ODYSSEY

An International Exchange Student's Guide to IMT Contents Welcome to

1.1 Welcome Diversity, the only word that can synonym with the word India, a country that can boast of being the oldest civilization and the youngest country in the world. India is a perfect example of amalgamation between culture and modern trends, we walk by holding hands with culture and technology at the same time. A country which on one hand can take pride in its pristine mountains, sprawling landscape and rivers, also has its state of the art education institutions, competent IT industry and ever growing trade in commerce.

So, with joined palms and bowed head we welcome you to the most popular investment, cultural and educational hub of the world. We hope that you have a wonderful time exploring this truly incredible country and have a very pleasant stay.

1.2 How to Reach IMT Ghaziabad

IMT Ghaziabad is located in the National Capital Region of India. The IMT campus is well connected with all available modes of transportation.

Air: Indira Gandhi International Airport, - 45 Km (28 miles) or 90 minutes’ drive.

Railways: New Delhi Railway station, Delhi – 30 Km (19 miles) or 45 minutes. The nearest Delhi Metro Railway station is Vaishali at a distance of around 12 Km from the college.

On your arrival, your travel will be taken care of. On prior notification, a taxi will be arranged to pick you up from the airport.

3 1.3 On reaching your new home

You need to report at the International Relations Office (IRC). If your stay is for more than 180 days and/or is mentioned in your VISA, please register yourself at the Foreigner’s Registration Office at Ghaziabad within 14 days of your arrival in India to avoid fine and hassles. In case of any assistance, we are of course available to help you feel at ease in your new home.

1.4 Currency Exchange

You can exchange all major foreign currencies at Delhi Airport after clearing immigration. You can find numerous foreign exchange counters (such as the Thomas Cook counter) available at the airport. Currently there are no restrictions on the amount of foreign currency (notes, coins, travellers’ cheque and drafts drawn on Indian banks) that you may carry to India. However, if the total amount of Indian currency is equivalent to or exceeds USD 10000 then you need to declare it to the Indian custom authorities at the airport. Various foreign exchange dealers are available in and around Ghaziabad and Delhi. The closest counter is at 5-7 minutes walking distance from Campus. The working hours are between 10 am and 6 pm (Monday to Friday).

Contact of currency exchange near Campus:

1. Muthoot Finance Limited Shop Number- B- 4, Ground Floor, Collectorate Road, Raj Nagar Ghaziabad, Phone: +(91)-9999325250 & 0120-4732412

2. Swarn Overseas Pvt Ltd S-14, 1st Floor, Konark Building, RDC, Ghaziabad Phone: 0120-2825163

4 1.5 Telephone facilities

The Indian Cellular Telephony System uses GSM technology, which is incompatible with cell phones in North America. While Europe also uses GSM technology, please confirm the compatibility of your cell phone with Indian Standards as different frequencies are used in India. In most cases there is a software lock that needs to be opened by the cell phone operator.

You may buy cheap basic cell phones (Price range: INR 1200-1500/-) and get a local GSM connection to go with it. Some local service providers are Airtel, Idea, Vodafone and Jio. The closest cell phone shops are in Kavi Nagar Market, located less than a kilometre from the campus.

NOTE:

While providing the local contact number to the local service provider, kindly provide the contact details of the student representatives of IRC or your‘ buddy’. Also please ensure that you save the contact details of the vendor from whom you are obtaining the connection. Contact details of the student representatives of IRC are listed on the last page of the guide.

1.6 Climate and Clothing

From September to end of November, the temperature is about 85F (30ºC) during the day and around 60F (15ºC) during the night; whereas from December to January the temperature ranges from 70F (21ºC) during daytime to 45F (7ºC) during the night. In India the summer season spans from April to August and the temperature peaks around June when it will be 113F (45ºC).

In order to ensure that you feel at ease during various seasons, it will be advisable to carry clothes in line with the temperature. It is preferable to carry light weight cotton clothes for the summer seasons and till October. As November to January the climate is cold, you can carry woollen clothes and jackets.

5 Campus life

2.1 Your IMT Buddy

To ensure that you settle down in campus without any hassle, IRC will assign you a buddy who will be a student volunteer from IMT-G. He/ She will help you get familiarised with the day to day activities in IMT, about course selection procedures, academics and address all your queries/problems that you may face before and after reaching campus.

2.2 Accommodation

IMT Ghaziabad is a fully residential campus and therefore exchange students are accommodated at the student hostels within the campus. Your hostel room will be furnished with basic furniture and amenities (namely bed, mattress, study table, and chair). However you should carry your own bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers.

