The Fifth Estate

Babe I'm Gonna Leave you

2009-10-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

We have moved to http://students.iitm.ac.in/thefifthestate.

S(WHINE) FLU

2009-09-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

Arguably one of the biggest hoaxes of the 21st century, the con starts from the name itself. ”Swine" flu has a very mild effect on pigs and they’re generally back to top grunting condition in 5-6 days. It should probably be renamed as swine-origin flu and thereby spare the innocent cob rollers all the ill publicity. The virus is actually a cocktail of human, bird and swine strains of the virus.

The IPL is over; cinema has sunk to an all time low in terms of standards, so swine flu seems to be the media’s newest muse. What is intriguing is that many diseases which might not have the same glam quotient as swine flu (Aishwariya Rai Bachchan was a suspected case !) are being grossly neglected. In 2008 alone, there were 15 lakh malaria patients in India - more than all the swine flu cases in the world. There were 8 lakh TB patients in 2008 and about 1000 TB related deaths in one day! 50 million people across the country have some kind of infectious disease.

Out of all the data the death stats are the MOST misleading , because 95% of the victims had other life threatening diseases and about the other 5% , well they were just plain unlucky ( like all the other healthy people who die of seasonal flu every year ). An example is the last victim of swine flu in Chennai, a 45 yr old man who had bronchial asthma as well as a history of sever tuberculosis. Moreover people with swine flu say that it is less severe and certainly briefer than a bad cold! This was confirmed by “swine flu” (since he was the first 1st patient of swine flu in the institute, he was named swine flu!) who looked as fit as ever on the basketball court.

The swine flu is really something C-TIDES should learn from. Everyone is cashing in on the flu revolution. Leading the brigade is the Media, especially the Red Tops, with scaremongering headlines aimed to terrify the public.

The BIG DADDY of them all is ROCHE, the producers of tamiflu, the only known treatment of swine flu. But the treatment is highly ineffective and they admit that it has various side effects including very severe skin disorders. Inappropriate and unnecessary use could lead to much more harm than good. As of now tamiflu is not available for retail sale. The govt buys 10 tablets for Rs 270 , but in the black market 10 tablets sell for as much as 10000 bucks !

Nevertheless, the best example of exploitation of human psyche is probably the the introduction of designer masks! Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana have launched their range of swine flu masks which is obviously insanely priced. These masks are aimed primarily at the af(flu)ent.

Closer to home, the Insti has taken ample precautions such as banning all cold items. Also, the round of Swine Flu tests that were conducted covered all the hostels. We advise our readers to follow a few simple precautions such as washing hands before eating, avoid crowded places warm saline gargle etc.

For more insti specific information we had interviewed the CMO(Chief Medical Officer). Her valuable time gave us the following conversation -

TFE: What are the steps taken by the institute hospital to curb the onslaught of swine flu?

CMO: The whole swine flu affair started in August. First of all the major step was to screen all hostels. Each and every

Student was examined thoroughly by a team of qualified doctors. The suspected cases were identified viz. students with flu like symptoms, and those who had cold and cough were given medicines on the spot. They were also informed about the precautions they should take. The cases which had high probability of being H1N1 +ve were admitted in the hospital right away and examined. Some of the cough and cold patients were advised Room Quarantine. Special permission was sought from CCW to provide these students with food in their rooms. These steps were taken keeping in mind the highly contagious nature of the disease

TFE: What is the official census of swine flu cases in the institute? What was the severity of the infection?

CMO: The number of swine flu cases in the institute as per 24th September is 12. They were treated in the Infectious Disease Hospital, Tondiarpet. All of them have fully recovered, and there were no complications with any of the patients.

TFE: A month ago we could feel the panic that swine flu created, but all that seems a distant past today. Is the real picture really as rosy as it seems?

CMO: The scenario is still the same, only the hype seems to be dying out. Swine flu is very much here and the contamination is still going on. Even in the institute if another check was to be conducted now, some +ve cases would definitely be identified.

TFE: The first image that swine flu brings to the mind is people roaming around wearing masks. Our readers would like to know more about them.

