The Pan-IIT Student Governance Summit 1.0, conceptualized by the Speaker of the Student Legislative Council, Atharv Joshi, kicked off its inaugural edition on the 26th of October. Aimed towards fostering richer relationships among the different student governance bodies of all IITs, the two-day conference promised a platform for discussion on a wide variety of policies and common challenges faced by the IITs, where student representatives could present their current system of governance and operation. The first day began at SAC, with an icebreaker session catered towards providing an opportunity for the delegates to interact with each other. This was followed by a discussion moderated by Prof. Gummadi, Dean (Students), on the different governance structures in every IIT, where representatives from each IIT got to present their models of governance. The discussion concluded with lunch, followed by a visit to the CFI Research Conclave being conducted at the Sudha and Shankar Innovation Hub that day.
Press correspondents Abhinav and Sumedh approached a few students during the Conclave for their insights on the Summit, along with their expectations for the upcoming panel discussions. Each participant was quick to laud the organising committee and IIT Madras for taking the initiative of hosting such a Summit, and the most commonly repeated expectation was the foundation of a Pan-IIT student network that would provide a forum for discussions year-round. Another major expectation, coming mostly from the second and third-generation IITs, was the opportunity to learn from the functioning of first-generation IITs vis-a-vis their governance systems, placement team, fest organization, and more. Representatives also brought up the learnings they hoped to take back, with one such example being research at the undergraduate level. While most IITs have some form of research and innovation being driven by clubs, access to academic research is still quite limited for undergraduates, for which IIT Madras has pioneered various policies such as the YRF program. An important initiative that representatives from IIT Roorkee were keen to drive via this summit was the creation of a common calendar amongst IITs, with the primary purpose of preventing clashes between various fests and events. Towards evening, various panel discussions took place on sustainable campus policies, academic standards, research affairs, and student mental-health and well being, with students engaging in fruitful discussions under the moderation of various professors.
Towards the conclusion of the first day, following all the panel discussions, T5E held a press conference with the delegates to better understand their expectations and takeaways from this summit, as well as their opinions on its purpose and future. Representatives from IITs Roorkee, Dharwad, Patna, Bhilai, Bhubaneshwar, Palakkad, Kanpur, Guwahati, and Kharagpur attended this meeting and were interviewed on their experience by the end of the first day. When asked about their expectations from the meet, echoes of network-building and knowledge sharing were heard, with another major expectation being to use this strong network of student representatives to drive changes at the administrative level, especially for new policies via proof of implementation in other IITs. Some takeaways at the end of the first day had to do with the sustainability measures in place at IIT Madras, which students from newer IITs admitted to not being a priority on their campus. The Research Conclave also was an eye-opener for many representatives, highlighting the lack of student research back home. Perhaps the most important takeaways, however, were the issues that each IIT shared regarding implementations of policies back home, which were a learning experience for other IITs, helping them formulate better policies while keeping these challenges in mind.
When asked about what each representative was going to take back from this Summit and implement at their home IIT, the most common answer was the revision of the governance structure, constitution, and student finances, which tend to be a major problem for most IITs. Another takeaway was the process of digitalisation, in which IIT Madras’ efforts toward the same, with the implementation of InstiSpace and Digiicampus served as an inspiration for the other IITs. A few representatives also emphasized the need for improvements in PG policy structures to address challenges for research scholars, as well as improvement of female involvement in student governance.
When asked about the growth and future of this Summit, most delegates expressed wholehearted interest in seeing this Summit continue in the coming years, with the most important goal being the eventual presence of all 23 IITs in this summit. A common hope expressed was that the network established through this forum would continue to grow and be passed down to representatives over the next few years. While the representative from IIT Kanpur suggested that the Summit be held only once in a few years to ensure ample discussion from each IIT, most other IITs were in favour of an annual meetup.
When asked about how this Summit could potentially impact and improve student governance in each IIT, there was an exceeding appreciation for the checks and measures that IIT Madras has in place via the SECC. Most IITs hoped that this Summit would get more students interested in student governance and enhance general student involvement, as well as inspire a deprioritization of position and an increased emphasis on work and impact. Lastly, when asked about what each IIT would like to see in future editions, a common answer was to have a session where each representative could present the improvements made on their campus since the previous year, to act as an accountability check. A panel on entrepreneurship was also suggested.
Towards the end of the second day, correspondents Abhinav and Kavya took to the streets outside CLT and GC to get some closing thoughts from representatives. The great hospitality by the organising committee and IIT Madras was appreciated, and a common sentiment of implementing learned policies and action plans was shared. Differences in how faculties engage with students seemed to be a popular topic of discussion, as well as how different IITs catered to a more holistic growth of individuals. Delegates from the younger IITs were interested to see how the academics in first-generation IITs were structured towards encouraging start-up cultures, with the IIT Guwahati delegate offering credits for proposing business ideas and implementing a workable model. An overall agreement on the success of the Summit was felt, with many representatives looking forward to future editions.
As a first-generation IIT, I believe our major takeaway from this Summit catered towards student governance was the network building and the creation of a common forum to facilitate interactions with other IITs. While the Inter-IIT Meets do provide a platform for interaction, their major focus tends to be on competing with each other, with little opportunity for discussion and shared growth. I do believe that the Student Governance Summit is an important initiative that should continue to grow in the coming years, but a key factor for its success is the involvement of other first-generation IITs that were missing in attendance this year. While we do have much to offer newer IITs in the way of successfully implemented policies and governance systems (being one of the oldest IITs), I believe there is little for us to learn if the Summit does not grow to encompass all 23 IITs, and the continued benefit of attending this meet (for us) can only come from participation and discussion from other first-generation IITs. In all, this Summit was a successful initiative, and I hope to see future editions of this Summit grow beyond its initial goals and establish IITs as the leading authorities on student governance, a model that could inspire other educational institutions across India.
