IIT undergrads to return to hostels; excited to come back after a year

Recently, a mail from the authorities pleasantly surprised most of the undergrads; as it informed them that the hostels were finally reopening their doors.

It has been more than a year since most outstation students, in different institutes, have stayed put at their homes. Waiting desperately for things to get normal, most have been wanting to get back to their colleges, or at least hostels; even if the classes continue to be conducted virtually. And now their pleas have been seemingly heard, at least those of the undergraduate students at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Recently, a mail from the authorities pleasantly surprised most of the undergrads; as it informed them that the hostels were finally reopening their doors.

A new mail from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi college authorities allows students, pursuing the undergraduate courses, to be back on campus. (Photo:Saumya Khandelwal/HT)

Until now, only those students were allowed to stay on IIT campus who needed to use the lab and were pursuing their PhD. But this new mail allows students, pursuing the undergraduate courses, to be back on campus. “We got a mail informing us that the boarding facility will also start for undergrads, and we were so happy. I’m desperately waiting to be back on the campus, even if it’s just the hostels that are reopening for now,” shares Suhani Jain, a final year student of BTech in Electrical Engineering.

Kartikeya Gupta, a third year computer science student confesses that attending classes from home is a challenge. (Photo:Sushil Kumar/HT)

Considering the fact that most of the college students, across the country, have been struggling with offline campus, Kartikeya Gupta, a third year computer science student confesses that it’s tough to attend classes from home. “At times the electricity goes out, or someone comes into the room. A few days back, I was giving a test and the electricity went off. Hence, the WiFi went off, too. I didn’t even have my phone with me, since I appearing for a test, and thus had to rush out of the room to get my phone and then quickly connect my laptop through a hotspot. But when I came back online, my professor started asking me as to where I went,” he says.

The youngsters are stoked at the idea of the return, but apparently the parents don’t seem to be comfortable with the thought of on-campus accommodation, just yet. Gupta explains how his parents were initially hesitant, too. “I’ve been showing them mails, which we are getting from campus regarding the precautions that they are taking to ensure the safety of everyone against Covid-19. And now they have finally agreed upon allowing me to go back to the hostel mid of next month. Of course, the institute has told me that if there is a third wave or increase in the number of cases, then I will not be going back,” he says.

“Once we rejoin campus, we’ve been asked to serve a two-week quarantine period; where they are even not allowed to leave their rooms,” says Maria Sandalwala, a final year student, adding, “My friends are very excited about this. Even the meals will delivered in the room. And they are being issued student IDs, to help them leave the hostel and use the library or other areas on campus.”

Gupta adds, “My roommate is coming and so are my friends. So even if we are quarantined for a while, at least we will all be together. We all have got the first dose of our vaccination, and the second one can be taken at the institute itself. We’re pretty kicked about this.”

Author tweets @anjuri

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