CMO: The swine patients in the institute hospital are provided with triple layer masks, PFR 95, or more commonly known as N95. They provide 95% protection against swine flu virus. But one thing to be kept in mind is that NO masks are washable. They have to be disposed off after a single use. If they are not properly disposed they could spread the virus instead of stopping it.

In the present of scenario there is no burning need of masks as most of us would have come in contact with the virus and hence have developed a first line of immunity. Therefore the protection that low end masks provide is superfluous. Moreover these masks are effective when the patients themselves wear the masks. I would personally advise the students to carry a mask with them, especially when they are going to crowded places, closed rooms, or using public transport. In class if a person near you has cough or cold you can just slip on a mask for extra protection.

Sources
1.The Times of India online archive 19th September 2009. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinion/edit-page/Comment-Get-Virus-Wise/articleshow/4915901.cms)

2. Dan Roberts 19th September 2009 (Award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster) (http://www.dan-roberts.net/?p=1023)

3. Roche official website 19th September 2009 (http://www.tamiflu.com/sideeffects.aspx)

4. Dr. Sabitha Selvam , Chief Medical Officer , Institute Hospital, interviewed on 24th September 2009

Faculty Strike Continues

2009-09-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

The stand-off between the AIITFF and the HRD Ministry continues and intensifies, with around 1500 professors in IITs all over the country taking to stage a hunger strike on Thursday. The strike began on Thursday morning and, in IIT-M, culminated with all the professors involved meeting outside CLT to break their fast. Said Professor Jain, Secretary of the Faculty Association, IIT-M, “Classes will go on. However, as a form of protest, we have fasted through the day. The fast will be broken at 5 pm.” The press was also present, with the NDTV and NineX press vans being in attendance, along with some journalists from other media houses.

However, not all the faculty is united in their stand against the HRD Ministry. Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, an electrical engineering professor at IIT-M and a Padma Shri awardee, has opposed the hunger strike in an open letter to federation president M Thenmozhi, which said, "I am certainly not proud of this. This is not what IITs should be known for. Today IIT faculty members are reduced to the level of others, who with their unions, will go on fast and strike. It brings down the stature of IITs and IIT faculty, something that I at least would not be proud of.''

As a response to the strike, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal expressed surprise at the sudden announcement of the IIT faculty to go on hunger strike on Thursday as the directors of the institutes had already expressed satisfaction at the revised terms and conditions of service in a recent meeting. He said, “They are not trade unionists. They are teachers, and we respect them. I am deeply pained by this agitation as nothing unfair has been done to them.”

With many varying viewpoints all around, it remains to be seen how this issue will resolve itself.

Sources:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Rift-within-Professor-opposes-IIT-stir/articleshow/5052415.cms

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/26725/sibal-decries-iit-faculty-hunger.html

Sportsfest Results - Wrap Up!

2009-09-25T02:22:00.000-07:00

For more information, check out the SOC website

Sportsfest Results - 21st September

2009-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

For more information, check out the SOC website

Sportsfest Results - 20th September

2009-09-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

For more information, check out the SOC website

So Long As You Get Out Quickly...

2009-09-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Gents Toilet, First Floor, Department of Ocean Engineering

Courtesy: Aniket Anand

Interview with Mrs. Thenmozhi and Mr. Jain: The Faculty Strike

2009-09-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

“We have been hurt emotionally, not financially.”

The current Professor’s strike may not seem to directly affect any of us apart from the occasional day off, but after an interview with Prof. Thenmozhi, the President of the AIITFF, and Mr. Mahaveer KumarJain , Secretary of the Faculty Association, IIT-M, there was a more lucid understanding of this serious issue and the implications it would have on us as students of IITs.

