EDITOR’S NOTE Saman Siddiqui and Varun Sule Chief Editors, Insight
Insight, as the official student media body on campus, runs a host of initiatives. We have a flagship print edition, with a readership of over 6,500. Our website regularly churns out immediate news, multiple times a week, reaching over 4,000 viewers per article. The video channel, IIT Bombay Broadcasting Channel a.k.a IITBBC, is the multimedia news arm. We now bring to you Fresh! - a guide book of sorts for PG freshers, a collection of cheat codes for IIT - for the first time ever in this institute. At Insight, the Chief Editor(s) leads the core team -the Insight Editorial Board- comprising of senior team members each of whom, in turn, lead article teams. We welcome new members and would love to have talented people work with us. So what do we look for in our team members? We look for inquisitive students who have a passion to report on things that matter to the institute populace. Look for us on Google groups, with the keyword iitbinsight, and apply. Or just write to us at insight@iitb.ac.in with your name, contact number and email ID, and we’ll get back to you. And oh, look out for a new issue of the Insight print edition coming soon to your doorstep! Cheers
CONTENTS First Week Checklist First Day First Show Going Around Hous[e]ton,We Have A Problem How to Research Better How to Choose Electives How to Savour Bombay How to Craxx Placement Cult & Sports in Institute Getting Help A Birdview of Institute Events
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FIRST WEEK CHECKLIST by Shreeyash Menon
Greeted by the cease-less downpours arriving at the main gate, you probably have formed your first impressions of IIT Bombay by now. Acclimatizing to life at IIT Bombay can be a bit difficult. There are a few things from our own experience that we’d liketo share though, that might make the transition easier. ❏❏ Check course info to know what each course entails before you pick them ❏❏ Grading statistics: Watch out! Let this give you an idea of how chill the course is before you delve in
Familiarize with ASC
❏❏ An umbrella/raincoat, would be nice to have ❏❏ A pair of nice, all-weather shoes (That get you through the rains, and also, into some labs that you’d otherwise be denied entry into) ❏❏ Documents (Any photo ID - Aadhaar card, Driving License, Passport, PAN Card would come in handy, whether it be getting a new SIM card, or open a bank account)
What to bring/get ASAP
❏❏ Join the Freshmen group ASAP to get relevant updates instantly. ❏❏ IITB Food Recommendations: A well-updated group that will might be of help during the initial days of coming to terms with the mess. ❏❏ Buy & Sell IITB : Pretty self-explanatory; A portal where you can sell stuff you don’t need and buy stuff you need ❏❏ Your hostel’s FB group : Your hostel would mostprobably have a group on FB to discuss mess, maint and more and keep you updated on the activities.
Facebook groups to join
❏❏ IITB Events notices: Will keep you posted on all events in the campus ❏❏ Cult Club groups: It is recommended that you join these ,even if you’re unsure about your interest in the genre ❏❏ Fourth Wall: Dramatics ❏❏ Club Rang: Fine Arts Club ❏❏ Pixels: Photography Club ❏❏ IITBLitzkrieg: Literary Arts ❏❏ we-speak-iitb: Speaking Arts ❏❏ insync_iitb: Dance Club ❏❏ musicatiitb : Music Club ❏❏ iitb-design : Design Club ❏❏ For Complaints: IIT Bombay Complaint Management System
Google groups to join
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FIRST DAY FIRST SHOW
By Chinmay Sankhe, Mihir Bhosale, Palka Puri, Sumith Kulal Setting into a new place is difficult for everybody. Here, we will try to present the ultimate guide to end all your first week woes. This information can be a lot useful and will help you avoid any confusion. From laptops and SIMcards to umbrellas, medicines and deciphering local train travel in Mumbai, we’ve got you covered. Read on!
SIM CARDS AND PORTING NUMBER
Getting a local phone number is the first task on the to-do list of most newcomers. Unsure of how to go about it? Here’s a comprehensive guide to address your queries. Can I keep my old number? Because of mobile number portability that was implemented a few years back, you can retain your existing mobile number, and get it ported to a Mumbai circle number (with the same or a different provid- er). What is the easiest wayto get a new number? During the first week of college, temporary stalls are set up outside freshmen hostels (15&16) selling SIM cards from all major service providers. Buying SIM cards from such stalls is convenient not only in terms of their proximity, but also in terms of their lenient address proof requirements.Since the issuing of student ID cards is generally not complete by the first week, most outstation students do not have any local address proofs for submission. Knowing this, the sellers allow students to submit documents with their old address or in some cases, waive off the requirement entirely. However, it is important tomention that there have been rare instances where students discovered issues with their SIM cards and couldn’t do anything about that as the aforementioned sellers had dismantled their stalls and left by then. Thus, it would be advisable to ask the seller for his contact details and such before purchasing the SIM card, just in case it turns out to be faulty. Or, you can wait for the ID cards to be issued and then purchase a new card from various reliable SIM card shops opposite the institute’s main gate, only a short walk away.
LAPTOPS
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Should I get a laptop? While UG freshmen are usually advised against getting personal laptops by their mentors to ensure that they are not distracted by excessive gaming and other online activities, no such formal advice is deemed to be applicable for PG students as they are considered mature enough to not get carried away. In fact, M.Tech students usually have a course load with multiple assignments, hence most students suggest that getting a laptop is a good idea. That being said, there are students who make ends meet without a laptop, so given the information, it is up to you to decide. For those without personal laptops, there are enough places in the institute where you get access to a computer and the internet. If you are a Ph.D student/RA, you will mostly have access to a computer 24x7 once you are associated with a professor and a lab.
