In Holy Matrimony, on IIT Campus

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In Holy Matrimony, on IIT Campus

Cutting across the different categories of full-time PhD students is a group of students, namely the married researchers – who, with their families on campus, make a unique community, probably in their lifestyle, social relations, their involvement in cultural and other activities, and their interaction with other students. InsIghT spoke to some of them and realized that despite the challenges, most do a wonderful job of making the best of both worlds.

Campus Facilities

Married researchers are quite content with the facilities that IITB provides, except for the long delays and uncertainties in the allotment of family-quarters. Prafull Patidar from Chemical Engineering faced a peculiar situation when his accommodation was provided to him three months later than expected. Not able to find a flat to rent for just 2–3 months in Powai, Prafull’s son ended up skipping classes for three months at the campus’ KG school. “But, now my son greatly enjoys the campus life, and I am glad we live on the campus,” asserts Prafull. Married researchers feel quite blessed to raise a family on the campus, rich in the recreational activities it offers, in terms of infrastructure and student effort. His family enjoys the festive aura around events like Mood Indigo and loves to attend student shows like AIDS and Surbahar. The most comforting thing, according to him, for the campus residents is the safety with which children can move around the campus. The natural setting of the campus makes it an enriching environment for a family, and strolls along the lakeside are much cherished.

However, those living outside do not get the same benefits. “We miss out on many things that happen on the campus, especially the musical and dance shows that both of us would love to attend,” says Naveen Nair of CSE, who stays in a rented flat across the main gate with his spouse. Apart from the occasional financial hardship, he often finds himself in a tight spot when it comes to his work, as he has only limited access to the campus network after leaving the campus every evening.

On the Institute Scene

The involvement of married researchers in various student bodies and their interaction with UGs and Masters is usually minimal, though Vinay Amte, who is in the final year of his PhD, has a different story to tell. After holding positions such as Chemical Engineering Representative and Public Relations Manager with RSF, he is currently a part of the institute’s PhD placement team. He also had an opportunity to work with M. Tech. and undergraduate students on his research, an experience that he rates as wonderful. Through such interactions, students on their part gain from interacting with a senior in the field and get some much-appreciated academic advice. On the cultural scene, students have often enjoyed Amit Prabhakar’s spirited performances at Surbahar year after year.

Work-Life Balance

Contrary to the belief that staying with family may restrain one’s focus on research, all married researchers we spoke to felt that family is a source of inspiration and moral support for them. The hope that the sacrifices they make now would pay rich dividends in the future motivates them to put up with the constraints. “The youngsters here spend a lot of time having fun. But as you grow older, your priorities change,” quips Naveen, who quit a government job to join for PhD. For Prafull, staying with family helps lead a more disciplined life. Though the expectations from supervisors are high, they find the work culture at IITB congenial and the faculty, in general, friendly and understanding. In such an environment, these scholars are able to enjoy their campus and family life, with a plethora of opportunities open to them and their families.

Accommodation Woes Strike Quarters Too

The growing influx of PhD students during the past few years has caused a subsequent rise in the number of full-time married researchers. This, in turn, resulted in a severe shortage of on-campus accommodation for married students. A married scholar can apply for quarters only after obtaining his/her first-semester grade sheet, whereas in several other IITs, application for married accommodation is accepted immediately after joining. At present, there are 57 quarters available (Type 1 and ‘Tulsi’ combined) for married researchers with separate waitlists for Type 1 and ‘Tulsi’. Type 1 building (17 quarters in total) is where a student is allotted a quarter initially. After a few months, based on the waitlist, he/she is expected to get a quarter in ‘Tulsi’. Currently, there are about 67 families on the waitlist for ‘Tulsi’. In this scenario, assuming that one-third of the quarters would be vacated every year (quarters are allotted for a period of 3 years on average), by the time a student who is on waitlist number 60 gets a quarter in ‘Tulsi,’ he/she would be nearing completion of his/her PhD!