It is advisable to carry mosquito repellents. Mosquito repellents like liquid repellents, mats, coils and body creams are available in NEEDZ store in the campus and local stores near the campus.

2.3 Housekeeping and Laundry

The hostel rooms are cleaned on a regular basis by the housekeeping department at free of cost.

Laundry service is available in the campus. Your clothes will be collected and delivered back to your room twice a week. The laundry service includes cleaning and ironing at a nominal charge (per piece). Dry cleaning service is also available.

2.4 Drinking Water Please note, that As a precautionary step, we would advise you to use tap water in bottled mineral water during the initial days of settling down in the campus. The water dispensers on campus bathrooms is not have RO treated filtered water. You can ask for mineral potable. water brands like Bisleri, Bailey, Aquafina, and Kinley.

6 2.5 Food The IMT Mess is controlled by the student body called Messcom. The mess serves hygienic and nutritious authentic Indian food 4 times a day at fixed timings. Self- WORKING HOURS OF MESS ARE: service is practiced in the Mess.

• BREAKFAST FROM 08:00 A.M. TO 09:00 A.M. In addition, there is a canteen by the name

• LUNCH FROM 12:45 P.M. TO 2:00 P.M. ARCUS and a cafe in the campus. The food at the mess is primarily north Indian, which • SNACKS FROM 5:30 P.M. TO 6:00 P.M. might be a little spicy for the exchange • DINNER FROM 8.30 P.M. TO 9.30 P.M. students (Think Mexican food). Television sets with cable connection are available in the mess.

For all those late night lovers, the Canteen and cafe remain open round the clock. The food fee includes only the mess fees, and the canteen & café won’t be covered. The Canteen serves tea, coffee, soft drinks, packaged items such as juices, chips etc. Chinese and North Indian fast foods are available in addition to sandwiches and variety of Indian snacks.

There are no dearth of restaurants serving exquisite cuisine within close proximity to the campus and also in Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida and New Delhi.

Any day you miss the food back home you have an option to get food delivered on campus by various Indian and international fast food joints.

2.6 Internet and IT Lab

The Computer centre is accessible from 6AM-9PM, and is equipped with state-of-the -art technology. IMT has 420 Mbps Internet link for free Wi-Fi internet access in the entire campus. An Ethernet node is also provided in every hostel room. You will need to get your laptop or smart-phone configured at the Computer Centre to connect to the in-house Wi-Fi network. IMT is among the few Institutes in India to have a campus agreement with Microsoft for their latest licensed software.

There is also an Information Technology Lab equipped with state of the art hardware and software. We also have an academic partnership with CISCO, which enables us to offer their certified courses in our curriculum. The Computer Lab resources are used for academic research, study, and conducting class assignments. Lab users have the right to expect a quiet, clean, academic lab environment.

7 2.7 Library

The Library at IMT, Ghaziabad is open to all Students, exchange students, Faculty, Visiting Faculty, Research Scholars and Research Associates, Officers and Staff of the Institute.

Library shall remain open on all the days except the National and Gazetted holidays (as declared by IMT/GOI every year) and shall observe the time schedule as given here under for users:

Monday to Friday : 09.00 a.m. - 06.00 a.m. Saturday & Sunday: 09.00 a.m. - 10.00p.m. This time schedule is subject to change by the Librarian, IMT.

2.8 Medical Insurance and Medical Facilities

Although it isn’t mandatory, it is highly recommended that you get a complete medical and accident cover before coming to India. The following doctor on the panel of IMT can be contacted by the students when the need arises. For this purpose a recommendatory note has to be obtained from the office of the Chairperson-Students Affairs or Administrative Officer or Administrative Superintendent:

Dr. K. G. Dhingra

KD-26, Kavi Nagar Ghaziabad, Phone number: 9818231678

The consulting doctor is available on campus on all working days from 3:30PM to 5:30PM. The consultation is free on campus. However, you will have to pay for medicines and tests if any. Apart from this, there are clinics, pharmacists, and hospitals located within close proximity of the campus. Details can be obtained on arrival from the IRC office.

We suggest you get yourself adequately vaccinated before you arrive in India. Some suggested vaccines are Typhoid, Malaria, Chicken Pox, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.