TFE: What are the demands of the AIITFF?
Prof. Thenmozhi and Mr. Jain (T and J): It started with the Mehta Committee Report, produced in February of this year. The report recommended that the pay for the UGC faculty be the same as that of IIT faculty. This came as a shock, considering we have more qualifications, greater depth of research and more expectations to fulfill than the average UGC employee. The 6th Pay Commission came as a further disappointment, as the pay scale for the IIT faculty was lowered further as compared to the pay scales for the UGC faculty; lower than even what was suggested by the Mehta Committee Report. The new pay scales notified by the UGC for assistant professors in universities boost their salaries into a higher pay range after three years of teaching, but the notified new regime for IITs and IIMs does not thrust assistant professor salaries to a higher pay range. Thus, a university assistant professor could be earning more than an IIT or IIM assistant professor after teaching for three years.
We have made three defined demands: First was to demand for parity between the salaries of the UGC faculty and that of IIT faculty; assistant professors at the IITs should also be shifted to the higher pay band after three years. Second was a request for a special allowance that would distinguish an IIT professor from any other professor, called ‘Scholastic Allowance’. Third was to increase the entry-level salary as this would attract talent and retain the established faculty in order to make up for the high opportunity cost of qualifying as an IIT professor.
In the UGC system, even a BE can become an associate professor. However, for a lecturer position in IIT, one needs to have at least a PhD. In addition to this, the note along with the Pay Commission report states that in order for an associate professor to become a professor, 3 years of experience as associate professor are required. Thus, even a top level scientist from NASA who wants to teach in IIT would have to start at the level of associate professor! This is completely ridiculous and we are protesting against it.

TFE: What was your immediate reaction to the 6th Pay Commission Report?
T and J: Our initial response was in the form of a mild protest: we wore black badges and took classes. Sadly, this proved ineffective.

TFE: What prompted the mass casual leave on the 18th of August? Did it have any results?
T and J: On the 16th of August, the authorities rejected our demands. As a reaction to this, we declared a mass casual leave on the 18th, two days later. And yes, it proved very effective in the sense that it drew the attention of the press, which was enough to get the Government listening to us!

TFE: Govardhen Mehta, author of the Mehta Report, made a comment that going on strike was not the way professors should express their anger. How would you react to this statement?
T and J: Well, we don’t want to strike but the system leaves us no other choice. Sibal and his committee are not at all forthcoming. We have tried cooperating as much with the authorities, going as far as to even accept the ‘lecturer on contract’ condition. Ironically though, Mehta was the one who mandated that the IIT faculty shouldn’t get more than that of the UGCs.
It should be made clear that the motivation for this is not purely monetary; it is our pride and dignity that have been hurt. We are also trying to prevent a brand dilution of the IIT name. As it is, with the greater intake of students due to reservation, research and better caliber of teaching expected from IIT professors, we have a lot on our plates. With the lower pay scales and the unnecessary red tape brought in by the government, there is no incentive for bright and deserving people to join IITs as faculty, and they can be easily lured away by the corporates, foreign universities and even UGC colleges. This would be detrimental to the IIT name in the long run. Passion for teaching alone will not continue to attract the best talent unless other incentives are provided.

TFE: What was the government’s reaction? Kapil Sibal had promised to address these grievances positively. Has he done so?
T and J: Not quite. Sibal has only conditioned the 6th Pay Commission Report further. He has reaffirmed that the IIT professors shall earn around Rs. 30, 000 while professors of other institutes will be making around RS. 70, 000. Also, the Flexible Cadre System that allows professors to move up the ladder has been altered so that now, professors can make up only 40% of the teaching staff, This would lead to a situation where a promotion from associate professor to professor can only be made if there are vacancies; this again serves as another disincentive for professors to retain their post or for interested persons to join the IIT system. To add to this, fresh PhD.s’ are given contractual postions, bringing in the question of job security.

TFE: What of the situation now? Will the student population be affected?
T and J: For now, everything has come to a halt due to Sibal’s refusal to cooperate with us. There was a General Board Meeting held here and in Guwahati and Kharagpur on the 18th of this month. Most of the IITs have reached a consensus where in all of us have rejected the 6th Sept. Report, the contents of which have been described to the previous question. So, fortunately, as of now, all the IITs are putting up a united front.
We definitely do not want the student population or academics to be affected. In many IITs, the professors took mass casual leave but still continued to take classes. However, if our demands are not met, we will be compelled to take more drastic measures.