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Internet access in the institute for those without laptops: 1) Nearly all departments have computer labs of their ownthat are open to students. Some of them are open 24x7 too! 2) The central library has a few computers for student use.Keep in mind that these are only meant for academic use! 3) All hostels have computer rooms, keys for which can beissued against a valid ID card. Why is getting your own laptop a good idea? You will need to check Moodle (a web platform to handle course material) and email regularly for course material and news. You might also need to submit your assignments on moodle. Some courses might have a few online quizzes on moodle depending on your professor. You don’t have to waste time in getting lab keys, getting printouts or waiting for library systems to get vacated to use a computer. Plus, you can download any relevant softwares required for your research on your laptop which the computers in insti area might not have. Some things to keep in mind: Addiction to internet is not uncommon, leading to poor grades along with a lack of social interaction with peers. Social networks, LAN gaming and pornography can be a huge distraction and hinder productivity. Where can I buy a laptop? Authorized dealers of the brand of choice are suggested. It might cost a little extra, but good services and authentic products are guaranteed. There are a few located opposite the main gate. One can also visit departmental stores like Croma and Reliance Digital (located in nearby Neptune Magnet and R-City malls). Another good option for those looking to procure discounts would be reliable online retail websites. For tech enthusiasts with specific requirements who would like to assemble their own desktops, a trip to Lamington road is a must! Very recently though, IIT Bombay came up with its very own Affordable Laptop Project. This scheme offers a lightweight, affordable laptop with a Debian Linux operating system and a lot of useful software, such as LibreOffice, OpenFOAM, Synfig Studio, etc., that costs INR 10,000. A brochure on this laptop is available at https://goo.gl/hKfGfs Financial assistance for buying a laptop There are various financial assistance schemes open to students that can be availed to cover not only the cost of purchasing a laptop, but also help in funding tuition, mess fees and projects abroad. For instance, the Financial Aid Program provides a loan given by past students to the present students as a perpetual endowment policy. In addition, both Canara Bank and SBI, the two on-campus banks, have schemes that can help. More information about these can be found on the Financial Aid section of the Student Support page of IIT Bombay Gymkhana.
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GOING AROUND With a campus the size of ours,it is not surprising that many freshmen feel overwhelmed by the many (often circular) routes to their destinations of choice. Getting lost trying to take the ‘shortest’ route to LT-PSCA, we’ve all been there! Luckily, with the development of the mobile application InstiMap (available for free on Google Play Store), finding your way around the campus is now as easy as a pie. You can also travel by auto within campus, fares ranging between 18/- to 24/- for most distances inside the campus. Lastly, you can buy a cycle (avg price between Rs. 4000-7000) which saves a lot of time and is also a healthy option. There are two cycle shops in the institute, one at Y-point gate and one just next to hostel 4. For those skeptical about travelling in and around Mumbai worry not. Mumbai is blessed with a very strong (and safe!) public transport network as well as opportunities to hire transport. While a rickshaw, taxi or private cab ride may be very convenient when finances are aplenty or you have people to share costs with, when it comes to an individual or a very large number of people, public transportation is pretty effective. Remember, IITB is a very lenient campus, and you can come and go as you please. But entry after 11 pm is restricted and the only way to get in is with a valid student ID card and through the Main Gate. So if you plan on returning late, don’t forget to keep your ID card on you. Some tips: • Have a general idea of how Mumbai and some surrounding areas like Thane and Navi Mumbai are shaped, located and connected in a map. The railway lines run through the suburbs and localities and divide most of those into ‘East’ and ‘West’. For example, IITB would fall in Kanjurmarg West. • If you have a smartphone, download an app called ‘m-Indi cator’. It’s a concise transportation guide for Mumbaiand sub urban areas. • Local trains, metro trains and buses are very, very crowded during rush hour times, but usually only along one direction. • Trains are truly the best though. IIT is very close to Kan jurmarg station which falls on the Central line. It is also somewhat close to Andheri station on the Western line. The railways follow the north-south axis of Mumbai, so you just need to follow the brown rail road. • Have an idea of all type of buses,i.e,BEST, NMMT, ST and more. The M-indicator app will be of great help here. • Do NOT stand at the door in trains. Not only are you under the danger of falling, you also obstruct the way of other commuters. • Fast trains do not halt at Kanjurmarg station. • All rickshaws and taxis run by the meter unlike other cities in India. You can demand that a driver go by the meter. Some places (railway stations, for example) have ‘share rickshaws’ or ‘share taxis’ which have a much lesser per-person fare for popular routes originating from there, so ask around. 6
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• Cab minimum fare is 22/- (26/- at night) Nowadays, people prefer Uber and Ola taxis which can be booked via their apps at any time. Beware of the surge prices though. • Rickshaws are not allowed beyond Sion and Bandra. Only taxis run south of Sion and Bandra. • For frequent local train travellers, it is a good idea to buy a smart card. It will come in handy to avoid long queues at the ticket counter. Smart cards can often be recharged by skipping the queue at most stations. • Mumbaikars are very particular about following the queue. Do not skip a queue unless you explicitly know that it is fine, as in the case above. It is usually looke down upon very gravely. • If you’re confused or lost, do ask someone around. People here are very helpful! • So welcome to Mumbai. Explore and make it your own!
