. Hop off the bus near the main gate. The standard rate for the bus would be Rs.7/- per head. If you want to take a auto, the rate is usually around Rs.60/-.
If you arrive at Yeshwantpur train station (YPR) take an auto. Usually the drivers charge very high rates. A normal rate would be between Rs.15/- and Rs.20/-. It is less than 2km to IISc and also walkable. Please refer to the map below.

If you require transportation from one of the train station mentioned above to IISc, do not forget to send your train details (the date you are arriving, the train you are boarding and its arrival timing) to . It would be helpful, if you also mention your phone number (ensure some balance in case you come from a different state) and carry a list of important phone number along with you in case you get lost. Please note that senior students are there to help and pick you up, not to carry your luggage. I strongly recommend to travel lightly, since usual things like mattresses, buckets, etc. can be bought directly on campus. Every year I have seen at least some people carrying half a library with them and additionally a computer including a 17 inches CRT monitor. This also causes discomfort to others, since the space in the bus bringing you to IISc, is not infinite and everybody else has also luggage. So, whatever you cannot carry by yourself, leave it at home and pick it up later.

Accommodation

Some lodges, hostels and hotels ranging from around Rs.350/- (lodge, single room) and Rs.4500/- (luxury 3 star hotel), are located around IISc. Please have a look at the map below to find more information. All accommodations are within a walkable distance to and from IISc. Please be advised that IISc does not provide accommodation for your parents in case they accompany you. You have to take a room outside for them. There is a chance that the same applies also to you in case you decide to arrive earlier.

Some details about the residencies:

• iReal Residency Lodge
  • 29/2, 4th Main Road, near Ramaiah College Bus Stop, Mathikere
  • Phone Number: 08041275500
  • Prices: Double room Rs.450, Single room Rs.350, extra person: Rs.100 (all prices excluding tax)
• Krishinton Suites (3 star hotel with restaurant on the roof)
  • MS Ramaiah Main Road opposite of D-Gate [where all the new departments are constructed])
  • Phone Number: 08042595959
  • Prices: 3 different price categories ranging from Rs.3000 to Rs.4500 depending on the luxury and comfort (excluding tax).

Map

Red markers point out important locations. Blue ones depict the locations of accommodations nearby. Please click on the markers to see additional information.

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There are a few pigeons flying around the hostel. Usually I would not bother, but it seems, they like to take a shit just above freshly laundered clothes hanging on the balcony to dry. So by the end of the day you can do the whole batch of laundry again. What to do against these flying rats? Scaring them off by making some banging sound has a good effect for the next 10 minutes. After they return happily resuming their activities.

Finally I found a solution: I got a new friend, helping me to keep pigeons away.

Since my friend is busy hunting all day, there is no time to stay on my balcony throughout the whole time. Hence a more permanent solution was required. Another trick to keep any bird away from the balcony is putting the silhouette of a bird of prey on the balcony door. For birds it does not matter, if the outline of the bird of prey is in the sky or attached to a balcony door. They stay away from the live threatening danger. A nice source of outlines is available on the Mr. Welz’ web pages. Download the file, choose an outline and print it out. In my case, I enlarged the sparrow hawk to fit on a DIN A3 sheet, printed it and put it on my balcony door (from the outside obviously). Since then I am almost 100% pigeon free.

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This post should be a warning to everybody. It happened to myself, but also to a friend of mine just a few days ago. I do not know any other incidences, but it seems, there is a system behind it.

What happened? Long story short:
Someone called me by phone telling me that parcels have arrived and he would like to get them delivered. So I went to the hostel gate and he waited there for me. He explained that parcels have arrived for my address (he knew my exact address of the hostel), but there are some formalities regarding customs. I had to pay duty and that was the reason, why the parcels were currently in the office in Malleshwaram. However he came by to get the services and duties done for me for some little extra fee. Then he tried to call his boss to discuss the matter further from my phone. So I had his boss’ phone number. However the number was busy all the time and he could not get through. In the end he convinced me that he will proceed to his office, get the formalities done and will come back with the parcels. I paid him Rs.500 (that was the amount, I had with me) and he left.

