IIT-Bombay hostellers flag hygiene, maintenance issues

Owing to the absence of a students’ council for the hostel, which has a capacity of over 900 residents, maintenance issues have remained unresolved. As the new academic year has begun and more student residents back on campus, the issues have yet again come to the fore.

Insight, the official student media body of the premier technology institute, highlighted the issue in a recent social media post. (File Photo)

With issues such as multiple sightings of rats in the kitchen, worms and metal pieces in food, non-functional washing-machines and leakages; the boarders of hostel 15 at IIT-Bombay have complained of severe hygiene and maintenance troubles.

Owing to the absence of a students’ council for the hostel, which has a capacity of over 900 residents, maintenance issues have remained unresolved. As the new academic year has begun and more student residents back on campus, the issues have yet again come to the fore. Insight, the official student media body of the premier technology institute, highlighted the issue in a recent social media post.

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“Hostel 15 residents have been living in extremely unhygienic and dangerous conditions for a long time now. The major issues are multiple sightings of rats in the mess and kitchen area and worms and metal pieces found in food. Often, the complaints related to the mess are not registered on time. Washing machines and dryers are scarcely functional. Recently, one of the washing machines broke down and the water from it flooded the wing and entered rooms before the problem could be resolved. Leakage in bathrooms is leading to formation of fungus in the rooms. There was also an instance of a fan coming off the ceiling and falling on the floor,” said the post by the student-media body.

A member of the students’ council said, “Each hostel inside the campus has a students’ council which looks after maintenance issues. Hostel 15 does not have its own students’ council yet. We have now started the process of forming one and soon, all these issues would be resolved.”

Pallavi Smart

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More