HOSTEL TERRITORY By Febin Mathew
For some of you, this may be the first time you are staying away from home. Others among you may be pastmasters of the Life in a Mess. Either way, we want to reassure you that IIT hostels are in no way hostile territory. In your first year, you probably will have to room withsomeone else. Get to know your roommates. They are probably your best hope at a social life and also your only hope of waking you up in time for that 08:35 AM lecture. The bathrooms are common, so a little etiquette and a courtesy flush go a long way. Some important hostel rules you should be aware of : • You can enter and exit your own hostel at any time. • Meals are available at breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in the mess. Timings should be confirmed with the canteen. • You’re allowed to have guests up to 10 PM. (Yes, even guests of the opposite gender. You’re expected to make an entry for the same with the hostel security and drop your ID card at the security desk.) • Most hostels have a lounge, TV room, library, gym and rec room. They’re all free to use for every resident, but treat them with respect. • No alcohol or drugs are allowed within the hostel rooms (or anywhere else in the campus, for that matter). • Your wingmates (wingies) will be instrumental in drumming up the hostel spirit. Be sure to approach them with any doubts about the hostel. • The hostel notice board, usually near the entrance, has most of the information about upcoming events. • Don’t forget, each hostel has a very vivid and vibrant culture, and each of them participates with gusto in the General Championships (GCs) where hostels are pitted against each other for points and glory. Happy Living! INSIGHT
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HOUS[E]TON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM By Sandeep Upadhyay, Shreya Sridhar and Shreeyesh Menon Every year, the institute admits about 500 Research Scholars into various programmes under different departments, which also includes some, who are married at the time of joining the institute or marry in the duration of their Ph.D program. Unfortunately, due to the surge in the intake, the institute has not been able to keep up with the housing needed for the married research scholars. In this scenario, finding housing outside the campus is the one obvious solution. But with a small stipend of Rs. 25,000 and an additional house rent allowance of 30% of the stipend, finding housing in Mumbai can be an arduous task. The focus of the article is to give the married research scholars a fair idea of affordable housing facilities near the campus. The information presented is based on an institute-wide survey conducted (with a total of 61 replies from married PhD scholars living around the campus) by Insight to gather information and opinions from married research scholars who have found themselves in your position before. Thesurvey also details the level of amenities, as rated by those who have lived there. From the survey results, we can say with certainty that the majority of our married research scholars live in Chandivali, Chaitanya Nagar and Kanjurmarg.
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CHANDIVALI
Chandivali is an estimated 15-20 minute drive from the campus. Surrounded by the hillocks in Powai and Powai Lake, the locality has a calm environment and is a good residential hub. At a glance: • Proximity to the institute • Most people surveyed (50%), reported house-rents in the • range of 20k-30k. • An overwhelming majority of people (62.5%) rate it to • be very safe and secure, with just around 12% believing • that the residential areas are not safe. • Less than 15% of the people surveyed reported poor wa• ter facilities. • Typical security deposit is in the range Rs. 75000• 100000. • The satisfaction levels with regards to house maintenance • suggest that only about 1 in 4 people think that the • houses are well-maintained • Most of the respondents live in apartment complexes.
CHAITANYA NAGAR [OPP. IIT MAIN GATE]
Chaitanya Nagar is seemingly the most preferred locality to reside in, with more than a quarter of the respondents living there. Relatively low rents and proximity to the institute make it an obvious choice for At a glance: • Very close to the institute • Municipal maintenance not up-to-the-mark • Large variability in house rents, with 7-10k and 20-30k • being most common rates. • A large majority of the residents seem satisfied with the • water facilities. • Safety is an issue, with only about 30% of the people INSIGHT
• being satisfied with the safety standards. • A significant fraction of respondents live in chawls • (buildings with separate tenements) • Variable security deposits ranging from 25K to 1lac Kanjurmarg is yet another locality which is preferred by married research scholars. It is located near the Kanjurmarg station of the suburban railway and within the five kilometer radius of the institute. The connectivity is good, as one can easily find rickshaws and buses to the institute. At a glance: • Majority of respondents pay a security deposit between • 75,000 and 1lac. • Rent usually falling in the range 15-20k. • Vast expanses of greenery in the near, surrounding vi• cinity. • A safe secure location for housing, with a huge majority • of residents reporting it to be “extremely safe” • Water supply does seem to be an issue, with most people • finding the supply to be “bad” to “average”.
KANJURMARG
Other localities: Hiranandani • The rents and security deposits are high* • The locality is safe with good living conditions • Within 5km of the institute Andheri • The rents and security deposits are moderate to high* • The living conditions commensurate with the rent paid Airoli • The rents and security deposits are moderate* • Living and safety conditions have been reported to be good Mulund • The rents and security deposits are moderate to high* • Living and safety conditions are good • *Rents around 15,000 are termed moderate. Rents above • 20,000 are termed high Other suggested localities : Raheja Vihar (Powai), Vidyavihar, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Thane Conclusion The institute has been trying to make room and accommodate the demand for housing facilities for married research scholars, but as of now, there seems to exist a gap between the demand and supply. The QIP building, which earlier used to house female PG students, has now been vacated for married scholars, but this has not bridged the gap completely. In the last PG Open House, accommodation within the campus has been promised by the Dean SA. For the short term though, the deficit is clear and the only solution seems to be on-rent and paying-guest accommodation available in and near Powai.
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HOW TO RESEARCH BETTER By Suman Mondal We all may agree that research is a gruelling task but what is equally important as well as challenging (if you may say so) is choosing what to research and with whom. If you’re an M.Tech student, it’s going to define your second year, and if you’re pursuing a Ph.D., it’s practically your entire stay at IIT. It is imperative that you realize at the onset that first, the topic you choose must interest you as you’re going to spend a reasonable amount of time with this topic, and second, the student relationship is symbiotic and relies heavily on cooperation between the two. So, young Padawan, follow closely, and you’ll soon be well on your path to be a Jedi.
Cater to your Curiosity
The first step is to familiarize yourself with how the process of allocating guides works. Each department follows its own procedure, and it’s essential to be aware of yours. In some departments, you have the flexibility to choose a topic and a guide who is willing to mentor you, while in others professors personally meets students and evaluate their merit (A common metric used is performance in relevant courses). Your seniors and allotted companions in the department are a good source of information about how this process works in your specific department. You can also approach your faculty advisor to find this out beforehand. For Ph.D. students depending on the category of your admission, i.e., TA, TAP, RA, etc., and also departments, guides are often allotted during admission itself, in that case, we hope you made an informed choice. For others who are to choose their topic and guide after joining IIT, you will most probably have a first-semester Seminar which can be an important step in deciding what you want to research if you are not well decided yet.
