FAQs B.Tech Freshers
Academics
When will the first semester classes start this year?
There will be an orientation program from October 26, 2022. Regular classes will begin shortly after the orientation program. Detailed schedule of classes will be made available on the institute website.
What is Moodle? How do I use Moodle for courses?
Moodle is a web based learning management system. Each student of IIT Palakkad will be assigned a Moodle LMS account. Each course will be given a webportal on Moodle LMS and students will be enrolled. Once enrolled, students will be able to access the course page, on which they can see important announcements posted by the course teacher, homework assignments, course material including recorded video lectures. Students will also be able to submit their assignments through Moodle LMS.
What will be the courses in 1st semester of B.Tech?
The following common courses are typically taught in the first semester: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Ecology and Environment, Engineering Drawing, Concepts in Engineering Design and Introduction to Engineering, along with Physics or Chemistry lab and Workshop I. In the academic year 2021-22, those courses requiring extensive hands-on activity such as Workshop I, Physics Lab and Chemistry Lab may be postponed to a later time.
Can freshers bring laptops in the first year? How is the Internet facility on campus?
Yes, they can; infact, we encourage students to bring their laptop to the Institute. If you have a laptop/desktop, it would be helpful for participating in online classes and for courses such as Engineering Drawing and Computer Programming. However, students have access to the computer labs in the academic building, which is only a 5 minutes walk from the hostels. The labs and the academic area are connected to high-speed internet and the hostels are Wi-Fi/LAN enabled. If you have a laptop, you can access online resources from your hostel itself.
Do we have the option of changing our branch of study? What is the criterion for the same?
IIT Palakkad allows a selected number of students to change their branch based on their academic performance in the first year. The change comes into effect at the end of their first year. The number of students who can make a change of branch is limited so that the final strength in any branch doesn’t deviate by much.
For more details kindly have a look at Rule R.5 in the B.Tech Regulations. Depending on the courses completed at the end of the first two semesters, there may be a slight change in the criteria.
Will we be buying books or can we borrow them from the library?
In general, you can get e-books for the materials that the teacher specifies. Also, you can get them from the library, though the library may have only limited copies. Local bookshops in Palakkad/Coimbatore or online stores are also of help, so are the seniors. Moodle web pages on our intranet site will have all the course materials posted by faculty and students.
What is the procedure for getting the MCM scholarships?
For students who are not recipients of national scholarships, applications for Merit-cum-Means scholarships together with income certificates have to be submitted to IIT Palakkad. After the decision is made by the Senate to award the scholarships, the students are given the scholarship in the second semester, and the tuition fees paid by them for the first two semesters is reimbursed.
What is the holiday schedule of IIT Palakkad?
We have a five-day working week, in general. In normal years, semester breaks are from mid November to the end of December for winters and from mid April to the end of July in summers. The long summer break allows students to take up summer internships.
Campus and Hostel Life
How developed is the IIT Palakkad campus at the temporary site?
IIT Palakkad is presently functioning from two campuses, the Nila campus and the temporary Ahalia campus. The Ahalia Campus is a sprawling campus running into many hundreds of acres of land. The academic block, laboratories, student hostels, playgrounds and staff quarters are located within walkable distances from one another, and all have modern facilities including seamless Wi-Fi connectivity.
Where is IIT Palakkad’s permanent campus located?
IIT Palakkad’s permanent campus is located in Kanjikode-Malampuzha Road, which is approximately 12 kms from Ahalia campus. A part of the permanent campus (Nila campus) is operational and has independent academic and laboratory facilities, hostels and playgrounds. The construction in the remaining portion of the permanent campus is ongoing, and is progressing well.
Where will the freshers be accommodated?
At the hostels in Ahalia Campus, Kozhipara, Palakkad, where the temporary campus of IIT Palakkad is situated. The first year classes will also be conducted at the Ahalia Campus (once the campus reopens for undergraduate students).
Though we are yet to fully move to our own campus, we are blessed with a beautiful temporary campus with all necessary amenities, wherein the first-year Undergrads will begin their journey. We expect to be able to move all students into our permanent campus in 2022.
How many people will stay in a hostel room?
Freshers will be sharing their rooms with one other student of the same batch. All rooms have cots, tables, chairs, and almirah. All rooms in Ahalia campus have attached bathrooms. Students have to bring a mattress, bed sheet, and other necessary toiletries and stationaries.
How many girls’ hostels are in IIT Palakkad campus? Will all first year girl students get accommodation in the same hostel?
There is one girls’ hostel, and all our first and second year girl students stay in the same hostel in the Ahalia Campus.
Is it safe for girl students to roam around in the IIT Palakkad campus and nearby places?
IIT Palakkad academic block, hostels and the nearby places are well lit at night and are safe to roam around. There are many security guard posts across the campus.
Hostel timings and rules.
All hostels are normally open up to midnight. However, for safety, all students are required to log their biometric attendance between 7 and 10 pm everyday. Permission has to be sought if students are going away from the campus, or if they reach after 10 pm. The hostel rules can be found here.
How is the mess food?
IIT Palakkad’s mess offers a variety of nutritional food. The caterer is experienced in preparing both South Indian and North Indian dishes. There is a mess council committee consisting of student representatives, who decide the menu, monitor the quality of the food and regularly suggest required changes to the menu.
What facilities are provided to the freshers for the purchase of hostel necessities like bicycles, mattresses, pillows, buckets etc.? Do we need to bring these things along with us?
Institute makes arrangements for the sale of hostel necessities like bicycles, mattresses, pillows, pillow covers, bedsheets, locks, buckets, mugs etc. during the admission time. Local vendors are invited for the sale of these items inside the Institute. Stationery and other items can also be purchased from the cafeteria within the academic block or the Ahalia Home Centre, which is located within the campus.