Contraptions

2009-09-21T04:08:00.000-07:00

TechSoc 2009-10 has started with Contraptions being held on the 20th of September. A total of 8 hostels (Jam, Mandak, Narmad, Ganga, Tapti, Alak, Sharav and Godav) took part in the event with the winners getting a shot at Contraptions at Shaastra 2009. Most teams found the dominoes part the easiest to work with, while recurring contraptions was challenging and required a significant amount of innovative thinking and effort to make it work.

Teams started assembling their contraption models at the SAC as early as 6 am and each team had a delight to present. Jam, used the vibration from a cellular phone successfully while Mandak, with all their electronic circuits and sensors managed getting almost all possible forms of energy transfer and even generated electrical energy at one point. Godav incorporated electromagnets, while Sharav went about using matchboxes as dominoes with a design that facilitated about 35 energy transfers. Narmad, with an entirely robotic and automated recurring contraption won the competition with a tally of 2400 points with Alak and Godav completing the list.

A Letter to Kapil Sibal from the IITKFF

2009-09-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writers and not of The Fourth Estate or The Fifth Estate. The statements made by the writers have not been verified in any manner by TFE or T5E .

T5E would like thank Dr. Brijesh Eshpuniyani, IITK for helping us obtain a copy of the above letter.

Sportsfest 2009 Fixtures

2009-09-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Football

Basketball

Hockey

Volleyball

Badminton (Men)

Badminton (Women)

Table Tennis (Men)

Table Tennis (Women)

If God Exists Then Why Bother with Atheists

2009-09-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by ramblingperfectionist on September 15, 2009 on his blog

A friend of mine asked for my opinion on this article, and since I ended up writing so much, I felt I ought to share. Essentially, it is a Christian response to the “How can there be a God if there is so much evil in the world!?” question. My own opinion is that the question is rather irrelevant to whether there is a God or not-if there isn’t, it doesn’t matter, and if there is, I can find explanations that are not constrained by the specific attributes of the christian God.

Read the full post

Informals Quadi Fixtures, Aug-Nov '09

2009-09-14T03:07:00.000-07:00

Schroeter Fixtures, Aug-Nov '09

2009-09-14T03:06:00.001-07:00

LitSoc Calendar, Aug-Nov '09

2009-09-14T03:03:00.000-07:00

Changes made to the schedule at a later date:
Monoacting postponed indefinitely
Queen of Sheeba shifted to Tuesday, 22nd September

The Forbidden Fruit?

2009-09-14T03:02:00.000-07:00

Teach For India Fellowship- Are You Ready For A Challenge?

2009-09-10T00:48:00.000-07:00

Teach For India seeks the most outstanding students for 2010 Fellowship

Are you interested in leadership at the highest levels? Do you have a track record of academic achievement? Do you care about making a better India for all citizens?

Teach For India, the nationwide movement to end educational inequity, is seeking the world’s most outstanding final-year students for its selective 2010 Fellowship.

Teach For India believes that all children deserve access to a quality education. But in India today, where only 10% of students graduate from 10th standard and where low-income students have no teacher in their classroom 40% of the time, we are far from educational equity.

The Teach For India Fellowship creates a movement of leaders in all sectors who understand the problems behind educational inequity and who can fight for change. The two-year, full-time leadership Fellowship selects the best college graduates and young professionals worldwide to teach full-time in Indian low-income schools. Fellows are trained in teaching and leadership skills and network with leaders in government, business and entertainment.

Teach For India Fellows emerge with the leadership and soft skills – such as communication, problem-solving, and organization – to succeed in any sector. Teach For India’s career center helps Fellows connect with our corporate and post-graduate partners, including ISB, SP Jain, McKinsey, Thermax and more.
Teach For India is based on the highly influential and selective Teach For America movement, which is now 20 years old and boasts 17,000 alumni in powerful positions all over the United States and throughout the world.

