A world class institute, IIT++, excellent, all foreign return faculty, state of the art hostel and canteen Good placement and unlimited opportunities for achieving excellence……..
Those were the few words and description about our beloved institute which generated for some a strong pull and for some others it was their last option (I mean among the good ones) and brought us to the gates of DA-IICT. Whatever be the individual reasons may be, but ultimately we all have embraced the institute and the institute us. After spending three years at the institute I, now began wondering sometimes weather I had done right in choosing DA-IICT. Was it the correct decision? Undoubtfully this period of college life in many sense (and important ones) defines and shapes a persons personality, perspective and ideology. Have done all what I want to do? Have I realized my true potential and value? Does I am exposed to all the possibilities of life other than mugging books? Was it my fault? Or the system is flawed? Surly every coin has 2 sides, so does this……….
Also, recently after reading a master piece book “IITians” by “Sandipan deb”, an ex-IITians I very strongly feel that I m missing a lot of what I had expected and dreamed of earlier. Things are not quite as simple and easy going as I had expected. I am not complaining about our DA-IICT system as being a student as I would never be satisfied with the policies of the institute. Very frankly, honestly and with loads of confidence I can say that the best place in the world is our DA-IICT campus. But there had been some experiences in the past 3 years which had made my very sad and unhopeful. I am accepting that I haven’t done very well, neither on academics nor in extra-curricular and certainly the institute can’t be blamed for my failures, mistakes and frustration.
Nowadays, there is lot of hue and cry going on the institute about the social conduct and what students do in their hostel. The list of “Do’s and Don’t Do’s” is increasing every day. Every now and then we find that our student dean or warden striding down the hostel wing with a diary (black book!) at 2:00 Am. That’s preposterous. The reason they give us that they had come to chat with the students. But in reality (atleast, what appears to me) that they had come to satisfy their ego. Both our dean and warden are ex-IITians with tons of experience of student life. They come and leave with a list of students caught smoking and drinking. Purpose achieved.
I can’t comprehend this behavior of our faculty. The same goes with the ragging stuff. Even though DA-IICT does some really great shit and fuck in the name of ragging, the punishment are no less than of criminal offence. From my past experience I can surely say: I m even afraid even to ask a juniors name. The warden had given them the absolute power to even refuse to tell their name. If someone forces them, all they have to do is to just give a call to the warden and he will come furious and fuck all the seniors.
I didn’t understand this paranoia of our warden. I mean it’s absolutely fine that - ragging should not be done and the ambience of the hostel should be friendly and helpful. But do in reality such environment exist anywhere? Not only in hostel wings but even in industry? The hostel life is the most important part of the Eng. Education. Its here where student learn where he/she stands, come face to face with reality, and the real challenges of life. It’s the youngness, creativity and a quest of experimentation which gives it the special place it has. Its here only where students come to know themselves, others and even the outer world from inside only! It’s the freedom which hostel gives to the student which builds the character out of him. The freedom that no body is watching him, no one is stopping him to follow his heart and purse what he really wants. Eng. is not about mugging all the high Tech fundas, formulas and big theories. It’s not about only getting A’s and B’s and licking the Profs Ass. It’s a much more of a complete package. A package which provides a student a mandatory ingredient necessary to compete among peers, stress management, perfection, excellence, a spirit of competition and conquer the world. It’s the package which opens the portal of wisdom in front of every student. Basic components in this package are freedom, innovativeness, experimentation, self knowledge, confidence and an exposure to real life. Is DA-IICT providing all this?
Sadly, with the entire faculty interfering too much the hostel life is messing the whole system of student development. I remember the first thing I noticed about our institute is the freedom it gives to it institute. Now I m afraid even to smoke a single cigarette in the hostel! I remembered once when I was caught the warden told me he is afraid even to talk to me as I might affect his health. Why is there is much fuzz about such petty things when there are so many other stuff being locked up in the closet.Infact we can’t even have high volumes of our speakers in the hostel as we might disturb our neighbors. There will always be some who will “Chicken out” by ragging, become depressed (and suicide is no part of it). But that’s the point I want to emphasize that it all depends upon the student to develop from this one. Life is a double edge sword and in any case one has to walk through it. The earlier we learn to endure and embrace it- the easier it will be for us in the forthcoming years.
