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Students and faculty of the Physics Department
enjoy the highest levels of research funding at IIT
Bombay, in particular because the work that they
do is of immediate importance to the Indian
Government and industry. In sum, about 90% of
departmental funding comes through research
sponsorships. The practical nature of the research
and its direct application to real-time needs
provides students valuable training as well as
recognition.
While this also provides benefits to the
department and IIIB as a whole, it has had some
adverse affects on education and acquisition of
general purpose resources in the Physics
Department. The low level of general funding to
IITB has led to a dependency in the Physics
Department on sponsorship funds. Faculty and
students spend their time in the narrow focus
areas mandated by acceptance of sponsorship
moneys, and equipment needs are met only to the
extent required by the sponsor. This means that
many of the more general and basic needs
common to world-class institutes may not be
addressed in physics, despite what may appear to
be ample funding.
For example, the department critically needs to
renovate and expand classrooms. Library
resources have been reduced, and access to
current literature has become a significant concern
among students and faculty. Plus there is
widespread need for a characterization lab to
serve the general needs of the department and
IITB. These needs simply have not been met by
the highly targeted sponsorship funds directed at
narrowly defined projects.
Every student must take basic physics work, using
this as a basis for further work in engineering and
science. Strong classroom and laboratory
instruction in physics is essential as IITB pursues
its ranking as a world-class institute.
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