8 Details of certain hospitals around the campus are as follows:

• Sarvodaya Hospital & Research Centre – +91(0)120 2800400

• Columbia Asia Hospital - +91 (0)120 616 5666

• Yashoda Hospital – +91(0)120 4182000

• B.R. Hospital – +91(0)120 2713485, +91(0)120 2714279

• Shyam Hospital – +91(0)120 2720071, +91(0)120 2720081

• Brij Medical Center – +91(0)120 2704300

• Heera Lal Hospital – +91-9810372270

2.9 Study Material

All study material, hand-outs and other electronic study materials are provided by the institute. However stationery needs, calculators and other personal study materials need to be purchased separately.

Photocopying is made available in the Institute from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Students can avail this facility by paying Rs 1.00 per page (single side).

2.10 The NEEDZ Store ‘NEEDZ‛ is a cooperative store, run by the ‘Make a Difference Foundation’ (MADF) student body. Here you can purchase items of daily use such as stationery, toiletries, cosmetics, as well as miscellaneous articles, including mosquito repellent creams and vaporizing liquid machines.

The timings are as per below: Afternoon – 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM Evening – 8:00 PM to 10:45 PM

Note that the NEEDZ store remains closed on weekends.

‘Store Venue: Block A, Room No 25, Ground Floor, Near DLP/Canteen The profit made from all sales is used by MADF for its various social initiatives.

9 2.11 Sports at IMT Ghaziabad IMT Ghaziabad prides itself on being the mecca for sports activities in the Indian B-School fraternity. The sports facilities include:

• Basketball court

• Football field

• Cricket field

• Badminton courts

• Volleyball courts

• Table Tennis tables 3 These facilities are available to all students free of cost all day long. There is also a fully equipped gymnasium on campus.

2.12 Smoking Zone

The campus is a ‘No Smoking Zone’ and hence smoking is prohibited in all public areas in the campus except for certain designated and marked areas for the same. Students found smoking except in Smoking Zones will be fined INR 500/- each time.

The smoking zone is the parking lot area near the basketball court.

10 Around the Campus

3.1 Banks and ATMs

There are several state and private sector banks in the vicinity of the campus. All IMT Ghaziabad students usually have accounts with one or more of these. Major international banks such as Citibank, HDFC, Standard Chartered, IDBI, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank have their ATMs and branches in Ghaziabad.

Your international ATMs can be operated from the Citibank ATM in RDC, Raj Nagar, near the college campus. Since most international ATM cards have a maximum withdrawal limit of INR 10000 per week, it is advisable that you carry 500 – 600 USD/Euro/GBP in cash when you arrive in India.

3.2 Fruit, Vegetables, and Groceries

Fresh fruit, vegetables, and groceries are available in the local Sector-10 market and also in Kavi Nagar market (5 – 7 minutes walking distance from campus).

Feel free to contact the IRC members and your buddy to help you locate stores that will cater to your requirements.

3.3 Shopping and Recreation

For your daily needs, there are various markets and shops within walking distance from the campus.

11 GAUR CENTRAL MALL (10 minutes walking distance from campus)

• SHOPPING OUTLETS: Shopper’s Stop(multiple brands are available under one roof), Van Heusen (men), Allen Solly, United Colours of Benetton, Adidas, Reebok, Woodlands, etc.

• FOOD: McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Tibb’s Frankie, Burger King, Gianis’s ice cream parlour (famous for Belgian chocolate ice cream).

• WAVE cinema: A multiplex theatre providing a comfortable ambience to watch a movie.

• CROMA: It is India’s one of the largest Electronics megastore. From home appliances to mobile phones, numerous products are available. You can also enjoy its online shopping website.

THE OPULENT MALL (7 minutes drive from campus)

• SHOPPING OUTLETS: Van Heusen, US Polo, Wrangler, United Colours of Benetton, Planet Fashion etc.

• FOOD OUTLETS: US Pizza, China Post, Panjabi Dhaba, Baskin Robbins etc.

• PVR cinema: A multiplex theatre

• Gaming Zone: Bowling and other Arcade games available.

At RDC (Market area, 5 to 7 minutes walking distance from campus)

• Fast food and Coffee Shops: Pizza Hut, Dominos, Café Coffee Day, Subway, VIP Pizza, Drumsticks

• Continental: Cinch, Ministry of Café, The Bridge

• Indian Cuisine: ADR, Moti Mahal, Bikanerwala, Sankalp (South Indian food), Vantalu

• Bars/Pubs: Champions, Sapphires The Blue

• ATMs: ICICI, Citibank, HDFC, Oriental Bank, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda etc.