In June 2009, Teach For India placed its first class of 87 Fellows in English-medium, primary schools in Mumbai and Pune. Fellows come from leading colleges such as IIT, St. Xavier’s, St. Stephen’s and Symbiosis and top corporates such as ICICI Bank, Godrej Industries, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Power and others. By its fifth year, Teach For India aims to place hundreds of Fellows in the country’s top metropolitan cities and their surrounding rural areas.

Interested in applying? Visit the website to apply, or e-mail aas at iitm dot ac dot in or aadyasingh at gmail dot com for more information.

Grammatically Challenged

2009-09-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

It was?! Where did it go?

(Outside Saras Common Room)

Looks like the Ice-cream and Juice counters aren't the only things 'effected' by Swine Flu.

(At Basera)

Photos Courtesy Ameya Karve

Picnicks - A New Beginning.

2009-09-04T02:08:00.000-07:00

PicNicks For Dummies.

5000 students.
5046 phones. (Guys in long distance relationships, and Secretaries have no choice, but to have more than one phone.)
500 acres of free land.
100 amorous monkeys.
50 deer.
[0,20] chicks.
1 kajillion awesome photos.

You've got a phone, you've seen weird things on campus. And you've photographed a lot of them. Whether it's a snake eating a lizard, or a core being naughty, we want your photo.

Send it to us, at tfe[dot]iitm[at]gmail[dot]com, and we'll post it. Be sure to add the URL to your blog too, and we'll publicize it!

That's right, We nick your pics.

*

PicNicks For IITians.

(This section is redundant, but is in the language of said group.)

It's slisha not required da macha, but it's ok ra. Put pic, it'll be stud max. We have full enthu ra, don't pain us da.

Put photo to tfe[dot]iitm[at]gmail[dot]com, and get hazzar publicity. Seriya?

*

PicNick #1

Seen outside Taramani Gate. Evolution seems to have skipped a few steps.

Become an Insti ‘Gawd’

2009-09-02T02:07:00.000-07:00

- Nikhil ‘Sutta’ Joseph

[Below is an article that appeared in the first-ever issue of MAgazette, sometime between the Paleolithic Age and 2007. The level of authenticity and effectiveness of these tips have been the subject of much dispute amongst the Eds who, however, collectively agree that the piece should be re-named "Make friends with the HSS department". But in keeping with our current trend of freshie-centric articles and given that the people of the said department will tell you that 'gawd'ness is a matter of perspective, readers are encouraged to soak it in in that spirit.]

1. Embrace Atheism.
A must-do for any aspiring campus (pseudo) intellectual. Quote Nietzsche generously, even if completely irrelevant to the ongoing conversation.

2. Cultivate (pseudo-) Communist/Socialist tendencies.
Yes, I know. All you ever wanted from life was to be able to work for that huge multinational hedge fund and earn pots of money. But meanwhile, whilst still in college, you want everyone to think you’re the next ‘Che’.
Wear a bandana (preferably red). Grow some facial hair. Be seen carrying the Hindu (reading not compulsory). Keep harping about how Saarang is such a ‘sell-out’, and why the only reason you seem to enjoy yourself so much when it actually does come around is because of your laudable sense of campus spirit.

3. Inculcate the use of the term ‘sly’.
Sly. Although the etymology and actual definition of this remarkably flexible term remain shrouded in obscurity, fret not over such trivialities. No self-respecting, well-known campus-ite [?!] can afford to go without generous dosages of this particular term in his/her day-to-day conversation. E.g.
IITian A: Hey dude, how’d your quiz go today?
IITian B: Sly bad.
A: Eh, which means it wasn’t that great but you did all right. Right?
B: Sly no da. Not at all. I did pretty well, sly.
A: But then why’d you say ‘sly bad’?
B: Gen.
A: O.Kaay. whatever. Catchya later.
B: Sly, sure thing. Slyyyyyyy…
As you might have guessed, IITian A is obviously an ignorant nobody, and an unabashedly shameless Smart Alec.
B though? Definitely stud.

