Mumbai: Students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have complained about lack of funding for research work, although Rs 300 crores is allocated for research work to these students. The institute claimed they have an allowance set and is given to the students.
Funding for research work is provided at the institute and professor level, claimed authorities of the institute. Subhasis Chaudhuri, the new Director of IIT Bombay, said, “We provide funds at the central level where the institute directly issues funds to students.
Funds are also provided at the professor level where teachers or mentors in-charge for research have to get their own funding for particular projects.” Students however claimed getting these funds is not easy. They have to repeatedly ask for financial aid and if their experiments fail then they do not get the funding at all.
Vishnu Nair, a student, said, “We need financial help even to rent or use the apparatus required to conduct experiments. And if our experiments fail we have to make a new request for aid all over again.” A K Suresh, Deputy Director (Academics and Infrastructure Affairs) of the institute, defended saying, “We provide Rs 300 to 350 crores as funds per year to our students for research work.”
Moreover, students said, in addition, the hostel and mess facilities need an urgent improvement. Avantika Panchal, a student, said, “We have witnessed several untoward incidents recently with regards to the food served in the mess and the poor hostel facilities. Considering that the number of students being admitted every year has been on a rise, we need better accommodation space on campus.”
Speaking of the student-teacher ratio, the director added, they have plans to hire teachers but they are in no hurry. “We will appoint qualified and skilled teachers according to the need of the hour,” said Chaudhuri. Apart from technical courses, the institute plans to focus on liberal arts and other courses in the future, claimed authorities.