Knowledge of Research Areas
Once you are acquainted with the relevant procedures, it’s time to do your homework. The aim is to ready a shortlist areas of work that interest you, and to become a protege of a professor. It is also crucial to know the research facilities or infrastructure available for that specific domain of research. As an essential prerequisite, take up courses that relate directly or indirectly to the field you want to work in. If you are as yet unsure of which area you want to work in or have varied interests in research, do take up more courses in the early semesters, even though that advice may sound counter-intuitive. Of course, you are advised to gauge your capability and not take more courses than you can handle. If you end up in such a situation and realizte this a little too late in the semester, consider dropping a course. Consult your faculty advisor if you want more advice on managing course load. Courses can also be audited if you aim to explore a specific area, without too much additional burden. Auditing a course will typically have fewer requirements to complete the course, and will not contribute to your CPI. Discuss the possibility of audits or sit-through with the course instructors before choosing this.
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First, browse the homepages of faculty members from your department to identify their research interests. A link for these pages can usually be found on your department homepage. Next, when you have a broad list ready, try to set up a meeting with the professors themselves (best done by email) to discuss their research interests in detail. You can frankly tell professors that you are trying to understand their field of work to narrow down your options. Lastly, it is recommended that you also talk to students who have been working under these professors to discuss their experiences. Faculty members are generally open about providing this information and even encourage it since it helps everyone involved if the decision is made in a more informed manner. For M.Tech students, a majority of departments have a requirement of seminar or project students in their second semester. This serves as a sample research project to test the waters, and get your feet wet in the research area of your choice. So, by the end of the first semester, make sure to have completed the bulk of the above tasks. Aim to work on a seminar under a guide you wish to take up your thesis under. This works as an induction process for both parties - you get a feel of what it’s like to work under a professor, and the professor can easily gauge your aptitude for the subject. As a bonus, while working on your seminar, you also come into contact with other researchers working on similar projects, which allows you to get a better understanding of the challenges in the field.
Choosing your Guide
A lot of Institute resources are available to gain knowledge and also perform a literature survey of the topics; in the form of subscribed Journals, Book sources and online resources like Scopus and Web of Science (databases for peer-reviewed literature). Besides this open source projects like sci-hub and library genesis can be used to access a lot of resources that are otherwise unavailable. Other tools that you can use to organise your literature survey are JabRef and Mendeley which are also open source. Writing reports is going to be another important part of your stay in IIT, and while Microsoft Word is still largely used, Latex-based tools are often highly recommended. This is principally due to the large flexibility of Latex based softwares to form properly formatted documents hassle-free once you get a little acquainted with the interface and their open source nature. The Institute has also taken a full subscription of Grammarly as all of us come here from a different language background, and often English becomes a sticky wicket for some of us. In the end, it’s critical to work on your thesis with a professor you are comfortable with and whose working style resonates with yours. The bottom line is to experiment early and make an informed decision.
Resources
May the force be with you!
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HOW TO CHOOSE ELECTIVES by Eeshan Malhotra, Sandeep Upadhyay
So you’ve secured admission in your college of choice, and now want to milk your courses for all they are worth. Most departments have a few compulsory courses, but also have an ample number of elective courses - where you can decide which courses to take. Usually, you’ll have a requirement to complete some credits in your department, but you can also use elective courses to explore other departments you’re interested in. Choosing electives can be a tricky task, as there is a variety of variables that factor in. In this article, we try to break down these variables and provide an algorithm for choosing suitable electives.
Interest
Relevance to Thesis
Feedback
Grading Statistics
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This sounds trite, but one of the most important criteria is to choose electives as per your interest. This, however, becomes doubly important because often, courses offered in even-numbered semesters are advanced courses, and have pre-requisites. So you need to plan ahead, and check out courses you may want to take in the following semesters as well. Of course, the critical question becomes figuring out which courses will interest you. Here the departmentwebsite and ASC website (asc.iitb. ac.in) come in very handy. More about this in the Course information section. If you have decided a specific subfield you want to pursue your thesis project in, it’s important to start taking courses which build up to it right from the first semester. This is important for two reasons - the first, obviously, is that you want to pick up on as much general information as you can on the field before starting your independent research. The second is to be eligible to take up seminars or projects in the field. A number of professors require students to have completed a few courses in the field before taking students up for these ‘mini’ theses. A seminar can be supremely important in either confirming your liking for a field, or as early warning in case you are not meant to pursue the specific field. Sometimes, courses look great on paper, but aren’t all they are made out to be. Sometimes, it’s even the reverse. Taking feedback from seniors who have done the course you’re planning to take up can give you insights into things like course contents, how much fun the course is, and what, if anything, to watch out for. This one is last for a reason, but important nonetheless. Knowing how a course was graded the last time it was offered can be quite important. Fortunately these statistics are available freely on the ASC website.
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To help you in the process of finding an elective of interest, you definitely want some information about the course content. The ASC website, and sometimes even your department website, has course content readily available. BEWARE: The course content may not be up to date. So,verify the accuracy of the contents from the course instructor or seniors. Faculty members are usually very forthcoming about this information and very approachable. Some departments maintain their own database which have more accurate details. A few like the Electrical Engineering Department have even collected student feedback in detail (EE students,ask your peers and seniors about the course reviews page!) The registration adjustment window is open well within the first week of instruction. So it is not uncommon for students to register for a lot of courses and try them out in the first week, and deregistering before the window closes. This way, you can attend a couple of lectures of courses you are planning to take, but are unsure about. Make full use of the window, but be sure to check the registration adjustment deadline in the academic calendar before trying this out!
Course Information
Exploring Courses
If you realise a little later that a course is not meant for you, there is still a potential opportunity to punch out. Courses can be dropped till the mid-semester exams, without affecting your CPI in any way (Refer to the academic calendar for exact dates). While this creates a great opportunity to sample courses, it is highly recommended to have registered for only as many credits as you can reasonably handle in a semester. Feel free to discuss this with seniors or your faculty advisor.
Course Dropping
Auditing a course can be a handy way of acquiring some knowledge about a particular field, without as much pressure to perform as taking a course up as a full-fledged elective. An audit course allows students to attend lectures, interact with the faculty, and get feedback, with much fewer requirements to attain a passing grade. Note that an audit course will not contribute to your CPI. Do talk to the course instructor for additional requirements and conditions on awarding of an Audit grade (AU). If even auditing a course seems too formal, and whatyou’d really like is a brief overview of the field, often professors allow students to simply sit-through a course, with no official requirements and no grades awarded. You may or may not be able to get feedback on assignments and exams, depending on the professor.
