That this number has stayed constant is a virtue. This small bunch of students gets total attention and the best opportunities to learn. Funding is generous, with at least Rs 60 crore-Rs 65 crore pouring in each year as research grants. They are involved with heart, kidney and cornea transplant programmes, among other things. Hectic best defines a student's life here, yet a gymnasium, tennis court, swimming pool and library offer respite after a hard day.
Senior professors earn much less than colleagues who practise in the private health sector.
Yet, they do not complain. All the expertise that they gather over the years is passed on to the students. Students bask in the warmth, kick a ball and return to class late in the evening. No surprise then that eight of the top 10 joint engineering exam entrants of 1997 chose otherwise sleepy Kanpur. IIT Powai's academic flexibility isn't any less.