IIT Kharagpur was Established in 1951

It was always a dream of mine to study at a premiere Institute. I had watched the Netflix series, Alma Matters and that made Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur my first choice. What makes this Institute different from other IITs is its Gurukul kind of system; while other IITs are situated in cities, this campus is tucked away in the remote corner of West Bengal. Moreover, it was established in the year 1951. Since there isn’t much to do outside of campus, the on-campus activities are conducted with much more passion, involvement and rigour which knits the campus community closer together. The hall culture gives you friends for a lifetime. There is no ragging and the Institute is very strict about the same with serious repercussions if there are any complaints.

I chose BS in Geology and Geophysics course because I want to broaden my knowledge on Renewable Energy or Seismology for my Masters. You have to sit for JEE Main & Advanced and then, opt for the JOSAA counseling for a seat in this Institution. Entry criteria is the same as the test criteria for JEE Main and Advanced. Upon successful allotment of seat in the course, you have to physically visit the Institute for document verification. As per the usual Institute norms, there are two exams per semester, mid-semester and end-semester along with class tests. Some professors also give weightage to attendance. Grading system differs from professor to professor.

For a General category student, the annual fee is around Rs. 1,50,000/- for Tuition, Rs. 36,000/- for the Mess fee and around Rs. 8000/- for miscellaneous costs. SC/ST students are exempted from the Tuition fees. There are student loans, scholarships, and deferred fee payment options available.

Professors at IIT Kharagpur are obviously stalwarts within their respective fields. They work on projects in collaboration with Global Universities and are highly knowledgeable. Most of them hold a Post Doctoral degree from Foreign Universities as prestigious as the Oxford Cambridge and Ivy League Universities. Most of them teach from PPTs which are sent to the students for further reference. The teacher-student ratio is also very good. All the teachers are amiable as long as you attend their classes. Interact with them and they will guide you not just in your studies but in your career too.

Placements are conducted Centrally by a Placement Committee. To be honest, Circuital departments have the highest placements on campus. Geology has comparatively much lower placement. Although, there are companies like EXXON, SLB, Vedanta Cairn, and BP that visit campus exclusively for Geology students and pay a lot of money.

Hostel life varies from hall to hall. Food is usually mediocre. It will take some time getting used to the food.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has top-notch infrastructure and world-class Lab. There’s also an Olympic size pool. There is Nehru Museum on campus which holds a lot of history. There is a Police Station on campus for emergencies. Classrooms have central cooling system and good seating capacity. There is also a 5-storied Library with no shortage of books and research papers. Moreover, there’s a dedicated Hospital on campus which is honestly not up to the mark but good enough for emergency situations.

There are a lot of Clubs, Cells, and Societies for the students to join. Although, the selection criteria for these are kind of rigorous due to large batch sizes. People come from all over the country and you get a diverse exposure which really opens your mind. You can learn about different cultures and make great friends here. I am a part of the prestigious Music Society here and have made the best friends here. There are many Fests that are organised which attract students from all over the country.