A surprise visit by HRD Minister Smriti Irani to IIT Delhi hostels found that students were grappling with peak season heat without proper arrangements after which the institute’s administration allowed coolers in rooms and promised to install air-conditioning in common areas.          

Senior officials said Irani had gone to the IIT to inaugurate a new teaching-learning complex after which she proceeded to meet students in the boys as well as girls hostels. “After visiting the hostels and interacting with students, the Minister was quite critical of the fact that there were no proper arrangements for students during the peak of summer season. The Director of the Institute then immediately called a meeting and a package for hostels has been announced,” a senior official told reportedly said.

In the package, it has been decided that air coolers will be allowed in all hostel rules and arrangements will be made for providing cool drinking water in all the wings and blocks. The IIT administration has also promised to centrally air-condition all common areas of the hostel. Another key decision taken is that all future hostels constructed will be centrally air-conditioned, officials added. 

Sources said students also complained to Irani about the condition of the dining halls and mess of the hostels after which a package for modernisation of kitchen and dining halls has also been finalised. “These measures may be brought in at IIT Delhi first and then will be applied in other IITs also,” a senior official said.