Audit & Sit-Through Courses
If interdisciplinary work is your cup of tea or a career in a field different from your own seems lucrative to you, courses can be taken up in other departments as institute electives. Like any other course, these may have prerequisites. Consulting the course instructors is advisable. Sometimes, all you want from a course is for it to be fun. Check out the article on some wacky electives in this very newsletter for some handpicked delightful options!
Interdisciplinary Courses Going Offbeat
Happy picking!
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HOW TO SAVOUR BOMBAY SOBO (SOUTH BOMBAY) Delhi Durbar Mughlai food experts. You just can’t miss the Biryani. Please note; be sure to make reservations, there’s a chance that you’ll be waiting for a good 40 minutes if you don’t. Relish A perfect date place. Calm, quiet and beautiful. The must-order list includes garlic bread and at least one Fondue. Narayan Dosa People might tell you to keep a few medicines handy, all false claims. This place serves the best street dosa you’ll find in Mumbai. BadeMiya Opennight and day.This place redefines wraps(especially chicken wraps.) Perfect for night out food down in South Mumbai.
5 Spice The quantity they serve is unparalleled across Bombay. You will be full but be sure to save some space for desserts (plural is intentional.) Be sure to order a Mission Impossible and a Death By Chocolate - you shall not regret it. Cinepolis The opening of this place now combines the best of R City and Huma for all IITians. While you may all know about the place, what you might not know is their brilliant loyalty program. Ask about it at the ticket counter the next time you visit.
Leopold No matter which city they hail from, everyone has heard about this iconic tourist attraction in South Bombay. Though expensive, they serve the best pasta for miles. Also note, if you want to go up to their exclusive first floor lounge you should be accompanied by a female ‘friend.’
GOREGAON-MALAD & FURTHER UP
NCPA Iconic, historic and amazing are just a few adjectives for this place, This place should be reserved for one of those days when something legendary is going to happen here.
Mini Kashmir Chilling place. For the minor out-of Bombay experience. Its free and has boat rides but you’ll be probably be going here to chill with someone special.
BHANDUP-MULUND-THANE & FURTHER UP
JUHU-PARLE-ANDHERI
Rasna Cheap and cheesy. Unbelievable quality, quantity and expectedly cheap prices. Brilliant place for wing treats and when you’re bored of the usual Dominos/Pizza hut. Tip-Top Plaza Veg Buffet that includes everything from South Indian food to sandwiches. Reaching this place will require you to change a couple of autos but it’s worth it if you have to treat more than 20 people. 14
Zaffran Zaffran is THE place for mughlai food. Open till late this place is worth a visit if variety in this cuisine is what you’re looking for. At par with ‘Apna Dhaba’ if you’re looking for dinner at 2am, though, it’s expensive.
Water Kingdom You were told about this place by your aunts/unclesback home. If you’ve not been there yet, it is strongly recommended that you go soon.
Candies 3 Outlets in the Bandra Juhu area alone, this place can serve club sandwiches one night and switch to Sushi on another. Do check out their ‘Angry Birds’ based cupcakes. RedBoxCafé Good Music, Good food and a great ambience. When your friends from other cities are visiting and want a lounge to chill, this is the place to be.
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Irish Pub When you need a place with loud pumping music with a DJ who knows his stuff, this is the place. The theme and ambience is pretty good to be warned- this place is on the costlier side. Road House Bluez The name should be enough to pull you there. Anyhow, if you’re free on a Thursday or a Sunday, just go there and sing your heart out in this small cozy place. Food and other things are decently priced, making it a place worth going to. Global Fusion / Barbeque Nation Buffet-Buffet!! If you have a bit of extra cash on you, then starve yourself for a day and just GO! BBQ Nation offers the finest grilled food (Veg and Non-Veg) while Global fusion has one of the best spreads you’ll find in Bombay. Prithvi Theater If you ever feel the need to embrace something intellectual, Prithvi theater will give you what you seek and more. Worli Sea Face If you haven’t checked this place out yet, you’re missing out on something really good. The best time to do so would be the half Mumbai marathon but in case you can’t go for that, there are a lot of places from where you can appreciate this creation. IMAX There are two of these now in Mumbai. TWO!! The IMAX experience is unbelievable and watching a movie like ‘Gravity’ there earns you serious street cred in the movie buff community.
MATUNGA-DADAR-PAREL ZONE Sigri Buffets don’t get any better than this. Many IITians are already huge fans of this place and quite rightly so. They claim to serve Greek food but well who can tell, though whatever they serve is a must have. One slight problem- the price tag. Sardar PavBhaji The name has it all. Pav Bhaji place open till 2am. Just find its location and GO. Enough said. Ram Ashray Authentic South Indian food. The place is always busy- always. We’ve given you a lot of places that open till late, this one is open as early as 5. Do not miss the coffee. Madras Cafe If South Indian food is what you crave and you are not that packed with cash, just grab all the change you can and head on down here. Dosa is their speciality. Order one even if you’re full and you will not regret it. Mysore Cafe To rival Madras Cafe, there is Mysore Cafe. Similar in quality and price, but they serve the better filter coffee. Even huge foodies find it hard to distinguish between the two, but you’ve got to decide which is better for yourself. Blue Frog For the best music in town. Get a taste of the Mumbai rock scene. Always check what’s playing before visiting. Filling up before leaving is advisable. Hard Rock Cafe The second-best place for music in town. Marginally cheaper than Blue Frog though their setup is marginally better. Smaash Everything you wanted in Gaming zone is here including a special surprise from IIT Bombay students which is something we’ll let you explore by yourself.
