Studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) wasn’t even a dream when this journey began. I come from a small town named Champa in Chhattisgarh. My father was a clerk in the irrigation department, now retired and my mother is a homemaker. I grew up in a joint family with three older sisters and grandparents. My school was only till Class 10 and therefore, I had to switch to another school in a nearby town to complete my high school education.
While my father was employed with the government it wasn’t easy to sustain a family of eight people on a single income. There was a time when my father had to ask my sister (middle) to choose between spending his savings on her education or saving it for her wedding. My sister chose her education. Soon after her graduation, she began taking tuition along with studying for masters. She used to work in three different schools as a guest teacher. Today, she is a Chemistry teacher at a state government school.
The decision to pursue engineering
As a child, I was always inclined academically and seeing my sister work so hard further inspired me. I first heard about IITs when I was in Class 11. I decided to become an engineer and started preparing for it. We did not have any huge coaching centres in our town. I used to attend basic tuition classes for PCM. However, I didn’t get a rank that was good enough to land me into an IIT but I managed to secure a seat at the National Institute of Technology, Raipur.
Life in an IIT: Saurabh in the research lab at IIT Bombay
Due to financial constraints, my father had to take a loan to educate me. The fees for one year in NIT was Rs 40,000 but, in 2014, the fee structure was revised and it was increased to Rs 76,000. However, this did not deter my parents to fund my higher education. I was selected for BTech in metallurgical engineering.
Struggles, failures and success
At that time I didn’t know it would be the turning point of my life. I barely managed to stay afloat in the first semester. Everything from academics to living in a hostel was new to me. I had studied in Hindi medium till Class 12 and when I saw that the whole curriculum was in English, it naturally came as a shock.
In the first semester, my grades were so poor that I had to request all the teachers to give passing marks. I was disheartened. Engineering wasn’t just a dream, but an opportunity to provide a better life for my family.
Then, something inside me told me to stand up and face the challenges. I told myself that the only problem was the language. So, if others would take one attempt to understand something I might take five but eventually I will understand it. And, with this renewed spirit, I began studying again with full focus and determination. I passed with decent marks in my second semester.
The third semester was the turning point. I would sit on the first bench and would get my doubts cleared with the help of supportive professors. Eventually, my CGPA was 9.15 and my rank was third in the whole class.
From that day, there has been no looking back. My aggregate after four years of BTech was 9.38 and I graduated with a silver medal.
Initially, my plan was to complete engineering and secure a decent job however, I wanted to study further. A friend told me that the students pursuing masters are paid a stipend. This brought some relief as I no longer needed to ask my parents for money.
Life and its plan
It was 2018 and IIT Gandhinagar was enrolling students for masters. There was a programme under which they were selecting a few students from Government Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs) and only the top 5 per cent of the branch were eligible to apply. I was fortunate and got selected. IIT Gandhinagar had signed an MoU with Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) under which students were supposed to spend one year at IIT and a second year at JAIST. It was a dual degree MTech (from IIT Gandhinagar) and MS (from JAIST) programme and only two students were selected for it. At that time, my stipend was Rs 15,400 per month. My master’s was in Material Science and Engineering.
Even after completing my masters, I didn’t want to do a job. Research was my calling and I decided to pursue a PhD. I applied for the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). In order to get this fellowship, the first and foremost condition is you should be from an IIT or GFTI. You have to fill out a form, and send your research proposal, a statement of purpose, curriculum vitae and research experience. The form is then selected by the nodal institute of every department based on which proposal is beneficial for the country. Only a handful of candidates get selected for PMRF every year.
Joy and pride in the eyes of my parents
The fellowship is not only the most prestigious but also the highest paying in the country. I get Rs 75,000 per month which has helped me to support my family. We don’t have to think about the small joys. Today, when I look back, I thank my stars for giving me whatever I have. My parents beam with pride and joy.
Life in an IIT: Saurabh with his parents
Currently, I am pursuing my research at IIT Bombay. The topic of my research is variable devices for healthcare monitoring and industrial applications.
Life as a researcher at IIT Bombay
My usual day begins at 7 am and I play basketball or badminton. Then, after my breakfast, I relax for some time. After that, I go to the lab and return by 6 pm. Sometimes, if I don’t go to a game in the morning, I play something in the evening, be it pool, foosball or table tennis. I also enjoy swimming a lot. Over here, friends are like family and even the professors are nice and friendly.
As a researcher, I believe IIT Bombay is one of the best institutes in the country. There is so much research going on. Moreover, the labs are properly equipped. There is some top notch equipment such as a 5D printer. There are ample instruments and it is self-sufficient. The resources are good, there is a positive environment that is research-friendly. The culture here is interdisciplinary which, I feel is very important in today’s time.
I did consider studying abroad but then decided against it as IIT Bombay is also a high ranking institute with all facilities available. Moreover, I wanted to work for the betterment of our country. I believe with the right resources and hardworking people one can achieve success anywhere.
Life at IIT has been better than expected. It provides me with a well-rounded life — friends, career, extracurricular and so much more. There are all facilities available here from restaurants to cycle repair shops. The campus is lush green and beautiful.
Life in an IIT: Soni is a PM research fellow at IIT Bombay. (Graphics by Abhishek Mitra) 
Life in an IIT: Saurabh in the research lab at IIT Bombay
Life in an IIT: Saurabh with his parents
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