education

Updated: Jul 21, 2016 18:54 IST

The management of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore has asked its students and their families to mobilise funds so that the construction work at its campus can be completed after the premier institute allegedly ran out of funds from the government.

Established in 2009, IIT-Indore began functioning from a temporary building and moved to a new one from 2012 even though construction work was incomplete and remains so.

Classes are held in the under-construction buildings that have leaky roofs and sparked fear for the safety of the students at the elite technology school. Crucial equipment, like the super computer and radio telescope, have been packed and locked for the fear of getting damaged.

The deputy registrar Pradeep Agrawal has written a mail to students, their families and friends to pool in to speed up the construction work.

“In a move to mobilise resources for fastening the process of development of infrastructure and other purposes at IIT-Indore, donations are welcomed… Donations made to IIT-Indore are 100% exempted from income tax,” Agrawal wrote.

Read more: IIT-Indore bans social media over online protests against fee hike

A students, who did not wish to be named, said they have been asked to behave like a messengers and get donations for the institute.

“When we questioned the deputy registrar about it, he said that all the funds which were issued to us have been exhausted and the building is yet to be completed,” the student said.

“From super computers to state-of-the-art equipments, all have been packed and kept inside as there is so much dust and leakage and they fear that the instruments will get damaged. Also, these machines require proper air conditioning and an enclosed spot which the institute is not able to provide,” another student said.

The institute’s authorities were not available for comment.

Earlier this week, IIT-Indore banned all social media on its campus in a bid to stop PhD scholars from taking their protest against a recent fee hike online.

All the systems linked to the institute’s server have been blocked for all social media platforms.