The life during and after IIT Delhi experience of Sant Gupta, Class of 1969, B. Tech. EE
Getting admission to IIT Delhi with my first choice of major in Electrical Engineering was a dream come true. My family lived in Green Park which was just next to Hauz Khas. The incoming class was welcomed with open arms, and the ragging was civilized and bearable. Making new friends was easy except for one challenge – my inability to speak English fluently. I needed to start working on it immediately. Adjusting to life in the hostels and getting used to the food served in the mess hall was surprisingly quick and easy. The workload / homework throughout the 5-year was quite bearable except for a handful of courses.
Some of the highlights included: representing IIT D at the inter-IIT sports meets at IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur; summer trainings at Phillips, Bombay and LRDE Labs in Bangalore; in-charge of and overseeing of the mess hall, seeing lots of movies in the theaters in Connaught place and many other escapades and harmless mischief with the class fellows.
One of the most precious takeaways was life-long friendships that I was able to develop with other students and many faculty members including hostel wardens. I stayed in touch with several of them for a long time after graduation. Even though I had lucrative job offers in the industry, I elected to pursue MSEE at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla, USA with full scholarship. The material in many of the courses offered had already been covered at the fourth and fifth year at IIT Delhi.
I visited India numerous times in the first couple of decades and visited the IIT Delhi campus many times. That included showing off the hostel, classrooms, and the labs to my family. It felt like a new experience and nostalgic every time. Getting together with old IITians was always very special.
IIT Delhi prepared me to face challenges with confidence and taught me how to enjoy life. It instilled in me the art of critical thinking, skill of searching for relevant information, problem solving, ability to analyze complex situations and focus on key issues, etc. The skills I mastered have stayed with me ever since.
If I recall correctly, the tuition fees were about Rs. 200 per semester and the hostel stay and 3-meals a day during the school session were about Rs. 75 per semester. What a great bargain for getting top-notch education in the world's top-class institution. Obviously, the entire education was heavily subsidized by the Government of India. The actual costs had to be much higher. I shall be indebted to the country of my birth, the professors at IIT Delhi and my parents. I have continued to give back to India in various ways.
In conclusion, the memory of my life in IIT Delhi will remain fresh and I will cherish it forever.
Santi,
Lorton, VA, USA