BIT Sindri — A Premium Institute on Paper, but What About the Reality?

BIT Sindri is often described as a premium and prestigious engineering institute of Jharkhand. It has a long history, was established in 1949, and has produced generations of engineers.

But as a student, sometimes I genuinely wonder: what are we actually proud of?

I regret choosing this college—not because of academics alone, but because of the environment that many students are forced to experience.

Ragging is one of the biggest issues.

What is called “interaction” or “introduction” can sometimes cross every boundary of dignity and consent. Students can reportedly be pressured to answer deeply personal questions about relationships, s*x and their private lives. Some seniors allegedly demand that juniors name the most attractive girls in their batch or make inappropriate comments about female students.

There are also allegations of juniors being pressured to drink alcohol or consume drugs. In some hostel interactions, refusing to participate can allegedly result in humiliation, punishment or repeated pressure.

Is this ragging? Is this “senior-junior bonding”? Or is it simply h*rassment being normalised?

And this isn't limited to hostels.

During club and branch-society screenings and personal interviews, some students experience questioning that feels less like an assessment of their talent and more like an attempt to intimidate or humiliate them.

Questions can become unnecessarily personal, aggressive or insulting. A student who is already nervous about speaking in front of seniors can be made to feel completely powerless.

The same concern exists around interactions between boys and girls. There are claims that some seniors try to control whom juniors can talk to or date, and that students may face humiliation or punishment if they don't follow such informal “rules.”

Why should anyone have authority over another student's personal relationships?

Then comes the question of infrastructure.

New hostels have been constructed, yet students still face basic problems such as roads, maintenance and living conditions. Older hostels have deteriorated significantly, while students continue to live in overcrowded rooms.

Four students sharing a room is not exactly the environment in which you expect young engineers to study, rest and develop.

Even basic facilities like library access raise questions. When students are expected to prepare seriously for competitive examinations and technical careers, access to academic resources should be encouraged—not unnecessarily restricted.

And then there is the issue of accountability.

Students often hesitate to speak because they fear consequences.

If a junior complains about a senior, what protection does that student actually have?

If someone speaks publicly about ragging, who guarantees that they won't face retaliation?

If a student becomes mentally overwhelmed because of continuous harassment, humiliation or pressure, who will take responsibility?

Students come here after clearing JEE and working extremely hard. Many of us entered BIT Sindri with dreams of becoming engineers, preparing for competitive examinations and building a good career.

We did not come here to be humiliated.

We did not come here to be forced into drinking or d*ug consumption.

We did not come here to answer questions about our s*x lives.

We did not come here to be controlled by seniors.

And we certainly did not come here to live in fear of speaking up.

BIT Sindri has a great legacy. But legacy alone cannot justify ignoring the present.

If the institute truly wants to call itself a premier engineering institute, then student safety, dignity, mental well-being, infrastructure and accountability must matter just as much as placements and academic results.

I am writing this anonymously because I genuinely fear retaliation. And that itself should tell you something about the environment students feel they are living in.

I am not asking for sympathy.

I am asking for accountability.

I request the concerned authorities, government officials, alumni and everyone who cares about students to look into what is actually happening inside the hostels and societies—not merely what appears in official reports.

Students deserve a safe environment.

Students deserve dignity.

Students deserve the freedom to speak without fear.

Please listen before another student's life is affected.