Know Your VP Candidate: Brahmjot Singh

Q: What is your motivation behind applying for the post of Vice President? When did you finally be sure this is something you definitely want?

Right from the beginning of my journey here at our institution, I’ve been in awe of the magnificence of our IIT Kharagpur community and its people. Staying away from home is difficult regardless of how mentally prepared one might be. But never once have the people here let me be aware of this void. The amount of care and love I have received here is unparalleled. I feel it is my fundamental duty to take this opportunity and give back to the community to whom I owe a significant part of my character.

I aspire to leave no stone unturned when it comes to improving the campus and the life of the KGP student community when compared to other IITs and prestigious colleges and take our institute to newer heights. I decided that I needed to be Vice President of Technology Students Gymkhana, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, so that I could lead and serve the community in the best possible way.

Q: How have your involvements with Alumni Cell helped in shaping your personality?

I thank the Students’ Alumni Cell for the experience and all the growth and learning it inculcated in me while working at the cell. It wouldn’t do justice to speak of it exclusively because each involvement had an integral role in molding me into a more capable person. Each of these events, along with the countless interactions I’ve had with the students, alumni and professors associated with the Alumni Cell, have been invaluable, and these are lessons that will help me not just in my candidature but throughout my life.

Q: Do you think your lack of involvement compared to your fellow contestants will harm your chances to win?

I don’t feel that my involvements are inferior in any way to my fellow contestants and hence, I refuse to comply with this statement. I strongly believe that my work here at KGP has been directed towards the welfare of the community. As mentioned in my Statement of Purpose, I have actively taken part in a variety of activities at my hall of residence and the Students’ Alumni Cell, IIT Kharagpur. As a Boarder of Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence, I was a part of the Silver Winning AD Design Team, the Stage Play Team, and the Aquatics Team. I also worked as the Mess Committee Member, Wing Representative, and later as the Literary Secretary in Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence. In addition to my involvement in my hall of residence, I worked as a Student Member and Coordinator at the Students Alumni Cell, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and was responsible for bringing the Headspace Subscription Program to the campus to ensure the mental well-being of the students during the stressful time of COVID-19. I, as the Coordinator of the Students Alumni Cell along with my team organized the Annual Alumni meet after a gap of two years despite the unique problems posed by the pandemic. For a position like Vice President, Technology Students’ Gymkhana, one must have a set of leadership and managerial skills to work for the betterment and welfare of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur student community, and I believe that my

experiences make me equally qualified as the other candidates contesting for this post.

Q: What do you think are the most important qualities for the position of Vice President? Do you think you possess all the qualities people expect from a VP?

The essential qualities for the position of Vice President, in my opinion, are

1. Integrity — A leader must have a strong sense of justice and defend it at any cost.
2. Confidence — One of the most important jobs of a leader is to boost the community’s morale in any dire situation. He should be such a person that everyone can rely on and look up to.
3. Self-Discipline — Leaders must be disciplined. He must not act on his impulses and proactively find objective solutions to any problem he faces rapidly.
4. Accountability — A leader must take a stand on whatever he does and must be capable of taking responsibility if anything goes wrong.

I know that I possess all of these skills in me. My previous experiences have nurtured in me this set of skills. If I get elected as Vice President, I’m sure these skills will be further polished and reflected in my tenure.

Q: Could you outline what do you think are some of the significant issues currently in KGP?

1. All the offline academic classes which students have to attend are far from the hall of residences, and many students depend on buses provided by our college to reach classes. Amid the crowd and improper knowledge of the timings of buses, many students face problems going to classes. I have already proposed KGP NAVIC, which will help us solve this problem.
2. Another problem I have noticed is that our esteemed research fellows, our PhD students, are constantly exploited to do work beyond the scope of their research by their Guides. Also, there is a lack of a platform where PhD/PG students can see a list of relevant positions to apply to in our college and our associated colleges. For these problems, first, I suggest establishing a platform where PhD students can give their guide feedback and a committee to review the same. Also, we need a venue like the CDC portal where Ph.D./PG can apply for relevant programs.
3. Another major issue UG students face is the hectic CDC process. There is a lack of organized information, and hence logistic calendars and CDC tabs are essential for the students. I suggest including the same in the processes.
4. On our campus, mental health is one of the significant issues still not adequately addressed. Even after taking various initiatives by the student body and administration, there is always scope for improvement.

