Contents Greetings 4 Welcome 5 IITM & I 6 Mitr 7 IIT Madras 8 Hostel Life 10 Surviving Madras 101 12 Academics 14 NCC, NSO & NSS 16 Training & Placements 17 Landmarks 18 Other Important Places 19 Bite ‘Em Up! 20 Student Activities 21 Club & Literary Activities 23 CFI 25 Sports 28 Inter IIT Sports 29 Places of Worship 30 Student Governance in IITM 31 Institute Festivals 32 Department Festivals 35 RSD 37 To-Do List 38 Tip-Offs from the experienced 40 Faculty Advisors 42 Credits 43 Freshman Guidebook - 2018 3 Greetings Dear Freshie, irstly, congratulations on getting of senior student pals and friendly F into one of the most prestigious faculty who will always be willing to educational institutions in the help you in ANY matter. Its objectives world! It definitely would not be an include achieving overall well-being exaggeration to say that you are now of the entire student community going to enter the most beautiful by equipping and enhancing the phase and place of your life, the all-round skills needed to succeed memories of which will linger in your on campus and in life. For e.g,last life forever. year a programme aimed solely on improving english language skills Most of you, like any of us (your named ‘English Minglish’ was launched seniors), would be stepping into this whereby students comfortable esteemed institute without being only in their vernacular language quite sure as to how you would want could converse in English. The other see yourself a few years down the important objective of Saathi is to line. Be assured that IIT Madras is a break the stigma around various place which gives you the exposure to issues regarding mental health. You multiple avenues related to academics, will be introduced to a Saathi mentor, co-curricular and extracurricular a responsible senior student who will activities thus giving you a chance meet you soon after your arrival at for each one of you to identify your IIT Madras. Besides being your first true interests and passion and pursue friend on campus who can clarify your the same. The various activities and doubts related to various aspects of occasions associated with the institute institute life. not only aim to bring the dormant skills of the students to the surface but Feel free to contact any of the Saathi also to train and let them experience or Mitr coordinators from the contact organisational and leadership details provided on the pocket attributes. And this, doubtlessly is the guide or on the website before/after reason behind the success of the IITian reaching IIT Madras. and the peaks of excellence they often scale in any field of specialisation We wish that you have the most they choose to enter and explore, be wonderful and fruitful years of your it academics, industry, sports, arts, life in the institute and hope that you literature or politics. scale great heights in your career. Saathi is an initiative of IIT Madras to All the Best! guide you through your days here. Saathi Core Team As the name suggests, it is a body 4 Saathi competition to keep you on yourtoes Welcome and looking to improve yourself. You’ll love it. Do words hold a special ell, hello there, new blood! Here place in your heart? Does quizzing? you are, finally. After so long, W Do dancing and music fill you with all that work bears fruit and here you a joy like no other? The numerous sit, reading this magazine. Proud of clubs at IIT-M give you all of these, yourself? You should be. Cracking and more. Feel like your ingenuity such an exam(s) and landing yourself never has the encouragement it such a coveted seat is no mean feat. needs? Look no further than the CFI, Congratulations! Now that we’ve got the Centre for Innovation, for all your that out of the way, let’s start with creative needs. Haven’t attended your introducing you to your new home. fair share of parties and festivals? Yes, home. Because no matter what Saarang will leave you spellbound happens and what you go through and gleefully anticipating its return. here, you will very soon embrace this Think your innovation and tech skills institute as your “home away from need a stage? Shaastra is your way home” (tired of hearing this phrase to go. All of this IIT Madras gives you. yet?). You can come in fresh and dive And in return, all you need to do is: into insti life without missing a beat. be yourself. That’s right, neither we No matter what you do, there are nor the institute expect anything always people to help you. No matter from your side, besides to not waste what mistake you make, there are the brilliance that brought you all people who’ve made it before. No together here: because, of course, matter where you come from, you giving a person space to work and belong here. experiment as they see fit is the only way to bring out the best in them, and Everyone knows that the IITs are one IIT-M offers you full creative freedom. of the best places to receive your education in India. However this begs the question, are academics all that IIT is good for? Surely maintaining such a high quality of education requires a compromise on extracurricular activities? Not at all. IIT-M asks you to compromise on nothing. You’ve sacrificed enough of your life to get in here, you deserve to have fun! Are you a sports bum? We offer quality equipment, courts, stadiums, even top class training. Is this all? Hardly. The most important thing we offer is competition. Good, healthy Freshman Guidebook - 2018 5 are unique to IIT Madras. If all of this wasn’t already enough, the several IITM & I hang out spots- the Café Coffee Day espite being a hosteller all outlet, Gurunath Canteen- are the Dthrough my schooling, I was places where I have made some gripped by homesickness on my unforgettable memories. The several very first day at IIT Madras, thanks to Samitis (regional clubs) have ensured preconceived notions and the very that we celebrate every festival with real fear of ‘3 Idiots’ coming to life in great fanfare. I have come to learn front of my eyes. The drive from the after two eventful years, that in IITM’s Main Gate to the iconic Gajendra timeline this would form just the Circle left me breathless. Like a kid on teaser. Saarang and Shaastra were his first day at school, I had my head much talked about during my first outside the window, looking forward semester and quite honestly the to a new journey with new friends euphoria was not shared by us until and a new place to call home for the after the three day extravaganza next few years. It was not until a week began. As soon as the events unfurled later that my fear had been erased by one after the other, I felt as though I warm interactions with seniors and had been associated with them for an orientation day wherein extensive several years, thanks to the several support was promised to every volunteering opportunities we freshman. received. Last year, the baton was Over the coming weeks, I saw passed on to us and a good majority the institute and its diaspora come to of us was involved in organizing one life. The place buzzed with activity all event or the other. through day and night. The Freshers’ These two years have also made me Night, that usually happens around realize that I had several things that September, is probably the best thing I could proudly say I had been a part that had happened to me in freshman of. I have stepped out of my comfort year at Insti. More than being a mere zone and surpassed benchmarks talent show, the event really widened that I had previously set for myself. my horizon, introduced me to the I have dabbled with several things various clubs in Insti and helped me before I finally could close down on make my first real friends. The icing something. The opportunity to do so on the cake was the special status is what makes the journey steeped accorded to the freshers in the first in self-exploration. Like a friend of few weeks. mine rightly said, “Insti is just a world While most people would have in itself”. With the first day of my you believe that this is a “temple of third year around the corner, I’m only learning”, it is not just that; IIT Madras sure that I will learn and grow with is a vibrant platform for all- music, everything that comes my way.I hope dance, theatre, you name it. The that each and every freshie has an theatre club’s script reading sessions amazing first year at IIT-M. It’s best if and the music club’s night JAM you come here with a clean slate and sessions are some cool things that soak in all that the place has to offer. 6 Saathi Mitr itr is an institute body comprising faculty and senior students, functioning under the M Dean of Students. The primary objective of Mitr is to provide emotional support to the students of the campus in the times of need. One could seek guidance regarding a plethora of issues including academic and peer pressures, extracurriculars, relationships and self-management. It is a completely confidential one to one support system Being away from an accustomed environment always leads to a new set of experiences.