FAQs B.Tech Freshers

Where will the freshers be accommodated?

IT Palakkad has completely moved its operations to the permanent campus at Kanjikode. The freshers will be accommodated at the Nila Campus, Kanjikode. 

How developed is the campus?

IIT Palakkad has fully relocated its operations to its permanent campus at Kanjikode. The new campus is divided into two sections, Nila (approximately 40 acres) and Sahyadri (about 500 acres), situated on either side of a village road. The Institute operates a complimentary shuttle service between these two campuses, synchronized with class and lab schedules.The new campus encompasses all academic infrastructure, including classroom complexes, teaching and research labs, departments, and administrative offices, alongside student hostels. Modern amenities such as air-conditioned classrooms and labs, hostel rooms equipped with internet connectivity, various sports facilities, canteens, and an institute medical clinic are available. You may find a glimpse of our campus facilities here.

What will be the courses in 1st semester of B.Tech?

The following common courses were offered till now: Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Ecology and Environment, Engineering Drawing, Concepts in Engineering design and Introduction to Engineering, along with Physics lab and Workshop I. There may be small changes in the curriculum though.

Can freshers bring laptops in the first semester? How is the Internet facility on campus?

Yes, they can. There is no restriction in bringing a laptop to the Institute but it is not a necessity at the beginning. If you have a laptop, it would be helpful for the course on Engineering Drawing and in the second semester for a course on Computer Programming. All students have access to the computer lab in the academic building, which is only 5 minutes walk from the hostel. The labs and the academic area are connected to high-speed Internet and the hostels are Wi-Fi enabled. If you have a laptop, you can access online resources from your hostel itself.

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 mattresses, pillows, pillow covers, bedsheets, locks, buckets, mugs etc. on orientation day. Local vendors are invited for the sale of these items inside the Institute during the initial days. Stationeries and other items can also be purchased from one of the two amenities centers inside the campus. A bicycle sale will be arranged a month after the semester has started. The freshers' hostels and classrooms are  within walking distance. We also have a shuttle service which is synchronized with the class schedule.

How easy is the branch change in IIT Palakkad? What is the criterion for the same?

Branch change depends on your CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) for the first year, and your category of admission. Any branch can have at most a ten percent increase over the original sanctioned strength and the strength of a class should not fall below the sanctioned strength by more than ten percent. However, at least one student in each category will be eligible for consideration for change of branch from each discipline and to each discipline at the end of the first year. 

For more details kindly have a look at Rule R.5.0 of document below: BTech Regulations

Will we be buying books or can we borrow them from the library?

In general, you can get the e-books for the materials that the teachers specify. 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 have all the course materials posted by faculty and students.

How is the weather in Palakkad like?

Palakkad is near the West coast on the South and has a monsoon climate. June-August will be rainy (South-West monsoon); there will be rains also during October-November (North-East monsoon). March-May will be the Summer season during which the temperature can rise up to 40 degree celsius. Weather is generally pleasant, and our campus is situated at the foot of the Western ghats.

What is the holiday schedule of IIT Palakkad?

We have a five-day working week, in general. Semester breaks are from early December to the end of December for winters and from early May to the end of July in summers. The long summer break allows students to take up summer internships.

What about sports?

At IIT Palakkad, we have a Cricket and Athletics ground, cricket nets, a Football ground, a Basketball court, a Volleyball court and an indoor Badminton court. We also have TT tables, carrom boards, and outdoor badminton courts in hostels. Two gyms with modern facilities are also available. Sports activities are coordinated by the Physical Training Instructor under the guidance of the Faculty Sports Advisor. Special coaching from expert coaches is given to selected students in various sports items. Students participate in tournaments like Inter-IIT sports competition, 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 directly run by the institute include National Service Scheme, Life Skills program, Extramural Lectures, Seminars, Talks and Workshops. Apart from these, there are a lot of student run clubs focussing on various interests. You can browse through them on the website of the Students’ Affairs Countil.

How many people will stay in a hostel room?

Most of our hostel rooms for BTech students are triple occupancy rooms.

What is the procedure for getting the MCM scholarships?

Income certificates are submitted at the time of admission as mentioned on the website and applications are collected in September. The decision is made by the Senate to award the scholarships, and later in the second semester, students are given the scholarship reimbursing their earlier tuition fees and that of the second semester. See this link for details of scholarships.

What are the good places to hang out near IIT Palakkad ?

Palakkad and Coimbatore are the nearby cities where the students can hang out. Palakkad is the seventh most populous town in Kerala with all facilities. Coimbatore is a metro city. Both cities have a lot of options for food and entertainment.

How to reach IIT Palakkad?

The closest Airport is Coimbatore Airport which is around 60 kilometers from the campus. One can then take a taxi or a bus to reach the campus. Palakkad Railway station is around 14 kms from the campus. The details of how to reach us is given here:
https://iitpkd.ac.in/how-reach

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 address proof. Provide additionally an identity proof for your SIM card. The sale of SIM cards will be done by the various company representatives on the day of your registration. 

Are there any Banks/ATMs nearby?

There is a Canara Bank ATM inside the campus. A few more ATMs and banks will start functioning in the campus shortly. There are branches of all the major banks in the Kanjikode service road which is 2.5 kms from the campus.

Can we receive parcels / online purchased items delivered to the hostels?

Yes. India post and suppliers like Amazon and Flipkart deliver items to IIT Palakkad hostels.

Is there Ragging? Do IIT Palakkad have policies against it?

There is no ragging in IIT Palakkad. We have a zero tolerance to ragging.Our anti-ragging policy: https://iitpkd.ac.in/anti-ragging-policy

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 so, chances of you getting lost are very minimal. Keep the emergency contact numbers with you.

How is the mess food?

The mess food is nutritional and affordable at around Rs. 150/- per day. The caterer is experienced in preparing both South Indian and North Indian dishes. There is a mess council which consists of student representatives and the wardens who monitor the quality of the food and suggest required changes to the menu served.

How many girls’ hostels are in IIT Palakkad campus? Will all first year female students get accommodation in the same hostel?

We have three hostels for girls. All our first year girl students will stay in the same hostel - Tilang A in Nila Campus. From the second year onwards they will shift to girls wing in Saveri and Malhar hostels in Sahyadri Campus. 

Is it safe for female students to roam around in the IIT Palakkad campus and nearby places ?

IT 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

Open up to midnight normally, need to give attendance at 9pm, permission to be sought if going away from the campus or to reach after 10pm. No alcohol consumption or smoking is allowed.

Seat allocation procedure

The seat allocation in IITs is carried out in multiple rounds where the seats are allocated based on the preferences a candidate has given. 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 she wants to be considered for any branch or any institute based on her preference list. *Reject means that she does not want to continue and be considered for any further rounds of counseling. If you have further questions, then please refer her to: http://josaa.nic.in/

Wild animals

The campus is safe. It has a serene atmosphere with a lot of bird varieties including peacocks and small wild animals like rabbits. We share a border with a forest area, but it is well guarded with a hanging fence.

Community/cast certificate, fee payment, other formalities

Please refer to the JoSAA website.