Wednesday, February 13, 2013

IIT Delhi, Mumbai vs the rest

Okay this post is going to be less fact based and more of observation and opinion. So those who are going to get offended are free to counter it and if some things are wrong can correct them too.

Its been close to five years since passing out and after observing IITians in multiple sectors and places, there are some topsy findings and observations I'd like to share. In our counselling days, IIT Bombay used to be the top choice and little did anybody know for practical reasons why? Like everything else in India it was once of those herd mentality. No doubt placements and city were the key criteria but the kind of excitement and attraction IIT Powai generated was exceptional. Its clear to me why now. While being at IIT-Delhi I always used to think that Delhi was a huge plus. Staying in a place like IIT, always felt the need to get out and be away from IIT life for sometime specially in the third and fourth years when some of us felt overdozed with the interhostel and IIT events and acads life. Wherein lies the point that apart from factors like placements, faculties and facilities a thing that most people neglect is the city. I would say its very very important and that is where Delhi and Mumbai are a huge positive not only in those four years but later on as well. Now the opinionated parts - It seems like Mumbai is indeed the best IIT in terms of smartness of students that it churns out. In my observation, students of IIT Mumbai are a touch ahead of their counterparts especially when technical knowledge or exposure is concerned. Delhi I would say is slightly better if you have an entrepreneur in you although Bombay would be close. It is the best in distracting you away from acads which in some ways is good also. Chennai embeds the south India mindset in you where foreign univs education becomes a must and most coveted. Where you develop not only hatred for north India and IIT-D but also begin to question the intellectual quotient of most Indians. One common observation for all non-Delhi and non-Mumbai IITians is that they tend to become weird with their personalities. By very nature, most IITians are nerds or/and introverts. The other IITs seems to amplify those qualities. Specially Kharagpur and Kanpur. Students in these IITs in general seem to be consumed for years in their IIT life and their lingos even post IIT. Needless to say, it becomes boring and irritating for others around.

Now obviously this post needs a lot of editing and induction of better thoughts, ideas and better articulation but leave it for sometime in the future.

Also if you find the post biased towards two of the IITs it is.  

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