IIT Bombay, First Batch, First Year, 1958, Recalled

IIT Bombay was established in 1958. Spread over an area of about 500 acres of land in Powai, away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Bombay, a picturesque area surrounded by Powai and Vihar lakes, it reminded one about the ‘Gurukuls’ of Ancient Bharat.

Our Institute was second in the chain of higher learning to be established in the country in the field of engineering and technology to meet the growing demands of engineers and technocrates to back up the industrial growth of India. For making India self reliant and have a sound economy, many heavy engineering industries, steel plants, foundries, electric machinery, chemicals etc., along with many more medium size industrial units were being set up in the country.

We were 100 students selected on merit for the first batch of IIT Bombay, from prestigious universities all over India.

In 1958 when the Institute was established, the buildings of the main campus were yet to be constructed in Powai. To start the Institute, arrangements were made with The Silk and Art Silk Mills’ Research Association (SASMIRA) to allow our classes to be held in their newly constructed building in Worli area. The right hand side portion of the four floor building was given to IIT Bombay.The Silk and Art Silk Mills’ Research Association is now known as The Synthetic and Art Mills’ Research Association. The building had proper class rooms, laboratories and workshops for our purposes. This building was close to our hostel in Worli Naka.

The Institute had rented one entire floor of a huge residential building, Shiva-e-Namah at Worli Naka in Bombay to provide accommodation to the students who had joined the Institute from other States outside Bombay. The huge floor had many big rooms where six to eight students could be accomodated in each room. It served as a Hostel for the students.

Dr Shah, a professor of Chemical Engineering in the Institute, was given an additional duty to be the Warden of our Hostel. He was a strict disciplinarian. He strongly believed in national integration and so he allotted students from different States in each room.

We were all young and energetic. We introduced ourselves with one and another and soon developed a close bond of friendship amongst us. We all had come from different States having different cultural backgrounds. Our food habits were different. Students from North India did not like the South Indian food and vice-versa. Initially there were many hard feelings among these groups.

But thanks to our warden, who counseled and encouraged the students to try each dish with an open mind, the issue was resolved in a couple of weeks and we all developed the taste for each others food. We all had come from different social backgrounds. In our toilet, in those days there used to be a steel overhead tank to flush the toilet by pulling the chain. Whenever operated it used to make some noise. Certain students were in the habit of pulling the chain many times making huge noise which could be heard across all the rooms including the Warden’s. I remember Dr Shah had to put up a notice advising us to pull the chain and release it only once.

A bus had been hired for our commute to the Institute and back. The bus had a signboard of ‘School Bus’ attached to it in front and back. Worli Naka residents soon became aware of IITians living in the building and of our commute in the School Bus. In a few days time we were nicknamed as School Children by the young local residents especially the fair sex!

in the mornings we all used to be very tense and hurried to get into the bus for our classes.Glaxo Plant was located somewhere in between our hostel and the Institute. Glaxo employees were mostly composed of the fair sex. As soon as our bus passed in front of the Glaxo Plant, there was lot of commotion in the bus and waving to the girls outside, coming to work in the morning. Waving of the girls back in response left every one rejunevated!

We had excellent team of our teachers both in academics and workshop. Some of them had been trained in Russia. The workshop sessions used to be very strenuous. I remember the day I was completely drenched in sweat while making a Gib Head Key using hacksaw and files.

Our Registrar was a very strict man. On the other hand our Deputy Director Dr P K Kelkar was a very humble, noble, polite and gentle soul. He always listened to the grievances of the students patiently and resolved them to their satisfaction.

Soon after our joining, one day we found a list of all the students with the middle initial of their names replaced by their father’s. The changed names did not tally with their names on their high school and degree certificates where as the engineering degree will be issued on their new names. This could create problem in future. We reported the matter to the Registrar. He emphasized that henceforth the students will be known only by the name listed on the notice board and the engineering degree will carry this name only.

We approached our Deputy Director. Dr Kelkar listened to our arguments calmly. He understood the problem this change of names will bring in future. He asked the Registrar to immediately reverse the decision. Thus our Orignal names were restored.

In the hostel we had formed well knit groups. Worli Seaface was at a walking distance from our hostel. After our dinner, we had the habit of moving out to the Seaface to refresh ourselves. The walk on the Worli Seaface, with cool breeze blowing, was very exhilarating. The waves from the Arabian Sea striking the big rocks and the wall, making huge melodious noise, was very soothing to the ears.

We had a five day week. On our week days we were all engrossed in our studies, revising our daily lectures, doing home work and discussing our difficulties in our curriculum. There was no room for extra curricular activities and games. To release our pent up energies we used to have occasional pillow fights. Tandon J K and Khanna K L used to be the most active participants.

Most of us used to go out on Saturdays in the afternoon. Most of our afternoon program was chalked out by Tandon. Whether it was to be a movie at Maratha Mandir followed by a dinner at Shere-e-Punjab or trip to Breach Candy to enjoy the cool breeze of the Arabian Sea sitting on the shiny rocks among the young crowd. It was always a very exhilarating experience.

Returning to hostel late at night, feeling dead tired, we always slept like a log.

Bombay being the home of Bollywood, every one of us was eager to spot our favorite actor on the road one day. It was during our visit to Aarey Milk Colony one day that we could spot the great character actor Balraj Sahni enjoying the picturesque surroundings alone in his jeans.

Our room was the ‘loudest‘ and ‘Mast’ in the whole building. Dr Shah perhaps did not like the hulla gulla coming from our room. There was a very good rapport between him and Tandon. However he never responded to my greetings, due to reasons best known to him.

After spending our December winter vacation, we returned to Bombay for our second semester. Waiting for the bus in the morning I met Dr Shah. He replied my greetings with a smile. He was very polite and kept the conversation going on for a while. In the meantime the bus arrived and we headed for the Institute. I was really surprised by his kind attention towards me.

We were all awaiting anxiously for the results of our first semester examination which was also to be used for awarding the merit scholarship to us. In the evening Tandon told me that the results would be declared the next day and that I have topped the list of successful candidates. He was very emphatic but rightly refused to divulge the source of the news. I remained very upset and disturbed throughout the night.

The result was put up on the notice board next day.Tandon’s prophesy was correct. I had topped the list. Tandon also had won the scholarship. We were very happy and our joy knew no bounds. Later Tandon told me that Dr Shah had confided in him about my result. I immediately put two and two together about Dr Shah’s giving me polite attention the previous day.

Looking back I wonder why our humble relations and attitudes change towards a person only when he succeeds rather than we trust him with the values he upholds and cherishes.

The one year spent at Shiva-e-Nimah at Worli Naka in Bomay, staying so closely with our friends from all over the country, was very rewarding. It taught us the best in human relations. We spent the most celebrated and memorable year in a civilized city of Bombay, which is unforgettable.

In the mean time the new hostel building at Powai was ready. We moved to Powai in our second year. The stay there was equally eventful. But that story some other time, some other day!