• Apparel and Sports Goods: Adidas, Reebok, Levi’s, Octave, Colorplus

• Mobile Service Providers: Airtel, Vodafone, Jio and Reliance Communications

Sector-10 Market (5 – 7 minutes of walking distance)

• Bookstores

• Medical Stores: Apollo Pharmacy

• Restaurants: 2000 Milestone, Not Just Kebabs

12 Ghaziabad being a small town has its own charm. However, cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida are at 30-60 minutes’ driving distance from the campus.

Here you can sample some of the country’s finest nightlife, shopping, and recreational activities.

A few of the malls near IMT Ghaziabad:

• Pacific Mall, Kaushambi (14 kilometres from campus) : BIG Cinemas Multiplex (+91 011 39894040) Restaurants: Pizza Hut, Moti Mahal Deluxe, KFC etc. Major apparel outlets Multi cuisine food court

• Eastend Mall, Kaushambi(14 kilometres from campus) : Wave Cinema Multiplex(+91 9891417584, +91 0120 2894796)

• Ansal Plaza, Vaishali (12 kilometres from campus) : Big Cinemas Multiplex (+91931 069 2199) Factory Outlets of Lacoste, UCB etc. Restaurants: Melting Pot, Bercos, Sagar Ratna

• Opulent Mall, Ghaziabad(12 kilometres from campus) : PVR Cinemas (+91 965 019 4355) Hyper Markets: Easy Day, Reliance Trends Apparel Stores: US Polo, Adidas, Wrangler etc. Restaurants: US Pizza, Subway etc. Gaming Zone

• Shipra Mall, Indirapuram(15 kilometres from campus) : JAM Cinemas(+91 120 2689610) Pubs: 9 Mars Restaurants: Cinch, McDonald’s, Papa Jones Pizza, etc.

13 3.4 Transport

The easiest way to travel around Ghaziabad is by three-wheeler cabs commonly known as Auto- Rickshaws (autos). There is an auto stand right outside the college.

The most efficient way to reach Delhi/Noida is by taking the metro from Dilshad Garden or Vaishali stations. You may have to take a private auto from outside the campus which may charge INR 120-150 to any of the stations.

You can also catch the intercity train from New Delhi or Old Delhi Railway Station for Ghaziabad Railway Station. From there, you can hire a private auto which may charge INR 80-100 till the campus.

You can also use the radio cab services. These cabs can be called anywhere by booking over the phone or online. Some popular ones are Ola and Uber.

14 Delhi at a Glance

Delhi, the National Capital Territory, is the largest metropolis by area and the second largest by population in India. Located on the banks of River Yamuna,

Delhi epitomizes India’s diverse cultures, historical landmarks and monuments, ancient temples and stylist art-deco buildings. It is filled with a plethora of experiences and places to explore.

4.1 Monuments Delhi has many archaeological heritage to offer to all those interested in history and architecture. Some famous monuments are:

• India Gate

• Red Fort

• Qutab Minar

• Old Fort

• Humayun’s Tomb

4.2 Shopping and Eating Out

Some major recreation and shopping centres in Delhi and NCR include:

• Connaught Place

• Khan Market

• Hauz Khas

• Greater Kailash

• Vasant Kunj

• Dilli Haat

• Chandini Chowk

15 4.3 Places of Worship

There are several beautiful places of worship belonging to various eras, religious groups and ethnicities. Some of the famous ones are:

• Lotus Temple

• Sacred Heart Cathedral

• Akshardham Temple

• Iskcon Temple

• Bangla Sahib Gurudwara

• Jama Masjid

4.4 Nightlife

Delhi and the adjoining regions boast of some of the best and most vibrant nightlife in northern India. Some places we recommend include:

• Kitty Su - Connaught Place, Delhi

• Shiro and Skooter- Hotel Samrat, Delhi

• Blue Frog - Mehrauli, Delhi

• Underdoggs–Vasant Kunj, Delhi

• Monkey Bar- Vasant Kunj, Delhi

• Warehouse Café - Connaught Place, Delhi

• 1440 – Hotel Vikram, New Delhi

• Club Reverb - Noida

• Hard Rock Café –Saket, Select City Walk, Delhi

Of course, the list goes on and you can always ask around for more places once you reach the campus.

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3 Moving within Delhi

5.1 Local Buses These are the cheapest and the most efficient ways to get around the city. The Red DTC buses are air conditional whereas the Green ones are not. Bus routes and fares can be found at: www.delhihelp.com/DTC-Bus-Routes.aspx

5 .2 Auto Rickshaws

These are very popular in the city and are available all over the city. The auto drivers may haggle a lot for the prices but do insist on paying by the electronic meters installed in each auto.