Q: Why do you think that the aforementioned issues have not yet been dealt with satisfactorily?

As mentioned above, there have been problems concerning different student bodies. The primary issue affecting their settlement was the improper redressal at the ground level. There were problems in the implementation of some of the problems and logistical challenges, along with a lack of organized planning. After the long period of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new set of problems has also emerged for the student community at our institute. If elected, I would try to expedite resolving these issues and try to include necessary stakeholders to help in the fast decision-making process. My proposals are an extension of the initiatives already taken in this direction to streamline the process and work precisely on several aspects of these existing problems.

Q: Why do you think you need to become the VP to solve some of the problems you previously mentioned? In other words, how much power, in your opinion, does the VP yield, and what will be your approach in dealing with the power of the office?

A Vice President is a crucial link between the student community and the administration of the institute. The Vice President has the power to take up new initiatives that are targeted toward the general welfare of the institute and is responsible for the smooth execution of the same. With such great power, comes even greater responsibility — a duty to lead everyone by example and work constantly to improve the entire campus experience that IIT Kharagpur offers. I wholeheartedly promise that I will undertake all these duties while being cognisant of all stakeholders involved in the process. I will try my best to accommodate every single fellow student and their concerns, and I will use my power to channel the hopes and aspirations of the student community of IIT Kharagpur if elected for the post of Vice President, Technology Students Gymkhana.

Q: With the election moving online, do you think it makes the process more or less transparent, in the sense that do you think students could be more influenced by others in this case?

I believe that the decision to conduct the election in an online mode doesn’t in any way hamper the transparency of the process. The decision has been taken, keeping in mind that a large section of the student community is currently not on campus and thus ensures that uniform voting regulations are applied to all students. I believe that all the students in the student community of IIT Kharagpur, are mature and responsible enough to make a wise choice in the best interests of our institute.

Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates? Why do you think you are the #right_choice?

Since the first year of my stay at IIT Kharagpur, I have been involved in a wide range of activities on campus. My involvements in Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall of Residence have developed in me a spirit of brotherhood and teamwork, and handling the various events and initiatives of the Student’s Alumni Cell has inculcated in me the virtues of discipline and commitment, and the ability to work hard whatever be the circumstance. Also, simultaneously managing my academic responsibilities has taught me the skills of time management and multitasking. I believe that these factors taken together make me the right choice for the position of Vice President, Technology Students Gymkhana IIT Kharagpur.

Q: The position of VP demands a lot of time. Do you think you would be able to work on your other commitments and hobbies if elected?

I have been involved in a lot of activities since my first year. I always have managed to get enough time to get the job done. Time management is a juggling game. It’s just about prioritizing the tasks at hand, and managing a whole student community is a job that can take no less priority other than being at the top. This naturally would mean I would have to squeeze more time out of my 24 hours and cut off a small part of the time that I give to the things I like, but that doesn’t mean I’ll have to give up on those activities, but yes I’m very confident that I will be able to deliver my responsibilities as a Vice President in the best possible way, while at the same time managing other things.

Q: What is your opinion about the Open House conducted on the 21st of March? What would you have done differently, if anything, to better handle the situation?

Sir, under normal circumstances, there are student representatives who are outlined in the hierarchy of the Technology Students’ Gymkhana. However, there are certain issues that have a major impact on all students of the campus. There is a need for direct interaction between the administration and the student community. The incidents preceding the open house were of such nature, ultimately calling for the need for a direct interaction between the students and administration.

I believe that the current student representatives handled the issue diligently, immediately reaching out to the administration as soon as the decision to conduct offline exams was announced, simultaneously listening to all the student queries and keeping them updated about all necessary updates.

Q: Anything else you would like to convey to your fellow KGPians

I would like to conclude with a pledge to work tirelessly with our administration for the welfare and further growth of our institution if elected for the post of Vice President, Technology Students Gymkhana. I will stand firmly with our student community through thick and thin. Lastly I would request everyone, please do Cast your Precious vote on 4th April via ERP. It’s your right and you as voters create all the difference in our collective journey towards betterment of the Campus.