Mumbai: As a first step in creating mixed living facilities similar to colleges abroad, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-Bombay) will soon have a co-ed hostel complex to address accommodation issues at its campus. This initiative, backed by IIT-Bombay alumni under the Project Evergreen aims to provide student housing by creating a co-ed hostel complex.
Under the project, three current hostel buildings will be reconstructed. This includes Hostel 7 and Hostel 8, which will provide accommodation to male students. The hostels are being reconstructed due to unsafe building conditions. Whereas, Hostel 21 will be constructed to accommodate female students.
According to the official website, the co-ed complex will have separate residential towers for girls and boys. However, they will have common areas such as the dining hall, plaza, canteen/café, study rooms, gym, music rooms, and breakout areas.
The project is slated to provide 1,100 rooms in total, with the capacity to accommodate 1,127 students. Out of these, 33% will be double rooms, while the remaining will be single rooms.
Despite the progressive move, opinions among students are divided. While some welcome the idea, few express discomfort and call for clear guidelines.
A third-year Chemical Engineering student at IIT-Bombay, Arnav Dutt Sharma, expressed his discomfort with the idea of living in a co-ed hostel complex.
"It would make me feel awkward to share common areas with the female students in my personal time," Sharma told The Free Press Journal (FPJ).
Samiksha Sen, a second-year student from the same department contradicts Sharma’s statement stating, "Why will it be uncomfortable? IIMs already have it (co-ed hostel complex). They even have the same hostel building, so it's rather something that should have been launched long back."
Sharing the same sentiment, Krishna Gautam, a first-year student, pointed out the potential benefits, stating that such guidelines could facilitate positive interactions between genders and help introverted students improve their social skills.
Yogesh Ramteke, a third-year student from IIT-Bombay, suggested, "The institute should implement a set of guidelines for students residing in the co-ed hostel complex to prevent any potential mishaps or negative incidents."
Speaking on the matter, IIT-Bombay’s spokesperson Falguni Banerjee Naha, provided clarification regarding the accommodation plan to the FPJ.
"Students will only share the mess and the hostels are going to be in adjacent buildings to ensure privacy for all," Naha told the FPJ.
In addition to this development, IIT-Bombay has introduced a unique initiative to generate funds through contributions from its alumni. IIT-Bombay is extending an invitation to its alumni to donate a minimum of Rs 7 lakh, and in return, the institute will dedicate a hostel room in their name.