5.3 Metro The details regarding Delhi Metro can be found at: www.delhimetrorail.com

5.4 Cabs

Refer to Section 3.4

17 Things to keep in mind

• Keep all your travel documents, passport, money, credit cards and travellers’ cheques carefully

• Make a note of the numbers of your travellers’ cheques and keep them separately from the others

• While providing the local contact number to get local SIM, kindly provide the contact details of the student representatives of IRC or your official buddy. Also please ensure that you save the contact details of the vendor from whom you are obtaining the connection. Contact details of the student representatives of IRC are listed in the next section of the guide.

• Keep the telephone numbers of IMT Ghaziabad and IRC members handy in case of emergency

• Always keep copies of your passport and other identification documents handy with you

• Kindly inform IRC when going on an excursion and provide a brief itinerary

• Don’t not go out of the campus after 10 PM

• Maintain a decent dress code inside and outside the campus

• When travelling by buses, inform the bus conductor about your destination and ask him to inform you at the arrival

• Always try to take an auto-rickshaw/taxi from the prepaid TSR/Taxi Stand. While going out, it is advisable to use IMT registered Taxis.

• Always have a rough idea about the distance and the time taken to reach your destination

• Always stay alert and avoid listening to music or talking over the phone while travelling.

• Keep a road map of Ghaziabad and its adjoining areas handy with you

• In case of emergency, contact the nearest Police Control Room (PCR) van or call 100

18 Important Contacts

IMT Ghaziabad Raj Nagar Post box No.137 Ghaziabad-201001, India mail: [email protected]

• Director Dr. Asish K Bhattacharyya [email protected]

• Executive Assistant to Director Mr. Manju Singhal [email protected]

• Dean (Academics) Dr. Ravikesh Srivastava

• DGM, Administration Mr. Anoop Sareen [email protected]

• On-Campus Doctor Dr. K.G. Dhingra +91 9818231678

19 Important Contacts

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE

• Dr. Jayanthi Ranjan

Associate Dean, International Relations [email protected] Phone: +91 120 3002219

• Mr Krishna Murari Sinha

Assistant Superintendent Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91-9810287500 Phone: +91-120 3002 270

• IRC Members:

Enjoy your stay with the IRC Family

20 Campus Map

21 Other TouristDestinations in

• AGRA

Agra is the one of the most visited cities in India, since it is home to one of the greatest eternal symbols of love-Taj Mahal. This white domed marble mausoleum is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and has an epic love story behind it. Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Akbar's tomb, Ram Bagh and Sikandra fort are some of the must visit places in Agra, apart from Taj Mahal.

• GOA

Goa, the smallest state of India is known for its exotic beaches with amazing sunset view, golden sand and coconut palms playing with the wind. Tasty seafood, parasailing, wind surfing and water- skiing facilities make the beaches of Goa a core fun place. Alorna Fort, Ancestral Goa Museum, Arvalam Waterfalls, Chapora Fort and Calangute beach are some of the popular destinations in Goa.

• & UDAIPUR

Jaipur and Udaipur, located in Rajasthan gives us an insight into the rich cultural and artistic traditions of the state. Hawa Mahal or 'Palace of Winds', located in Jaipur, designed in the form of the crown of Lord Krishna is a beautiful construction, which draws tourists from all over the country. This pyramid shaped monument with 953 small windows,stands as the entrance to the

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•City Palace, Jaipur and is a notable sight here. The Lake Place of Udaipur is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, which is now converted into a hotel equipped with 66 rooms and 17 suites.

• KASHMIR

The Paradise on Earth, Kashmir's major attraction lies in its scenic beauty, snow clad peaks, lush green valleys, Alpine villages, cascading waterfalls, flower gardens etc. Kashmir is a destination worth visiting, there you can enjoy the boat ride on picturesque Dal Lake or an adventurous bike trip through the deserted mountains of Leh. The other major attractions are Gulmarg, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Nagin Lake, Pari Mahal, Shankaracharya shrine and Pehalgam.

• KERALA

The enchanting backwaters of Kerala, the mesmerizing waterfalls, the hill stations and the serene atmosphere make the state one of the most preferred tourist destinations. Kerala Backwaters comprises of a chain of lagoons and lakes which lies parallel to the Arabian Sea. A cruise in the House boats gives tourists a unique and exciting chance to experience the beauty of the surrounding greenery and nearby villages. Munnar, Thekkady, Wayanad, Athirapally waterfalls, Varkala beach and Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple are the most preferred tourist destinations in Kerala.

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