Question: Why are you contesting for VP? Please elaborate on your experiences over the years and how they lead up to your candidature.
Ans: I was a member of the Student Alumni Cell and Secretary (Alumni Affairs) at Radhakrishnan Hall of Residence in my second year. In my third year, I am currently a Coordinator and Sponsorship Head at the Students’ Alumni Cell. Being involved in these activities has inculcated in me the skills like leadership, teamwork, time management, and negotiation. So, I wanted to leverage my skills and work for the well-being of the student community and finally found this opportunity to contest for the post of Vice-President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, IIT Kharagpur, so that I can give back to the community and create an impact in the institute.
Question: Considering the other candidates, what makes you stand out compared to them?
Ans: I believe, for the position of Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, all of the candidates have worked hard enough. During my SOAPBOX, I’ll be delivering my Statement of Purpose, and rest; I’ll leave the decision to the general body to decide who is the best candidate.
Question: Since you’ve already set your proposals, could you elaborate on them and tell us how are they relevant to the student body?
Ans: So, my first proposal is regarding creating an opportunity portal. The purpose of this portal is to provide internships, placements, and financial support to students through alumni. So, apart from the Career Development Center, this portal as well will provide internship, placement, and financial opportunities to the students as well. And the students who will be eligible for internships and placements through CDC will be ineligible for the same at this portal so that it does not hamper the working of the CDC. Furthermore, for any student who has graduated from this institute, some companies require demand for an experience of, say, 3–5 years, so they’ll be provided with this opportunity as well and the alumni can directly apply on the portal and get an opportunity. So, it will also serve as a lateral hiring process which is currently not at all available at the IIT.
My second proposal is regarding the digitisation of BC Roy Technology Hospital. So, I propose to create an online portal through which the students, as well as the staff, can book the appointment of a specialist doctor at the hospital.
My third proposal is regarding the well-being of the mental health of the students of IIT Kharagpur. I propose several initiatives through which we can create awareness among the students so that they can share their views and live stress-free at IIT Kharagpur and fulfill their desires.
For the rest of my proposals, I will brief you through my SoP today at the SOAPBOX.
Question: You mention the creation of an “Opportunity Portal.”How can you ensure the authenticity of the jobs offered? The fact that they aren’t defrauding the students?
Ans: See, first of all, in the opportunity portal, the registration of alumni will be through the alumni ID, which is the ID that the CIC provides when a student is graduates. So we will ensure that they are legit alumni of this institute. Hence, all the opportunities will be given by the alumni, and we will publicise this on all our social media handles of IIT Kharagpur as well as Technology Students’ Gymkhana. So the alumni will be continuously there to mention their opportunities, and phase by phase, we will start as employers will also come and give their opportunities in this portal.
Question: So, there are a lot of problems in KGP, right? Like there could be a lot of proposals, but you converged on these, right? How did you end up having these proposals and not something else?
Ans: My interactions with the student body tell me that placement is an important part of the life of a student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. And, so, I believe that an opportunity portal should be there so that it continuously serves as a portal that continuously provides opportunities to the students of IIT Kharagpur so that the more opportunities will gain, the more experience they will gain, and the more prepared they will be for the placements. And apart from that, I believe that the digitisation of BC Roy and awareness about uplifting the students' mental health is necessary at IIT Kharagpur, considering the recent events that happened.
Question: There are a lot of issues on campus that are unaddressed, and you’ve specifically picked some of them. Could you tell us about some issues that your proposals specifically do not cater to?
Ans: During my stay at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, I realised that certain problems are there which are not mentioned in my proposal, but definitely, if elected as the vice president Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will look into these problems and try to implement it. For example, there is no female washroom in VS night canteen, or HJB or JCB night canteen, and it should be there. This is one such example, and if you want to know all such examples, we can discuss it after some time. I don’t believe you have time to discuss all such problems.
Question: Every year, we have proposals that cater to research scholars and postgraduate students, right? Why do your proposals not have something that is specifically for them?
Ans: I believe that the opportunity portal will be there for all the students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, regardless of their year or course, and it will help the postgraduate students and undergraduate students as well because the opportunities will be by the alumni of this institute and they can directly talk with them.
Question: But that is not just the only set of problems that the research scholars or the postgraduate students face, right?
Ans: Definitely, there are other problems. But the other problems do not need anything new which needs to be implemented. So, the basic problem they face is regarding the placements, and I believe that creating an opportunity portal will solve this issue. Apart from that, the other problems which I’ve discussed with them if elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will definitely try to solve these problems. I don’t believe that creating anything extra is necessary for solving these problems.
Question: Okay. So, based on your interactions with the current Vice-President Brahmjot Singh, you might have realised that there are some unfinished proposals that you would still want to work on moving in your tenure, i.e., if you are elected. So, what are those? Please elaborate on how you will do it and also tell us why you think those couldn’t be finished in his tenure. Comment on that as well.
Ans: I believe Mr. Brahmjot Singh, the current Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is working to the best of his capabilities, and if elected as Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will definitely be in regular touch with him and will ask him the exact situation of his proposals and will try to implement it.
Question: Yeah, but there must be some proposals that you might have already thought of, like- If I am elected, I will work on these or along those lines.
Ans. I definitely, all the proposals which were stated by Mr. Brahmjot Singh, I will definitely ask him and will try to implement them.
Question: Do you have anything right now, off the top of your head, that you would want to work on? We are asking for examples. That’s what we are asking. Even I can say that “I’ll ask him and work on implementing them” can you give some examples right now?
