1. What is project Evergreen?
    Project evergreen is an initiative by the Alumni of IIT Bombay, to support the institute in catering to its student housing needs. The number of students in the institute has increased a lot over the past decade while most of the legacy hostels in the institute are now old and in need of refurbishment or replacement. The alumni of IIT Bombay have banded together through IITB Alumni Association (IITBAA) and IITB Heritage Foundation (IITBHF) to help refurbish the old hostels and raise funds and build new ones.

    The project was conceptualised when some of our alumni under the stewardship of Mr. Dhananjay Saheba (Class of ’77, H5) came together to raise funds and refurbish the Hostel 5. Emboldened by the success of this initiative the alumni decided to replicate the same model for future hostels, where the alumni will lead the fund raising as well as the design and construction for new hostels.

    As a next step in project evergreen, the alumni are in the process of raising Rs.135–150 crore, (USD 20 mn) to create a 1,000–1,200 room hostel complex on the site of the current hostel 8. This state-of-the-art hostel complex is also being designed and constructed by the alumni and serve as a benchmark for all future hostels to come.
  2. Why are H7 and H8 being reconstructed?
    Hostels 7 and 8 have been declared unsafe for occupation, evacuated, and targeted for demolition. Hostels 1-8 and the Ladies Hostel were built in the 1960s.It is past their design life of 45-50 years. Overall there is a net shortfall of around 3000 hostel rooms as well. This has resulted in hostels with double and triple occupancy.
  3. Why is this an alumni funded project? Why is IITB not funding it?
    The reason the alumni has decided to step up is because the Institute has not been receiving sufficient funding from the Government to keep up with its growth. The Government of India is focused on new IITs. Academics are prioritized over student housing currently. The bulk of IIT Bombay’s government funding goes to academic buildings, facilities, and equipment.
  4. How will these new hostels be better than the old H7 and H8?
    These hostels will be rebuilt via an alumni-funded, alumni-designed, and alumni-constructed initiative. Project is led by alumni who are leaders in the construction industry – will ensure cost effective and high quality construction. Past experience has shown that the institute mechanism to implement projects lead to less than satisfactory results.
  5. Is this the first Coed hostel complex at IIT Bombay?
    Yes. Project Evergreen represents a paradigm shift in terms of how the institute will evolve in the years to come - a far closer interaction between alumni, current students, and institute authorities. A new ecosystem that will propel IIT Bombay to an orbit, that would be solely its own
  6. What social spaces are you creating in the new hostel complex?
    Common facilities like mess / dining area, study rooms, gym, music rooms, breakout areas etc. Common amenities such as dining area, study, foyers, recreational areas and café, distributed at the two lower levels. The project creates a healthy and thriving social network through multiple kinds of social spaces.
  7. What is the estimated cost and where are we now?
    Phase I: Design and Permits: Rs. 4.5 crores received. Regulator-approved drawings expected by April 2022
    Phase II: Construction cost ~ Rs. 135 to 150 cr , USD 20 Million Fundraising has begun. Construction will take 30 months after funding is secured.
  8. Will I get a tax benefit by donating to the project?

    The US based alumni can donate to IITBHF and get their tax breaks as per the US laws.

    Indian individual alumni will donate to IITB and get 100% tax break under section 80(g).

    Rest of the world, alumni should donate directly to the IITBAA through the specified FCRA account. No tax breaks, unfortunately.

    Corporates & Trusts /Foundations in India will donate to IITBAA and get their 50% tax break because IITBAA has an 80(G) certificate and is an eligible entity for CSR donations. The CSR registration number is CSR00009269.