I mean, he really left and never came back. I tried to call his boss’ number several times, but after the third day the number got disconnected. Maybe I am too stupid since I always believe in the good part of humans first. Many people can point the finger at me and telling me that could never ever happen to them. However I admit, he had a really easy game, since I was expecting parcels from Germany and thought that they arrived finally. The concerned parcels came something like 2 months after this incident and they have their own story.

A similar event happened to a friend of mine just a few days back. He came to her room personally at 7am on a Sunday morning. With the same trick (duties, parcels currently in office, etc) he managed to lure around Rs.700 from her. The security of IISc is quite powerless and weak. Any visitor has to sign into a register. However, if you are a delivery boy, you may pass unchecked and undisturbed. I mean, a little bit common sense: Who delivers a parcel that early on a Sunday morning?

The money is gone. However we hope that this post reaches some people and to prevent them to loose their money too.

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As mentioned earlier, the water crisis started some time back. Just yesterday an institute internal broadcast message filled the mail boxes:

Subject: “REGARDING WATER IN THE HOSTEL BLOCKS”
Body:
Dear All,

There is severe water shortage in the Institute. Hence, Hostel Blocks has
not got the required quantity of water; as the Institute has not received
full supply of water from the BWSSB. This position of water shortage is
likely to continue during the summer months. This is for the information
of all the inmates of the Hostel Blocks. Students are requested to
co-operate.

Assistant Registrar, Hostel

The students have to co-operate. Ironically the administration does happily ignore leaking taps, not functioning toilet tanks where the water keeps rushing through or dripping and dirty drinking water dispensers, which have been maintained recently and improperly. The students have to co-operate with the reluctance of the administration to learn? They should apologize for the zero learn effect, which seems to be unique in this institute. The water issue is not up since yesterday, but it is repeating every year since I am here. Any measurement to prevent this? Maybe next year, it is too late for this one.

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Originally the idea was to lower a pump into the rain water capacitor located between the blocks of the New Hostel Complex of the Indian Institute of Science, to empty it. But this is physically impossible, if the pipe transporting the water to the drain broke down. The whole night the sounds of the splashing water were audible and I am curious, if the frequency in which people had to go to the toilet, went up. We might never know. However in the morning a nice, healthy and inviting bubble bath was prepared. The leaves will soften the sensitive skin. And please do not rush. The capacitor is big enough for all.

A nice, healthy and inviting bubble bath. Prepared between the blocks of the New Hostel Complex. Please ignore the traces of oil swimming on the water.

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Today a solar eclipse could be observed in Bangalore. Almost the whole sun was covered and the leaves overhead threw nice sickle-shaped shadows on the roads. However in India many people stay at home during the eclipse and do not consume any food or drinks. While others observe the spectacle with cheap paper sun glasses, others fear to leave the house. They believe in the superstition that it is a bad omen and has an impact on the mental health. It could also harm the unborn child in case the woman is pregnant.
Have a look at this article published by Thaindian News.
So what about you? Did you get eclipsed already?

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It did not take long. As soon as the winter was over, the water crisis started all over again in IISc. It seems that the authorities did not learn anything from last year. Have a look at this post by shironaam which explains the urgent matter of the water issue. It is almost a ruling fact that E-Block and F-Block lacks the luxury of running water most of the times. Even the 2. block of the New Hostel Complex did not have any water from the day before yesterday (11AM) till very late in the night (3AM next morning). The water purifier are almost all broken and out of order. The drain of many sinks is simply missing. So if you spit your toothpaste into the sink, it will drop directly and unfiltered onto your feet.
The condescending behavior the administration keeps showing towards the students, must come to an end. In the end it was not the work of the employees nor staff to make this institute the one that is so famous and supposed to be one of the best in South Asia. Currently I think that this institute does not deserve this title at all and I can only warn prospective students to think twice to come here. Once the shine of the name “IISc” is worn off, everybody will see the naked truth.

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