Students at IITs across the country have always been held in high regard, perhaps owing to the fact that they have got there by cracking arguably the toughest entrance exam in the world, the JEE. A campus being the heart of any IIT, The Goan wanted to feel the heart beat of the students living and learning at the temporary campus housed in the sprawling campus of GEC, Farmagudi.
Twenty-four students obliged and answered a questionnaire we shared with them. Of these, ten were from the first year, three from the second year, another three from the third year and eight were from the fourth year. The students who responded were from a mix of all the three streams -- CSE, EE and Mech.
The Goan had asked the students several questions about their experience of sharing a campus with the GEC and NIT, the pros and cons of a shared campus, and whether they looked forward to having an exclusive campus to themselves.
Unsurprisingly, all twenty-four students responded that they would prefer an independent IIT campus.
When asked about their experience on the current campus, more than half i.e. thirteen of them said their experience had been worse than what they had expected, with six saying it was a ‘lot worse’ than they expected, and seven responding with it was a little worse than expected. Three students felt that their experience had been exactly in keeping with their expectations, and eight others said it had been better than they expected.
Of the eight students who gave the current campus the thumbs-up, four said it was “a little better” and the balance four mentioned it was “much better” than what they expected.
The students were then asked six open-ended questions, which they could choose whether to answer or not. Here are the questions, as they were asked with the responses we got:
What are the advantages of sharing the IIT Goa campus with GEC?
We got fifteen responses to this question, and nine of these very clearly stated that there was “no advantage.”
One student gave the classic teenage “Eeh.”
Another five did see some advantages, with one mentioning that the GEC canteen was a plus point. Yet another responded with, “We managed to scrape by barely in the initial years because of GEC. GEC also doesn’t have great equipment as such, (I don’t know how they manage), but if GEC wasn’t there we wouldn’t have had the privilege of being called an institute at all.”
The most positive response came from a student who said, “Since there is no permanent campus available, the already established campus of GEC helps give us a ‘collegy’ feel with proper roads and other amenities.”
Two other students cited that interactions with the GEC students had been pleasant and fruitful.
Almost all of the sixteen students who responded to the question, ‘What made you choose the IIT Goa campus?’ said it was their rank that decided it.
A couple of unexpected answers however also made their way here with one student writing, “I was high I believe,” and two others saying, “Bad luck.”
The next query was, What are the disadvantages of sharing the IIT Goa campus with GEC?
Seventeen students responded and here are some of their responses:
GEC campus is not safe, hence we have timing restrictions.
No water supply in the beginning, no WiFi for people in small rooms, shortage of toilets, bathrooms, no games.
The place lacks basic civil services say, eating places or general stores. If you need something you need to travel six kms (no taxis) to Ponda.
 We are actually guests in the
campus of GEC.
 It’s not ours. Everything feels
temporary. We feel like outsiders.
 Lack of space is clearly visible. Small classrooms. Small labs. Less space for activities. We don’t even have separate rooms for dance and music clubs. Restrictions on entry timings. Less secure due to dominating GEC students. We are confined to the small hostel complex everyday with nothing to do on campus. The sports facilities are also sub par due to lack of space.
 The time restrictions is the biggest disadvantage, it makes us feel trapped. Otherwise there are no issues with the students of GEC, they are quite peaceful.
 Their traditional and orthodox mindset is unhealthy for an institute like IIT. We are asked to stay inside the hostel just because their students are asked to. We are asked to wear full length pants just because it is in their code. Restricting choices doesn’t allow mind to grow. This culture is harmful for one of the best intuitions of the country like IITs.”
 The cultural council is not utilising the limited campus space to its full potential, neither is it allowing all the students to come forward and perform at their will. What upsets me the most is that they are targeting particular students and isolating them from all the cultural clubs and the related events and activities.
 There are old buildings which are being used hence need a lot of renovation. Crowd is not of IIT standards. And most importantly IITians are not allowed to possess any vehicle (motored), but a lot of bikes and cars are seen on campus creating a non-standardised environment for an IITian and their future.
 My school had a larger area
covered than the current campus. It also had an auditorium.
Ten students responded to the prodding for suggestions to improve things in the current campus, and two of these were indeed articulate which we
reproduce:
 GEC should keep its opinions to itself, and let us live freely. We have a hard time getting permissions regarding halls for programmess and if we do we can’t stay there for practice or decoration at night. With the busy curriculum, we students only find time at night.
 The suggestion list is very large. We need proper lighting (which is supposed to be there in a well-established institute like IIT.) There is still a need for a night canteen in the hostel campus and around campus. Good transportation system as it is an IIT. There should also be a bus stop for IIT to the market and other facilities which are available only at Ponda or farther.