4. Fashion yourself as a big LitSoc fiend.
Let’s face it. You suck at sports. Your CG is nothing worth speaking off, and you know very well you’re not going to pull off any wonders at Shaastra. How then do you accumulate a reasonable amount of ‘Gawd-levelness’? The answer: LitSoc.

Frequent any and all LitSoc events. Pretend you’re this big culture vulture. Refer to well-known Indian theatre luminaries like Girish Karnad and Roysten Abel as your ‘homies’.

5. Have affiliations with different philosophical schools every semester.
Now there’s nothing like some good ol’ philosophical jingoism to prove your solid intellectual credentials. Just remember, change schools often, and the obscurer the better.
Schools you could try; Taoism, Post Structuralism, Paganism, and the philosophy of Kierkegaard. (Remember: obscurity is key, lest anyone actually competent show up.)

6. Craft nifty, yet only just unique enough (and not plain weird) idiosyncrasies.
People love other people who are (only) slightly eccentric. Fashion yourself such an image. Examples;
• Pretend you’re this big Linux and Open Source fiend. Spew forth things like:
‘Death to Bill Gates!’
• After 6 pm act like a lovable village drunk.
• Refer to Minar* as ‘Valhalla’. [*Eds' note to the uninitiated: Minar was the Basera of a couple of years ago.]

7. Lead people to believe you actually give a damn about your hostel winning the Schroeter.
Belt out, say, “Who will win the Schroeter? Tambi, Tambi**”, at inappropriate times. Such as; during a boring EML, whilst having breakfast at Himalaya, when an innocent motorist asks directions to Ganga. [**Eds' note: Ha!]

8. Oblige anyone who’ll listen with your ‘fundaes’.
It doesn’t matter whether it concerns remarkably mundane things like which grass is better to lie down on - Himalaya lawns, Library lawns or the grassy patch near SAC.

9. Be seen often at Taramani gate.
Ok, let’s just assume that due to some unforeseeable cosmic convulsions you don’t end up being the insti ‘gawd’ you set out to be, despite religiously following the nine guidelines stated above. Here’s what to do. I once heard a story about this Jam guy who apparently set an insti record by not bathing for 55 days. Cut back on your own personal hygiene and beat this Jam guy! Even if not a ‘gawd’, you can definitely be assured a place for posterity as a campus folktale

Freshmen FAQ

2009-08-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

ABOUT IIT-M

1. Is there ragging at IITM?
No, Ragging is officially banned on campus. Along with that the IIT-Madras student community is averse to any indecent acts committed under the banner of ‘interaction’. Strong administrative policies have been put in place to make sure your transition into IIT-Madras is as smooth as possible. However, in an unlikely scenario, if you are subjected to any kind of harassment, kindly report that to the GCU Team at the earliest and without any fear.

2. What are the chances of getting a branch change?
The process of branch change is a mechanism to change your stream of engineering in-case you are not fully satisfied with your current line of study. Applications for branch change will be called in before your first semester ends. You can change to either a more, or less, preferred branch, as per JEE distribution. Only 10% of each branch are allowed to change their branch. The sole criteria is your CGPA in your first semester. Only a very small portion of applicants are finally allowed to change their stream of engineering.

3. Is there a common kitchen in a hostel? Are we allowed to bring heaters/electric cookers?
No, there is no common kitchen. All food requirements are fulfilled by the mess facilities. There are a few eateries also in the campus. Use of heaters/electric cookers etc. in rooms is strictly not allowed.

4. Do I need to wash my laundry or is there any kind of service available?
There will be a service provider who follows a fixed collection and delivery schedule for all the hostels. Students need to be present at their hostels at a specific time (according to schedule) to avail laundry service. Moreover, there will be washing machines available in every hostel. And if you’re lucky, they might actually work.

5. I have heard that Chennai is very hot. Do I need to get some woollens?
Yes. No.

6. Is there any dress code at IITM?
No. There is no dress code for classes, labs and hostel in general. There are uniforms for workshop and NCC, some dressing rules for NSO and lab coats are required for Chemistry labs.

