The new semester made for a splendid start at IIT Tirupati. The best advantage of being in new institutes is that every thing is new. Most facilities seen in older IITs have been arranged for the newer IITs as well. At IIT Tirupati, the Science lab, set up recently, is well equipped with advanced instruments.

Oven, fridge, ice maker. Not your usual kitchen equipment, but lab equipment used for experiments. A first aid kit, in case of an accident. Eye wash liquid to clean our eyes in case any chemical enters them. Even a shower in case of any bodily contact. In short, it’s a mini laboratory, as compared to the labs in other IITs, which has all the required equipment. This semester, the workshops are being conducted on campus only. The Wi-Fi facility at the hostels, eagerly awaited by all students, will be set up in a couple of weeks. A gym has been set up in the boys’ hostel. The playgrounds, delayed due to the recent floods, are on the verge of completion.

In the new lab, the first preference is not given to experimentation or analysis, but to safety and security. Without taking safeguards for our wellbeing, nobody is permitted into the lab. Everyone must enter the lab wearing goggles, lab coats, shoes, and when required, gloves and masks. The lab assistants take decent care of students. They insist on keeping the lab clean and hygienic.

An exciting class, named Life Skills, has been introduced this semester, as a weekly two-hour session. We even have movie time once a week, and we discuss the movie in class afterwards. Others might say that only professors who have retired from older IITs come to teach here, but we say that we have the benefit of learning from very experienced teachers. What else does a new institute need?

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