IIT-K may pull plug on Net at midnight

After the mid-term semester exams,which will be over on November 22,the authorities intend to raise a proposal in this regard before the institute Senate.

At present,4,900-odd students have round-the-clock access to Internet in their hostels through Wi-Fi.

If the proposal is accepted,they will be deprived of Internet facility from midnight to 8 am. The main server of the Wi-Fi system of Internet will be switched off at midnight.

A few faculty members believe that excessive use of Internet by students late at night was having an adverse impact on their academics and health.

Previously,Internet services were restricted for a brief period after the suicide of MTech student Gangapatnam Suman in January 2009. But after objections by the Student Gymkhana Club members,the restrictions were removed.

Due to the ongoing mid-term semester exams from November 15 to 22,the IIT-K authorities are unwilling to initiate any move which could distract students. IIT-K Registrar Sanjeev S Kashalkar said: We have been planning the move for long,but due to the mid-term exams we did not initiate any step.

Kashalkar,however,said the Internet hours could only be cut after clearance from the Senate,which comprises administrative faculty,teaching staff and students.