10. How are the sports facilities at IITM? What is Schroeter (& freshie schroeter)and Dean's trophy?
You can refer the institute website and the sports website for info.

11. Are the selections for NSO/NCC/NSS rigid, in the sense, is there some fixed number of students they take? I was a part of my school team in XYZ(sport/extra-curricular activity). Will I get a chance to represent IITM in the same field(or in INTER-IIT etc)?
The procedure for selections into NSO/NSS/NCC is fixed. Students will have to participate once applications are called for and will be selected as per criteria required.

12. I've heard freshmen at IITM are given nicknames. How does this happen? Do i get to choose my nickname?
Nicknames are a part of popular student culture here at IIT Madras. However it is not necessary that every fresher be christened with a new nickname. Such names are given by seniors out of “affection” hence should be taken light heartedly.

GENERAL

1. How/Where/When will I receive my student ID card?
In the first few days you will be asked to fill in a form for the issue of your ID card.

2. Should I buy a computer or a laptop?
It is not that necessary to buy one in your first year. You will not be given access to internet in your rooms in your first year. The library, respective departments and hostels are equipped with computer centres which might cater to your needs. Further, we highly recommend both to parents and students, to delay the purchase computer till the end of first year. There will be computer based assignments during the course of 1st year study however adequate computing infrastructure is available throughout campus.

3. I am coming with my parents. How and where in the campus can I book accommodation for them?
The Taramani Guest House provides accommodation to visitors, and guests. If accommodation is not available there, you can book in hotels near the campus in localities like Adyar or Thiruvanmayur.

4. From where can I get a bicycle? We are not allowed to use motorised vehicles in the campus but can we get one and use for travel in the city?
Bicycle can be bought at shops in Adyar or Velachery, which are just outside campus. There is also a cycle sale in campus at discounted prices. Use of powered vehicles by students is banned on campus. Institute jurisdiction is restricted to within the campus.

5. What are the constraints on time spent outside hostel? Can we go to our LG's (local guardian) place as and when we like? Where do we need to inform/report the same?
Yes, you can go out on weekends, you will need to inform the hostel authorities (office)/fill in the log book whenever you need to go out. This is a requirement during the first few months of your joining IIT-M.

ACADEMICS

1. I will be competing with some of the best in the country. Will there be a need to study 24*7 ?
Academics will form an important part of your student life however it will be one of the many things you would be required to indulge in. Several Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities happen on campus and we strongly encourage you to participate in them. IIT-M gives you ample opportunity to graduate as a well-rounded individual.

2. I have heard we will have tests in English, PCM in our first week at IITM. How should we prepare for such tests? Will they count in our GPA ?
You will have only an English exam in your first days here. This is only to identify those not so good in English and to provide them an opportunity to improve. Exam will be based on basic English grammar. They won’t count in your GPA. Regarding calculation of GPA and details refer institute guide book.

3. How is Grade Point Average(GPA) calculated? How is it different from CGPA?
GPA (Grade Point Average) is a weighted average of your grades in all your courses taken that semester. CGPA is the cumulative average of your GPA’s in every semester.

4. What will my timetable be in my first semester?
Your timetable in your first semester, as in all your subsequent semesters, is put together based on a slot system. It is dissimilar from a regular school timetable

A Poll! Oh!

2009-07-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

Me: Hey! I had an idea!

Alfred: The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas.

Me: You don’t even know what it is! Atleast hear me out!

Benard: Every man has a right to his opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.

Francis: Lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance.

Hippocrates: There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.

Me: Yeah, whatever! Can I speak now?

Jawaharlal: A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

Me: Erm, is that a yes? Does someone else still have something to say or is it my turn?

Abraham: Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.

Me: Goddamnit! I’m outnumbered!

Abe: This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.

Henry: Leaders are responsible not for running public opinion polls but for the consequences of their actions.

Mohandas: For me every ruler is alien that defies public opinion.

Me: Which is exactly why I need you to let me say something!

Voltaire: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Me: BUT I HAVEN’T SAID ANYTHING!