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HOW TO CRAXX PLACEMENT
by Akanksha Manghrani, Sandeep Upadhyay
They say “Don’t be a slave of your problems, be the master of your fate” but only an arrow shot with the direction in sight hits the target and captures it. Every successful crusade is preceded by a speculation, of the plan of action and the road to be taken. Being a postgraduate student does not, always, imply that one is certain of one’s career. But the two-year time constraint does demand the complete abandonment of procrastination. Beginning with figuring out one’s interest, one needs to quickly move to building a work profile that complements one’s ambition. Unfortunately, time is a scarce resource, thus putting off decisions is not a very good idea. A journey is always commenced with a destination in mind. Identifying where you want to go, should be the top-most in your priority list. But this does not call for hurrying past the decision. As there is a wide spectrum of opportunities, to exploit, avenues for higher education, campus placements and start-ups, so is the bewilderment that accompanies the plethora of choices.
The Destiny
Interacting with seniors working in various spheres, is like fetching maps for territories, you would like to go to. Getting acquainted with the challenges faced, mistakes committed and lessons learnt, gives you comprehensible details of the work profile, helping you make an informed decision. To understand a man, you must first walk a mile in his moccasins. And if this man happens to be pursuing what you aspire to pursue, you would want to understand his professional profile. Reading their internship and placement stories, where they share their experiences, is a good place to start. These stories are available on the institute’s placement and internship blogs. But there is no denying to the fact that experience is the greatest of all teacher, to get a hands-on experience, one must try internships both during the summer and the winter. Departments vary in their policies concerning PG internships, consulting the FacAd, is highly recommended.
Gaining Experience
Once the destination is decided, you need to gather a knapsack that has the essentials for your journey. Build a profile that compliments your choice of profession. As a general guideline, CPI is an integral criterion for core placements. Whatever you pursue, academics should never take a back seat. Even for non-core placements, like those in Finance, Analytics, Consulting and Public sectors, a decent CPI is a must.
CPI
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PORs & Extracurriculars
Apart from academics these firms also look for leadership skills, thus taking up positions of responsibility, would serve to bring forward the leader in you. Engagement in extra-curricular, like culturals and sports, is reflective of your strive, to achieve all around development and being proficient in numerous skills, apart from your area of study. Taking up activities equips you with dynamism of decision making and harnesses your creativity, making you more resourceful for a firm. Make full use of your potential and do things you have always wanted to do, Knowledge is not a prerequisite anywhere, you can start fresh and excel. The student bodies cater to students with interests in finance, consult and analytics through their Facebook pages and Google groups. Participate in online interactions to connect to people with the same interests as you. These groups keep conducting sessions by eminent professionals and strive to connect students with investors and industries. Online propaganda and outreach is very efficient and you can easily obtain all the information you need regarding the events and activities of these clubs. Ecell – the entrepreneurship cell and SINE are bodies that help aspiring entrepreneurs to get into the market. All you need to have, is an idea and you can get mentorship from professors and funds from investors.
Extra Courses
If you aim at going into a profession that does not primarily matches your field of study, taking up courses in departments that certify, you are good for the task helps immensely. It gives the recruiter an assurance of your capabilities and helps you overcome the stereotype of not belonging to the conventional department, from which the company recruits.
Communication Skills
A resume speaks a lot about you, but not better than you. No recruitment occurs without an interview and thus it is very essential to have commendable communication skills. The confidence in your speech reflects the integrity of yourself and thus leaves a detrimental impact. Working on speaking skills helps you present your intellect in the best way possible during interviews. There are numerous talks and seminars going on, in the institute during weekends, an exclusive opportunity to sit back, listen and absorb like a sponge. Life is never easy for those who dream, for they are always on a conquest, but that does not stop us from dreaming. Dare to dream big and move that mountain of doubt you have placed between who you are and who you wish to be.
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CULT & SPORTS IN INSTITUTE by Purushottam & Abhinav When preparing for JEE one must have wondered what life at IIT really is like. Is it a place where students spend all of their time studying complex laws, experimenting in the labs, attending lectures and rigorously coding? Or do they really know how to enjoy the perks offered by this beautiful and innovative campus? As a matter of fact, enjoyment and creativity are as abundant as academics. The campus savours all forms of art in different clubs that are an integrated team of not just dexterous artists but also the enthusiastic amateurs. A diversity of workshops, professional talks, competitions and various other fun activities are organised to give an interactive environment where everyone’s creativity can be inspired to learn and create. On the other hand the variety of sports gives an open atmosphere for students to practice, enjoy and enhance their skills with the facilities available to them. The only thing that is scarce here, is time, which needs to be utilised judiciously. The article enlists the path to all kinds of arts and sports worth exploring. Pixel and Rang are platforms to showcase your talent in photography, fine arts and painting; however, it is not limited to these tangibles. It is a family of passionate students who will evoke the artist inside you as well as assist you in cultivating the artist within. Apart from various interactive events like photo walk, road painting, wall painting etc., it also holds workshops and sessions for the tyros with interest, where they can learn the different forms of photography and art from scratch. All the expensive tools like DSLR, acrylics, oil paints and other resources are available at your disposal. So, all you need to bring is your enthusiasm.
CULTURE Photography & Fine Arts
Silverscreen and IIT-BBC are the filmmaking and media broadcasting arm of IIT Bombay. Silverscreen foster the film-making culture in the Institute while IIT-BBC is an online video platform which provides a sneak peek in the life and various events of IIT Bombay. IIT-BBC is body which works in collaboration with Insight, the student media body and with Institute cultural council. These bodies regularly put up the updates related to fields of sports, academics, cultural and tech. Feel free to join these bodies to showcase your talent or just for a fun learning experience.
Film and Media
Music being an integral part of life for well-nigh everyone and it can’t be forgotten. Symphony, the music club of IIT Bombay promotes music culture among the institute populace. It organizes jamming sessions, intra-hostel band competitions besides Music Introductory session for the freshies along with various institute bands. It also orchestrates bands playing music from different genres including Indian pop, fusion and various instrumentals. If you have a knack for music then don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Music
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Dance
Insync, the dance club of IIT gives an opportunity to explore your potential in dancing and imbue you with confidence so that you would not shy away from the crowd. It offers dance styles from Bollywood to Hip-Hop, from Kathak to Punjabi, from contemporary to Jazz and Salsa. With so many dance forms on offer to express yourself, don’t let your talent wither on the vine.