Ans: I believe that all the proposals that Mr. Brahmjot Singh had stated, I will discuss with him and try to find the exact situation that what are the difficulties he faced, and what is the exact status, like what are the issues he faced so that I can first resolve it and then focus on priority basis, what is necessary and what is not. Right now, I cannot comment, like, before being elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I cannot comment on what is the priority or what is necessary, which I need to work on out of his proposals.
Question: So what do you think sets you apart from the rest of the candidates, not in that sense, but like, what makes a good VP candidate, not just about you, but like, what, in your opinion, a good VP candidate looks like and what are your strengths in that sense and your shortcomings and how do you see yourself in that place?
Ans: I believe any Vice President of Technology Students’ Gymkhana should selflessly work for the well-being of the students of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and should always stand with the student community. Apart from that, I believe that I worked closely with institute administration and students, working for the past two years with the Students’ Alumni Cell, and that has helped me in inculcating some of the skills which I have already mentioned and I believe that using these skills will help me in if elected as a vice president of technology students gymkhana, these skills will help me in making my tenure a great success.
Question: Okay, so being a VP is a very hectic job, right? So how do you plan to manage your time between extracurriculars, academics, and being the Vice President of the Technology Students’ Gymkhana? And also, it will be your final year as well, right?
Ans: Answering your question, I will be converting to a dual degree student irrespective of whether I am elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, or not. Secondly, I believe that in my second year, I was Secretary, Alumni Affairs in Radhakrishnan Hall of Residence, a student member at the Students’ Alumni Cell, and participated in various activities in my Hall of Residence, and I still managed my academics. Therefore I believe that if elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will be able to manage my time as well, and I will always be there to take the advice of the previous Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana.
Question: Okay. So, in recent times, we’ve seen that a lot of the students, who are part of the student community, have been caught with intoxicants. What are your views on the same? Like it’s a growing issue here, right, you know? What is your take on it?
Ans: I believe that there are rules by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and there are laws by the Government of India as well, and the students should abide them.
Question: Okay, they are obviously not being implemented. Well, we saw that during hall days, so what do you think should be done to resolve this issue? I mean, there are rules, but they are not actually in place properly. So?
Ans: I believe that the student community should always follow the rules and regulations laid down by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and I believe that they should abide by them, and as a student representative, I can request them and give awareness about them about the cons of consuming alcohol or any narcotic substances.
Question: Also, in recent times, we have seen there are certain problems with the basic necessities on campus, be it electricity, be it water. Why do you think such problems still exist, and how do they come up time and again? And what would your take on it be, and what would you propose to solve certain problems of this sort?
Ans: There are certain problems which are there in the institute, like the electricity problem, or the problem regarding water, or the internet connectivity, and I discussed it with the waterworks section and the Computer Informatics Centre. If elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will definitely work on this issue, will try to find the exact problem and what are shortcomings, what is the necessary infrastructure that we require so that it can be fulfilled as we are living in a premier institute of the country.
Question: So, these are a few situation-based questions, so if you answer with facts, like, you must have done a good amount of groundwork and stuff, right, for a few issues that are prevalent right now in KGP, so you might have interacted with a lot of people for the same, so you can also cite your source, while you comment on the issue. All right, so what would you comment on the previous placement, how it turned out to be, and what are your opinions about it?
Ans: I interacted with multiple Place-Comms, and they told me that the placement season was a success, but due to the ongoing market issues, which were there, there was a decrement in the placements.
Question: So, how do you plan to curb this issue if elected as the VP?
Ans: I have already mentioned that I will create an Opportunity Portal, which will provide the opportunity to all the students of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and through these opportunities, they will gain experience. Apart from that, a lateral hiring process will also be there for the alumni of the institute, and I believe that the market situation will normalise from the next placement season, and the Career Development Center is working tirelessly to make the placements a grand success for the students of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Question: All right, so you might have visited the counseling centre as well, right? You have a whole proposal about it, about the mental health of the students on the campus. So what initiatives do you have in mind to ensure the mental well-being of the students here?
Ans: Regarding the initiatives, I have already mentioned them in my proposals, and I will brief them in my statement of purpose today in the SOAPBOX.
Question: There’s one last question. This year we saw a lot of accommodation problems. Many students were living without chairs and tables, let alone living comfortably, so how will you deal with these issues?
Ans: Definitely, I believe that on the website of the Hall Management centre, it is clearly written that the necessary items need to be provided by the Hall Management Centre, and they shall provide it. And if elected as the Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will make sure that these things are done. And if they are not done, I will raise my voice for the student community and make sure that whatever needs to be addressed, it should be done from my side, and the hall management centre should provide them.
Question: You might have done a good amount of groundwork and research about the same, so clearly, the accommodation issue has started because we have a shortage of hostel rooms. Especially for the girls’ hostels, where four people are being made to stay in a room that is not fit for four people exactly. So, hostels are being constructed, right? So what is your groundwork research on it, and will the hostels be ready before the new batch arrives, i.e., the 2023 batch?
Ans: I believe that new hostels are being built at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and this will solve the accommodation issues at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and I believe that they should be completed by the time the next batch arrives so that It can solve the accommodation problems, and the allotment has to be done properly so that it will not be an issue for the students.
Question: So, can you please cite your source for this research? You concluded that it might be done by the end of this academic session.
Ans: I never mentioned that it should be done. I only mentioned that to solve the problems of accommodation; it should be ready by the next academic session so that it does not hamper the accommodation of any of the students of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Question: The same was mentioned when this year’s fresher batch arrived, also like those hostels were supposed to be constructed by then. Do you have anything in mind to ensure that they will be constructed by the time the next batch comes?
Ans: If elected as the Vice President of the Technology Students’ Gymkhana, I will definitely address this issue with the institute administration and will try to ensure that it is completed by the current academic session so that when the next batch arrives, it does not create any problem for the accommodation issues for the students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.