Mid-Tenure Review: General Secretary Hostel Affairs

Link to the Mid-Term report : GSHA Mid-Term Work Report ’24-25′

Link to the GS-Meter : Click Here

General Body Meeting : General Secretary of Hostel Affairs 

The General Secretary of Hostel Affairs (GSHA), Vikash Swami, held a General Body Meeting (GBM) on 6th October to provide an update on various initiatives, challenges, and ongoing projects concerning hostel life and student welfare. The General Secretary of Sports Affairs (GSSA), Siddhartha Farkiya, moderated the meeting and welcomed the attendees to the midterm session.

The GSHA presented the midterm report. The following are key areas of discussion based on concerns raised by Insight and the student populace.

1. Eateries and Mess Facilities

Insight raised concerns that shop vendors and canteens were not following the recently instituted ban on single-use plastic. The GSHA responded that he was aware of it and that they are figuring out ways to minimise costs for canteen owners. He further elaborated that the retendering for hostel shops is planned, and their single-use plastic usage will be dealt with accordingly.

Insight also raised a query regarding whether the H12 mess caterer has been continuing in spite of his tender expiration. The GSHA said that they have initiated the new tendering process, new changes have been introduced to the tendering process, and hence the caterer is on a 6-month extension period. 

2. Transportation and E-Shuttles

Insight raised many concerns with regard to the transportation model in the institute. There were discussions regarding overcrowding and the frequency of shuttles. The need for a scheduling mechanism and dedicated stops, given the limited capacity, was also expressed. The GSHA responded that the reason for the crunch was the lack of a permanent parking space and assured everyone that at least ten more shuttles were planned. He also said that scheduling and routes will be looked into once the institute receives more shuttles.

Notably, dedicated stops for shuttles were also instituted by the Sustainability Cell after the GBM.

Insight asked the GSHA for the reason for the disappearance of MyByk, and inquired about HA Council’s strategy to avoid the same happening with the new bikes. For this, the GSHA affirmed that the disappearance of the former was mainly due to consistent financial losses but the same will not be the case with e-bikes as a bundled offer will be given to one tender only.

4. IT Infrastructure and Digitalisation

The GSHA, in response to an Insight question, claimed that Devcom is part of the HA, a fact not supported by the SAC Meeting Minutes 2019. Insight had published an article elucidating these amendments.

6. Public Health and Hygiene

Insight raised the need to develop a long-term solution to persistent hygiene problems in the institute eateries instead of occasional fines. They also talked about the prevalence of rats and roaches, despite multiple pest controls, in hostels like H9.

9. Hospital

Members of the audience raised concerns about the qualifications of IIT Bombay doctors and the prevalence of misdiagnosis, citing personal experiences. There were grievances with medical procedures followed by the hospital staff. The GSHA acknowledged problems with the hospital and remarked that a hospital committee, which included the deputy director, was recently formed to address these challenges.

11. Estate-related

New Cycle Shop: The cycle shop near H3 is set for renovation after the termination of the old tender. A new tender has been floated, and the shop will soon be refurbished, offering better services and more reliable maintenance for student bicycles. Some audience members expressed concerns over exorbitant cycle repair costs, particularly affecting freshmen.

Hair Salon: The construction of a new hair salon has been completed. The vendor is expected to be finalised soon, and the salon is expected to be operational by the end of this month.

A member of the audience raised the concern regarding second-year male PhD and master’s students receiving single rooms, while female students must share. The GSHA acknowledged the constraint of availability of rooms for girls but assured that plans are in place to increase room availability for female students by expanding into Hostels 19, 20, and 21.

A resident of Hostel 11 reported problems with LAN, ITB wireless and Jio connectivity. The GSHA responded, stating that IITB wireless is being installed in H11 and that the network issues are being addressed, with efforts underway to compile and resolve such concerns.

10. Sustainability and Waste Management

Segregation of waste:

In response to a question raised by Insight on ongoing waste segregation practices, the GSHA confirmed that almost all hostels, except Hostels 12 and 13, have been provided with bins for waste segregation. Some hostels are facing delays due to the need for dustbin holders, which are expected soon.

When Insight further inquired about how the collected waste is being handled, the GSHA stated that waste is collected separately. The GSHA acknowledged that there are instances of waste being occasionally mixed, which are reported directly to the Public Health Office (PHO) for further action. When asked by Insight about the management of recyclable waste, the GSHA stated that it is handled by vendors designated by the PHO.

11. Safety and Security

Insight and the audience raised concerns about the manner in which construction activity is proceeding in the Institute. The former brought to attention the lack of both safety gear and practices among the workers, and the latter called out the possibility of harm to residents on the main gate road, given the haphazard construction. The GSHA responded by saying that they have received no complaints until now, but will definitely be acted upon as and when they are raised. He urged everyone to actively bring this to the council’s notice.

Insight also raised the problem of overspeeding (and the lack of obeisance to traffic rules), especially by canteen drivers and foreign vehicles. This was followed by a discussion on the upcoming digital licence plate system to limit the time foreign vehicles spend on campus. The GSHA assured the audience that they would strictly convey to the canteen managers to follow traffic rules within the institute.

An audience member lamented the efficacy of IIT Bombay guards, citing a stark difference with IIT Kanpur, where there are many checkpoints. 

Miscellaneous

Several students raised pressing concerns, including the overuse of plastic in hostel eateries, traffic issues due to construction on Gymkhana Road, and hostel-specific challenges such as a lack of security and hygiene. The GSHA assured the students that these issues are being taken seriously and steps are being taken to address them, including discussions with authorities and vendors.

Closing Remarks

GSHA concluded by emphasising the council’s commitment to addressing the concerns of students across the hostels and taking necessary actions to ensure improvements in facilities and services. He urged students to actively report issues and help the council make further progress.