IIT-Bombay to hold orientation for parents of incoming students

As incoming students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), gear up for their first online semester, their parents too will undergo orientation for

As incoming students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B), gear up for their first online semester, their parents too will undergo orientation for helping their wards sail through the semester.

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In a first, IIT-B will conduct an orientation programme for parents of those joining various undergraduate courses at the institute. Given the Covid-19 pandemic, the institute has decided to conduct the entire first semester online.

While classes kick off on November 16, all the freshly-minted IITians will attend an online orientation programme from November 11. This year, in keeping with the online semester, the orientation has been extended to parents, as well.

“This is possibly the first time that the institute will hold an orientation for parents, although some departments earlier allowed parents to attend the orientation with their child. This time we are doing it explicitly for the parents, as their help and appreciation are very much needed by the students to effectively study at home during the online semester,” said Subhasis Chaudhuri, director, IIT-B.

More than 1,300 students have been selected through the Joint Entrance Exam for admission to the coveted institute’s over 25 disciplines.

While student mentors will be reaching out to selected students before the orientation to prepare them for the transition, the orientation for parents is aimed at educating them on how they can help their wards during the online semester. The first week of instruction will be treated as the zero week where students will learn how to attend lectures and take tests online, Chaudhuri added.

Chaudhuri said semesters have been planned such that students can complete the entire academic year by the end of June. Usually, students join IIT-B by July and break for a short winter vacation in November. The next semester resumes in December and breaks for summer vacation in May. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has altered the academic calendar.