Thomas: The good opinion of mankind, like the lever of Archimedes, with the given fulcrum, moves the world.

Me: Screw it!

And that’s when I decided that I wouldn’t rest until I found a way to say what I wanted to so that everyone could hear it. (And also, if needed, no one should find out who it was who said it)

Here lie the answers. The options atleast. A special thanks to Normal, Insti AAS for being very helpful and cooperative all along.

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दी फोर्थ एस्टेट हिन्दी - स्वागत स्तम्भ

2009-06-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

ये बहुत ख़ुशी की बात है कि "आई आई टी मद्रास" की पत्रिका "दी फोर्थ एस्टेट" अब ब्लॉग के जरिये अपने पाठकों से संपर्क बना सकेगी। अब तक कई विषय जो पत्रिका के मुद्रित होने के पहले टिपण्णी का इन्तेजार करते हुए दम तोड़ देते थे, अब इस ब्लॉग में जगह पा सकेंगे। नया सम्पादकीय दल आगे के संस्करणों को और अधिक रोचक बनाने से प्रयास में लगा हुआ है। उम्मीद है कि इस बार भी हम पहले से बेहतर होते "दी फोर्थ एस्टेट" के हिंदी खण्ड को नई दिशा में सफल रहेंगे।
"दी फोर्थ एस्टेट" अपने अगले संस्करण के लिए रचनायें आमंत्रित करता है। रचनायों के प्रकाशन हेतु प्रस्तुतिकरण पर कोई बंधन नहीं है।

कोई भी बात हो, गुस्से के साथ हो,
झूझते जज्बात हों या प्यार की तकरार हो
कहानी या लेख हो या डेली सोप हो,
जीने की तलब हो या मौत ही बैखोफ हो
प्रोजेक्ट की बात हो या हॉस्टल की रात हो
राजनीति का खेल हो या कोर कोई बेमेल हो
शास्त्रा के शस्त्र हो या सारंग के रंग हों
हो शुरू ले के कलम छोड़ के सारे भरम
फोर्थ इस्टेट के नाम कर लेख अपने ताजे गरम

आप अपनी रचना झटपट tfe.hindi.iitm@gmail.com पर भेज दीजिये. यदि आपको लगता है "दी फोर्थ एस्टेट" में कुछ कमी है तो अपने सुझाव तुंरत मेल कर डालिए अभी सम्पादकीय दल में विस्तार की संभावनाएं हैं, आपके सुझाव आपको "दी फोर्थ एस्टेट" के हिस्सा बनाने की पहली कड़ी हैं।

आपके इन्तेजार में
आदित्य | अंकित | सत्येन्द्र

All Good Things Must Come to a Start

2009-06-06T00:26:00.000-07:00

The Fourth Estate is defined in a dictionary as 'The press, including journalists, newspaper writers, photographers'. As IIT Madras' official magazine, we are all this and more.

'Yonder sits the Fourth Estate, and they are more important than them all.'"

Thus spake Edmund Burke after all the guillotining and the bathing in blood that made up the better part of La Révolution française. Linguists opine that this was the moment when the phrase was coined.

We had it way easier than the French. Moreover, The Fourth Estate that we represent comprises a bunch of mild-mannered doe-like sweet-souled beings who wouldn't dream of hurting a fly, unless of course the fly started it. Similar treatment would be meted out if the fly in question decided to interfere with our tireless striving towards bringing you the best of Insti's literary talents.

The Fifth Estate, the online segment of The Fourth Estate, brings to you the latest on-campus buzz and a forum to voice your opinions on everything from Shaastra to Sharavathi.

Do join the Facebook group and also become a fan of TFE.

You can send in articles, poems, short stories, cartoons, photographs, money, etc. to the editors themselves, to tfe dot iitm at gmail dot com or through the Facebook group. We shall also be giving cool, themed tees to our regular contributors so now there's a reason to put pen to paper!

If you are interested in joining the team then do keep a lookout for our IPs.

Grab a copy of the April 2009 issue from your nearest ex-Lit Sec and keep a look out for the next issue, which is coming out soon