Fund crunch hits basic facilities, events at IIT-H

 Hyderabad: The premier Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, (IIT-H) is grappling with a severe funds crunch, as students allege that basic facilities like safe bathrooms and RO systems for drinking water were denied since the past academic year. Students alleged that there were no funds for commemorative events like freshers’ induction, farewell to outgoing students and convocations.

They said that of the 1,000 students who graduated from the institution this year, only 10 were selected to receive their degrees from the chief guest, on the stage, on July 15.

“Not all of us could celebrate this achievement well. Apart from a few students, the remaining ones were seated in their classrooms during the convocation. Even Somanath, secretary, department of space and chairman of Isro, in his convocation address that day said he wished to see the smiling faces of graduating students but couldn't. It was only after the graduation was over, when students and parents protested, did the director give us all our degrees on stage,” said a former student who graduated last month.

An IIT-H student, not willing to be named, said: “At one point, when the money wasn't released even after our head of department asked for it, dejected, gave us his credit card and car keys to ensure our seniors could have a decent farewell.”

Students said they were also advised against participating in the inter-IIT cultural fest hosted by IIT Madras in January. “While our contemporaries from Bombay, Delhi and others reached Chennai in flights and first-class A/C trains, paid by their institutions, we, after protesting for months, reached there in buses, with only 20 per cent of our travel charges covered by the college and the rest from our own pockets,” the student cited above said.

Also, students said that until a year ago, buses to the outer gate of the college were free, but that they were being charged for the same this year.

“They hiked our fee this year by Rs 3,000 and said it was for the bus charges. The remaining Rs 500 remained undisclosed until we protested and asked for it; they said it would go towards the student welfare fund,” another student told Deccan Chronicle.

Responding to the allegations, IIT-H director Prof. B.S. Murty told Deccan Chronicle said that the fee was increased as bus drivers were seeking salary hikes and also because they had to increase the frequency of buses.

Students  pointed out that with a strength of 4,200, the welfare fund would come up to Rs 21 lakh, as Rs 500 each was charged. They said that despite amassing this amount, students were requested to donate to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for two suicides on the campus.

“They had the funds to build a new water fountain at the campus entrance, but had to float mails for such important cases. Is decor more serious than lives?” a third student asked.

The institute data submitted this year — as part of the National Institutional Ranking Framework report to the Union education ministry, titled ‘Financial Resources: Utilised Amount for the Capital Expenditure for the previous 3 years’ — revealed that salaries (teaching and non-teaching staff) shot up from Rs 79.21 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 174.58 crore for 2021-22, which is more than 100 per cent in a single year.

According to director Murthy, in the past four years, the strength of teaching faculty and other staff went up with an average of 150 recruitments each since 2019. Students said that the increase did not explain the spending hike.

According to the report, made available through an RTI on the IIT-H website, the capital expenditure of the library charges came down from Rs 36.05 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 35.5 crore in 2021-22. The IIT campus does not have a dedicated library, with one under construction.

“I will have to check what the 'library charges' mean,” said the director.

While new lab equipment charges too came down from Rs 38.2 crore to Rs 36 crore, Prof. Murthy attributed it to a decrease in adequate resources from the government.

An IIT-H official, requesting anonymity, said they are mulling to borrow money.

“We have been recommended to take a higher education financing agency (HEFA) loan. We have already taken up to Rs 800 crore now, and are mulling to take another Rs 50 crore,” the IIT-H official said.

While students complained that housekeeping and security staff have decreased drastically, the director rubbished the same and said that they have never fired any staffer in the past year and are, in fact, outsourcing security staff for the campus.

“We have 20 more buildings coming up for various departments, and eight of them are hostels. Why would we fire when we need more?” the director said.

Students also said that those graduating were requested to donate their Rs 10,000 security deposit as a goodwill gesture.