  9. What is the estimated turnaround time for completion of this project?
    Construction will take 30 months after funding is secured. Expected handover of ready-to-occupy hostels to IIT Bombay: late 2024
  10. How will project management and financial oversight be done?
    Project planning committee was formed consisting of alumni from H7, H8 and H10. Associate Dean IPS included. Dean IPS has been involved in critical meetings. 2by3, a firm of two architects, was commissioned to do a study with stakeholders and develop a design brief. Architects (DCOOP) have been selected and appointed through a standard selection process. A Project management company has been appointed (JLL)
  11. What elements of H7 and H8 will be taken to the new hostels?
    Doors, Wooden shutter mainframes, Door material, Granite countertop in kitchen, staircase blocks and compound wall bricks, Basalt stones, Kota stone on entrance pathways and staircase, Shahabad stone on the pathway, paver blocks wherever present, plaque at the entrance, and any other loose items
  12. H8 site had a lot of trees. What will happen to them?
    The first priority while designing this complex was given to the preservation of trees as much as possible and plantation of more as far as possible. That’s why we also call it the cloister in the forest - A design inspired by the invaluable natural habitat and unique social life of IIT Bombay
  13. How can I contribute, what difference will it make?
    Every bit matters and every brick matters. Small or big, for us every contribution adds more bricks in the wall (or, should we say, the new hostels)!
  14. I wasn't in either H7 or H8. Why should I contribute?
    You contribute because IITB needs you, not just H7 or H8. H21 is an entirely new hostel for the growing population of women students. A path breaking initiative has been undertaken by the Alumni and the Institute and we need to make a success of it. This could become a trend setter for other IITs.
  15. How can I share this news with someone I know?
    You can write to us on amitshukla.iitbaa@iitbombay.org. We will share with you the material that you may share with your associates.
  16. Will you acknowledge individual donations made?
    Yes, we do. Every bit matters and every brick matters. Small or big, for us every contribution adds more bricks in the wall (or, should we say, the new hostels)!
  17. Maintenance. Who is going to maintain the building? Why would it not go the same way as all other hostels have gone? Without adequate maintenance?
    Our past experience has shown that the institute mechanism to implement projects and maintaining them lead to less than satisfactory results. Hence, we decided that the alumni will not just fund the hostel but actually build it and, perhaps, maintain it for a period of time if funds permit. The IIT Bombay Alumni Association will be the designated implementing agency
  18. What will happen if you cannot raise sufficient funds?
    The project execution has been structured in two phases – phase 1 where we complete the design, get approvals, and have the tender document ready. The money for this is available and this will be completed. Phase 2 involves construction and the construction will be phased based on the donor collections. In the first phase all common facilities and at least one hostel will be completed and the rest as the money comes in. If in the unlikely event we don’t find enough money, the drawings with the approvals would be handed over to IITB to enable them to complete it with their own funds. Of course, it is anticipated that we will raise the money and complete the project by 2024.
  19. By building a modern hostel, will we be creating different types of accommodations? Who will decide which student gets better accommodation?
    All new constructions will be better than the earlier ones, such as H17 and H18 being better than the older ones. IITB has been managing this and will continue to do so. Dean SA is in charge of this.
  20. Is IITB ready for co-ed hostel complex?
    yes
  21. What are we doing to protect girls’ safety?
    There will be CCTV installed at designated locations with prohibitions imposed for entry into particular spaces as per institutes guidelines. There will be no compromise on the aspect of girl’s safety as it has been followed earlier. The design incorporates this and IITB has been part of the decision making.
  22. How are we protecting the hostel culture we grew up with?
    Each hostel has a distinct identity and within that the design permits creation of wings and sub-units that can bond as we did in the olden days. The project creates a healthy and thriving social network through multiple scales of social spaces as well as break out spaces staggered across different floors. More formal interaction spaces for bringing together larger groups of people.
  23. Recently, the students are regularly moved from one hostel to another during their 4/5 year of stay? Will the students stay in the same complex for the entire period?
    During the initial years they will be staying in the double occupancy rooms so that they feel supported. Going forward in the concluding years they will shift to single occupancy rooms as per the norms of allocation. All of this would be in the same hostel.
  24. Why aren't all the rooms single rooms? Why do some students have to share rooms while others get single rooms?
    During the earlier days some students need the support of someone as they are new to the hostel environment. Hence it is always good that they stay with someone of their rank to feel less homesick. Down the line as they graduate they can move to single occupancy rooms while they graduate to a higher class
  25. Is the sustainability aspect being taken into consideration?
    Advice of a sustainability consultant was sought during the design phase, design built such that most of the trees on the plot remain untouched, solar panels on roof shall feed energy back into the grid, rooms built in a manner to take maximum advantage of natural wind-flow.