Dramatics
So you are an Actor..? a Director..? Scriptwriter..? Technician..? Never mind, if you just love how those fellas set you cracking with their jokes or leave you shuddering with their spine chilling performances and wish to try it out, then you SHOULD pay this haven a visit! A huge and spacious room with a wooden stage and overhead spot lightings, Theatre room is all set to polish every bit of theatricality in you! This room serves a perfect practise place for all the dramatic events from street plays to stage plays.
Speaking Arts
Yet another form of art, meant to shake people with words and arguments as well as presenting thoughts with good humour is under the shade of stupendously amazing clubs, WeSpeak and Comedy Cons. WeSpeak is a debating club for the enthusiasts along with people who are in slam Poetry and Model United Nations (MUN). It holds debate practice and discussion along the year with some National events like IIT Bombay debating and Pro-Am. These events give you a chance to hone your skills as well as help you to break the shackles of stage fright and crowd anxiety. Comedy Cons is the club meant for all the Stand-up comedy enthusiasts in the Institute. Regular workshops and Open Mics are organized to help club members grasp the art of Stand-up comedy and perform their jokes fearlessly in front of a capacity crowd. Club members also participate in various Open Mics taking place in the Bombay region.
Indian Languages
We live in a cosmopolitan world keen on accepting what the world offers us including the languages. English is replacing the ancient and beautiful languages of India. Vaani, the official group promotes all the 22 languages through various institute events. While poetry has been the pivotal element of Vaani, it also encourages debate, creative writings and stage performances. It is an allusion to the pluralist Indian heritage and culture and hope you all will embrace the traditions.
Literary Arts
Literati is a club which organises various formal and informal events namely Quizzes, Creative writing, Rebuses, Word Games, Scrabble, Scavenger Hunts, Treasure hunts, and Pot-pourri.Few of these events you will experience as fresh entrants but I hope actively participating is as fun as organizing it using your creative skills.
Classic and Folk Arts
Roots, as the name suggests is deeply related to the ancient culture and folk arts. It is trying to revive the dying old Banyan under which our civilization has flourished. At this cultural and folk arts club one can experience myriad forms of arts like Carnatic and Hindustani classical music, Classical dances like Kuchipudi, Kathakali, BharataNatyam, Kathak, folk dances like Bhangra, Garba, Ghoomar, and folk arts like Warli painting, Madhubani Painting and much more all at one place. They have an elegant and soothing credo “Everyone is Expressive Classical beautifies the expressions”.
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The precept of the Design Club being when creativity meets passion, design happens. This club was recently introduced to motivate the people passionate about creativity and foster the culture of design in our institute. It exhorts the instizens to join them and explore a new opportunity.
Design
“Make yourself a priority once in a while. It’s not selfish, It’s necessary.” It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in and what defines you the most. The Lifestyle Club at IIT Bombay provides you the platform to explore your inhibited desires without any bar of knowledge, credentials and skills. Come and join us to celebrate your lifestyle.
Lifestyle
For the love of sports, IIT has a diversified and most inclusive environment. From world-class facilities and courts of 14 different sports like lawn tennis, basketball, volleyball, cricket, squash, table tennis, badminton etc to the equipment required for each of them, everything is provided in the campus itself. And not just that, if you have a will and admiration to learn something, camps will be held during the summer and winter where professional mentors will incarnate the sportsman inside you. Adventurers can savour themselves with occasional treks in the Himalayas and goosebumping activities like rafting, rock climbing and mountaineering, everything arranged by the sports council. IITB offers its students sports facilities of an international level with fully-furnished courts and high-quality equipment:
AQUATICS
ATHLETICS
BOARD GAMES
BASKETBALL
FOOTBALL
HOCKEY
SQUASH
TABLE TENNIS
VOLLEYBALL
WEIGHTLIFTING
ADVENTURE SPORTS
BADMINTON
LAWN TENNIS
KHO KHO
DARK KNIGHT (CHESS)
CRICKET
SPORTS
Besides, every hostel has dedicated volleyball, badminton and basketball courts, cricket pitches and football fields, snooker, table tennis and foosball tables and is completely decked with various equipments which can be issued by students.
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GETTING HELP By Abhinav & Purushottam
Help is a prideful word when you give it to someone. It provides a synaptic surge of satisfaction to be capable of solving someone’s problem or taking someone out of a difficult situation. However, when it comes to asking for help, most of us see it as an unnecessary act of being weak and being incapable of handling one’s own life. It’s important to understand that help itself neither involves pride nor strength. Help is an act of courage in both giving and getting. Here are some experiences that will give you foresight into the problems faced by Postgraduate students on campus and will help you to work in overcoming them positively. “I was facing a problem running my simulations, it was not working on the supercomputer here at IIT Bombay, neither at CDAC Pune, leave alone the lab computers. I was exasperated after all my efforts were in vain, with no results to present for my MSc research. Finally, when things were getting hazy, I decided to talk to my guide, and it proved to be the right decision. He calmed me down and told me to present whatever work I had done. I showed the wrong results and explained why it was so and what needed to be done to improve it. If it weren’t for my guides advice, my year-long work would have gone nowhere. Always remember, it is a good idea to talk to your guide.” “It is an issue with every MSc guy; their dexterity in understanding engineering concepts is not the same as the guys from an engineering background. Therefore, it is often difficult for us to secure a good pointer in compulsory engineering intensive courses because we have been through a rigorous study for years focusing on fundamentals.” “People having a bachelor’s degree from regional colleges sometimes find it difficult to get accustomed to IITB environment which is why they don’t engage in classroom activities as much as other students who communicate profoundly in English.” Who may help you?