What about sports?
IIT Palakkad has fields for Football; nets for Cricket; Badminton, Basketball and Volleyball courts; and Table Tennis tables and carrom boards in the hostels. A gym is also available in the hostel block. Sports activities are organised and coordinated by the Sports Affairs Secretary and the Faculty Sports Advisor. Expert coaches are available to coach students in various sports. The Ahalia campus also has vast space for those who are interested in taking long walks and runs. Students participate in tournaments like Inter-IIT Sports Meet, and other in-house tournaments.
What are the games played at IIT Palakkad?
Football, Basketball, Cricket, Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis, and Athletics.
What are the co-curricular activities and clubs at IIT Palakkad?
Co-curricular activities include National Service Scheme, Life Skills program, Extramural Lectures, Seminars, Talks and Workshops. Student clubs on campus include the Robotics Club, the Data Analytics Club, the Coding Club, Vadya (the music club), Akshar (the literary club), Sync To Beat (the dance club), Curtain Call (the drama club), Bioscope (the film-making club), Shutterbug (the photography club), Grafica (the fine arts and graphic design club), the Finance Club, The Fleet Street (the student newsletter), and Petrichor (the student fest).
Are there any Banks/ATMs/Post Offices nearby?
The Canara Bank in IIT Palakkad Branch is only 50 meters away from the academic block. There are four ATMs within Ahalia campus, including an SBI ATM at the entrance of our academic building. The nearest post office is only 5 kms away.
Can we receive parcels / online purchased items delivered to the hostels?
Yes. India post and online e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart deliver items to IIT Palakkad hostels and to the academic block.
Is there Ragging? Does IIT Palakkad have policies against it?
IIT Palakkad strictly follows a Zero Tolerance policy towards any incidents of ragging. Kindly visit the link for additional information.
Are there wild animals on campus?
The campus is safe. It has a serene atmosphere with a lot of bird varieties including peacocks and small wild animals like rabbits. No undue incident involving wild animals has been reported so far.
Life off-campus
How to reach IIT Palakkad?
IIT Palakkad is well connected through trains and busses to Palakkad town and Coimbatore city. The closest major airport is at Coimbatore and is located about 50 km from the campus and Kochi Airport is approximately 150 km away. IIT Palakkad is also well connected by the railway network and can be easily accessed from both Palakkad Junction and Coimbatore Junction railway stations which are about 15 km and 40 km away, respectively. Both these railway stations are well connected with trains from all over India. Pre-paid taxis can be hired to reach the campus. The nearest local train station is Kanjikode, located about 4 km from Nila campus and about 10 km from the Ahalia campus. The nearest bus stand is the Palakkad Municipal Bus Stand, at Palakkad. It is well connected to major cities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by highways. Details of how to reach us can be found here.
What if I get lost in Palakkad?
Palakkad is a small town, but has a good public transport system. People are helpful in general and the chances of you getting lost are very minimal. However, keep the emergency contact numbers with you.
Good places to hang out near IIT Palakkad?
Palakkad and Coimbatore are two nearby cities where the students can hang out. Palakkad is the seventh most populous town in Kerala with all facilities. Coimbatore city, is located in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu and has many options for food and entertainment. Palakkad Fort, Malampuzha Dam, Dhoni Falls are some nearby places where one can visit. Hill stations like Ooty, Munnar are about a 4 hours drive from Palakkad, and backwaters of Alappuzha (Alleppey) and Kochi can be reached in under five hours. All these places are well connected from Palakkad by bus and/or train. One can also hire a taxi to visit these places over weekends.
Miscellaneous
How is the weather in Palakkad like?
Palakkad is in the Southern part of India, nestled in the Western Ghats. Palakkad receives rains from the South-West monsoon during June-August and from the North-East monsoon during October-November. The summer season is primarily from February-May. Weather is generally pleasant during the mornings and evenings as both the campuses are situated at the foot of the Western Ghats. The temperature in Palakkad varies from 22oC to 38oC.
How will we get a SIM in Palakkad?
On the day of your registration, you will get an ID card from the Institute which will serve as your local address proof. You will be required to provide an additional identity proof for your SIM card. The sale of SIM cards will be done by the various service providers on the day of your registration. Mobile recharge can also be done at the cafeteria within the academic block.
Seat allocation procedure
The seat allocation to IITs is carried out online through Joint Seat Allocation Authority or JoSAA. The allocation is carried out in multiple rounds where the seats are allocated based on the JEE Advanced rank, and the preferences given by the candidates. In each round after allotment of the seat, the candidate will be given a choice to freeze, float, slide or reject the current allotted seat. *Freeze implies that the candidate accepts the current allotted seat and does not wish to be considered for other rounds. *Slide implies that the candidate wants to be in the current allotted institute but still wants to be considered for preferable branches within that institute. *Float means that the student wants to be considered for any branch or any institute based on her preference list. *Reject means that the student does not want to continue and be considered for any further rounds of counselling. If you have further questions, please refer to JoSAA website.
Community/cast certificate, fee payment, other formalities
Please refer to JOSSA website.
Does the Institute arrange for student loans to pay fees?
During the admission process, the Institute will provide contact details of Bank representatives who may be contacted for arrangement of loans.
What is the institute fees structure?
The fees structure and an estimate for the fees per semester for loan purposes (category-wise) will be provided in the welcome letter once the seat allocation has been finalised.
How do I pay the institute fees?
Institute fees will be paid online through payment gateways, links to which will be available in the welcome letter and on our website. The payment of fees for the subsequent semesters is also in the online mode.
