Life in an IIT: ‘How IIT Delhi shaped my career, personality’

For Kanpur boy Amar Srivastava, studying at IIT Delhi was a dream come true and it did not disappoint him. From the facilities at the campus to the professors, everything at IIT Delhi was better than Amar's imagination.

Written by Agrima Srivastava

New Delhi | Updated: August 7, 2023 09:35 AM IST

4 min read

For Amar, studying in an IIT was a dream come true (Graphics by Angshuman Maity/ Representative Image)

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—Amar Srivastava

Studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was a dream. However, I didn’t get a rank in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) that could get me into an IIT. I completed my graduation from Uttar Pradesh Textile Technology Institute (UPTTI) in Textile Chemistry in 2018. I began working with a private company. Since I had a keen interest in the research field and wanted to pursue a Master’s.

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So, after working there for about seven months, I resigned and shifted my complete focus to studying for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). I cleared GATE and secured an India rank of 49 in Textile Engineering and Fibre Science paper.

Dreams do come true

I pursued my MTech from IIT Delhi. My life in the institute was better than I expected. IIT-Delhi had some of the brightest minds in the country, a 24 hour functional library, professors who help you with everything and guide you in your career, a lush green campus and excellent food. There is great diversity on the campus with people coming from across the country. The institute had mental well-being and support facilities like counsellors and psychiatrists. Sports facilities for students such as swimming, basketball and whatnot. I was finally living my dream and was happy beyond imagination.

All said and done, master’s is a little hectic. During my master’s, we mainly had to complete the coursework in the first year with 3 to 4 lab periods in a week. And, from the second year onwards we had to focus mainly on project work. In the third semester, we had 3 to 4 theoretical subjects and in the final semester, it was only project work.

However, things didn’t go as smoothly as I would have wanted them to. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the colleges were shut from March 2020 to December 2020, while we were in the middle of our programme. My project work suffered because of it but somehow we managed to complete it.

Hostel days and college life

At IIT Delhi, I used to live in the Jwalamukhi Hostel at IIT Delhi. Hostel life was amazing — late night strolls, hanging out with friends, night canteen, staying up till late while talking to friends and so on.

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I was a part of the Rendezvous (IIT-Delhi festival) team and enjoyed organising it.

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Currently, I am a senior researcher at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). I work in the technical textile domain.

IIT Delhi shaped my career and personality

IIT helped me shape my career, my research interest as well as my personality. It works towards the holistic development of a student. You get connected with so many people who can help you in your life. It is home to some of the best minds in the country whose level of thinking is beyond people’s expectations. When you meet like-minded people, you can learn about various career options that you didn’t know earlier and so much more. I used to be very shy and didn’t know how to interact with people. IIT boosted my confidence and improved my social skills.

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IIT Delhi Life in an IIT