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Your FacAd is your godfather inside the college. Faculty Advisors (FacAd), as the name suggests, are professors from your respective departments, who will help you in making academic decisions. They are there to help you in dealing with all of your academic problems. Additionally, changes in the program, such as dropping an elective course, withdrawal from a semester on medical advice, etc., can only take place with the consent of your FacAd. Do not hesitate to talk to your faculty advisors; they’re here to help you.
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A good guide will always understand your problems and try to help you in the best possible way. These could be problems ranging from feeling stuck in your project to needing advice about changing the project topic. You should definitely try interacting as much as possible with your guide. While discussing academics and career is one obvious utility, discussions on mutual interests can go a long way in getting the much-required confidence and work-life balance. This is the one long term relationship that we all know matters the most, more so in case, you’re a Ph.D. It is the advice of the ancients, therefore, to choose your guide most carefully (Refer to the ‘How to Research better’ article to know more).
Guide
While we all might have felt low at some point of time in our lives, it is imperative for us to differentiate the moderate lows with signs of deteriorating mental health and depression. If you are feeling depressed or feel a need to talk to someone, the wellness center is that holy ground where friendly counselors are always eager to solve such critical personal issues. The Student Wellness Centre deals with issues that almost everyone in the institute faces; like academic concerns, social (family and peer) pressure etc, leading to feelings of loneliness, low confidence, anxiety, stress, anger and sadness, among others, one or more of which at some point of time often leads to deterioration of mental health. If not attended to at the right time, this could lead to poor performance -- both academically and personally. To help you refrain from losing focus and being unhappy, the Counsellors from the Wellness Centre encourage you to approach them for any problem that you are facing; be it academic, emotional, social or financial without hesitation. Counselling provides an opportunity for individuals to learn to make better choices, improve interpersonal skills, develop confidence, and increase educational effectiveness. In a one-on-one meeting with a counselor, students are helped to explore and express feelings, examine beliefs and ways of thinking about their present situation, reflect on patterns of behavior, and work toward making healthier and happier changes.
Student Wellness Centre
AURAA stands for Academic Unit Representative for Academic Affairs. They are the representatives of the Postgraduate Academic Council in your academic unit. In your respective departments, the AURAA is the person who will help you solve your academic grievances. They also conduct various workshops to provide you with the necessary skills required for course work and projects. They assist in conducting sessions to clear doubts on complicated topics with the help of TAs. One may consult him/her to seek advice in anything that may affect their academics. Don’t know who your AURAA is? Find out on the PGAC Gymkhana Site (http://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in)
AURAA
The institute has also identified various challenges faced by PG students and initiated programs to help them out. These include classes for English improvement, workshops on different software, etc. Often, students tend to procrastinate and lose interest in the classes as the inclass participation is not kept compulsory. Therefore it is necessary for you to understand the dearth of needs that may help you out in the future and keep your enthusiasm alive accordingly to surpass the hurdles. INSIGHT
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A BIRDVIEW OF INSTITUTE EVENTS
by Purushottam
AUGUST 1. Online Photography Contest Pixels 2. PG GC KHO KHO 3. PG GC VolleyBall 4. PG GC Table tennis 5. PG GC finals 6. Mr and Ms. Freshie Lifestyle club 7. Photowalk@ Sameer Hill – Pixels 8. Institute Salsa Night Insync 9. Sophie Films Screening SilverScreen 10. RC Plane Competition Aeromodelling Club 11. IITBAA VarshaStuti Roots Club 12. Competitive coding WnCC 13. Riwaayat Roots 14. Hindustani Flute Classes Roots 15. Surbahar Symphony
SEPTEMBER 1. English Debate Arcade WeSpeak 2. XLR8 Competition Tech@iitb 3. Lit Arcade Literati 4. MUN(Model United Nations) Arcade WeSpeak 5. PG Crossy GC 6. Dance Mania and Fashion Show 7. Table Tennis PGGC 8. TheatreFest Fourthwall 9. Wall Painting Rang 10. PhotoAlbum Competition 11. Talent Fiesta 12. PG Cult Phase I 13. PG Night
OCTOBER 1. Autumn Cult School 2. Hindi Writing Competition Vaani 3. Enigma Quiz Regionals Literati 4. Open Mic 2.0 Comedy Cons WeSpeak 5. Literatium Literati 6. Street Play Arcade FourthWall 7. 48 hour Film Making Project SilverScreen 8. Institute Dandiya Night 9. Gyrations Insync Dance GC 10. Izhaar Vaani
11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Second Literary arts GC Literati MDGC FourthWall Crossy GC Institute Halloween Night Lifestyle Club AIDS 2k19 Dance Auditions Insync
DECEMBER 1. TechFest Dec 2. Mood Indigo Dec
JANUARY 1. Kaladarshan Rang and Pixels 2. Competitive Coding WnCC 3. Institute Summer technical activities Tech@iitb 4. Annual Insync Dance Show Insync 5. Football PGGC 6. Basketball PGGC 7. IITB Film Fest 2019 SilverScreen
MARCH 1. Road Painting Rang 2. Cricket PGGC 3. Aavahan 4. Virasat Roots 5. Open Mic 3.0 ComedyCons WeSpeak 6. SolSide Hostel 15,16 Fest 7. PG Cult Phase II 8. PG Night 9. Prom Night 10. Institute Classical Folk arts Night Roots
APRIL, MAY & JUNE 1. PAF 2. Seasons of Code WnCC 3. Spring Cult School
*The given dates are tentative, we advise you to stay in touch with the club you’re interested in to know the exact date and timing. 24
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EDITORS Varun Sule Saman Siddiqui BOARD MEMBERS Abhinav Anand Alok Ranjan Amogh Gawaskar Apurva Desai Atharva Padhye Athul C D Ayan Sharma Cherub Kapoor Lovesh Gupta Mahima Sethi Purushottam Kumar Sahu Pushkar Lohiya Siddharth Mehta Suman Mondal Tanmay Goyal Tushar Kumar Vipul Ramtekkar Yashaswini Chauhan LAYOUT AND Ameya Nikose TYPESETTING