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Journalism of Courage
(In this six-part series, indianexpress.com talks to alumni from the first batch of first-generation Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). They tell us about the admission process back then, academic pressure, campus life, and how they bonded with their fellow students and faculty.)
Lalit Mehra would have probably completed his Maths Hons from St Stephens College, had he not heard of the establishment of the College of Engineering (CoE) in 1961. After finishing his first year at the Delhi University college, he took admission at the CoE which was renamed as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 1963.
His friend from Doon’s School Dehradun Kanwar Palta joined him in the second year. Palta first got admission to IIT Kharagpur, he, however, preferred CoE.
IIT Delhi at that time offered five BTech courses – mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical and textile. Mehra picked up the most-preferred mechanical engineering while Palta was keen on electrical engineering.
First batches of IIT: IIT Guwahati | IIT Kanpur | IIT Madras | IIT Bombay | IIT Kharagpur| IIT Roorkee
Back then, the batch size was 150 – all boys from different states of the country. Not just Indians but even foreign students from Jordan, Iraq and Iran added to the diversity.
While other IITs – Madras, Kanpur, and Bombay — were struggling to get their campus ready, both Mehra and Palta reminisced that the infrastructure at Delhi was in a better shape.
“The main building had temporary lecture halls, workshops and textile blocks. As the hostel was yet to be completed, we were given rooms at the Shivalik hostel which was built for PG students. Luckily, each student got one room,” said Palta.
The canteen mainly served north Indian cuisine.
“The food quality was also good but we were unhappy to be served only chapattis day and night. So, I along with some classmates protested to include rice in the menu, which was all regular north Indian dal sabzi,” said Mehra, who founded the student affairs committee.
Apart from minor incidents like classes sometimes getting flooded due to excessive rains, the first batch of the IIT-Delhi had quite a good time.
“Once we friends got hold of a road roller and started driving it inside the campus. The only issue was that we did not know how to stop it. We had to drive it on a slope to control its speed,” Mehra reminiscences.
Like other IITs, it was mandatory for students to stay in the hostel. The locals used to rush home on Friday afternoons, just when the classes were over, while others used to hang out at Kake da Dhaba, Embassy in Connaught Place or watch films.
“Mehra was a local so we used to bomb at his house sometimes to get home-cooked food. The family was generous enough to feed us. However, the outsiders flocked to CP. We enjoyed sitting in restaurants that played live music. As we were students and had limited money, we used to take hours to finish one coffee in order to spend as much time at those amazing eateries. Another option was catching up with the latest films in the cinema halls. I remember watching the Hollywood flick ‘Come September’ at Odeon,” said 80-year-old Palta.
After India gained independence in 1947, the then government needed engineers that could accelerate the growth of the country which wouldn’t have been possible without foreign nations’ support. IIT-Delhi got technical, academic and financial assistance from the UK government.
The faculty brought with them their knowledge and culture. “As we were the first ones, from starting drama and debate clubs to organising sports events – everything was done by us. We produced a play ‘Chips with Everything’. This play by Arnold Wesker examines the nature of class consciousness in post-war Britain. After the show, Prof Moore NPW and his wife invited us for tea and on a large plate, potato chips were piled up to celebrate the success of our efforts,” said 79-year-old Mehra.
Prof Moore also allowed the students to participate in the vintage car rally that was organised by The Statesman every year. Both Palta and Mehra remember how their car stopped working in the middle of the rally. “We somehow rigged up the fuel pump that was acting up and kept it on the bonnet of the car. It worked and the car started moving, however, it caught the attention of everyone,” said Mehra.
Mehra was among the popular students at IIT-Delhi. While he was the college magazine editor, Palta made cartoons. Later, Mehra received the director’s gold medal for being the best all-rounder and also a medal for having stood first in his department.
The 1960s was also the time when India was facing tough times with its neighbouring nations China and Pakistan. IIT-Delhi’s first batch remembers the noise of fighter planes landing at the Safdarjung airport in 1965. “There was a control room set up at our hostel. We were told to switch off lights, look for sirens and remain in the hostel,” Mehra reminisced.
While Mehra decided to stay in India and took a job at Larsen & Toubro Ltd as an apprentice engineer, Palta decided to go abroad. “I got an internship and went to Switzerland. After working there for some years, I returned to India and worked in the L&T,” Palta said.
Palta also remembers the faculty that had made a lasting impression on them. Some practical advice he still practices. “Once air commodore RHD Singh taught us the importance of the 3 S in life: shave, shit and shower to be a gentleman,” he said.
Both believe their schooling and IIT-Delhi prepared them to face the world. “We were made to think independently, take initiatives and work on them with full sincerity,” Mehra said.
IITs are known for their rigorous schedules. These days, students actively participate in club activities and hardly get to live a disciplined school life. “We too studied late at night along with batchmates. However, we followed a strict routine of getting up early for the morning classes and balancing it out with extracurricular activities,” said Mehra.
Meanwhile, Palta feels sad when he hears the suicide news of engineering students. “The other day I was reading a news about a student receiving a Rs 1 crore package. The IITs are still considered a golden gate to prosperity. People trust the brand IIT and the brightest minds take admission here. I am disappointed that some students are taking a drastic step,” he said.
