People often say IIT is just about academics. But for me, it became much more - a place of detours, rediscoveries, and quiet realizations. My meandering and non-linear journey at IIT Kanpur is what made it extremely meaningful. Though my four-year journey at IIT Kanpur was headed somewhere very different for a while, but my heart drew me back here.

Building for Impact 
My time here has not been just limited to lectures and labs. From student leadership to launching new initiatives, IIT Kanpur has given me the space to lead, collaborate, and build.

One of my proudest endeavors has been co-founding a project to aid in anti-human trafficking efforts. Funded by the Government of India and incubated at the C3iHub, our team (comprising two professors and two students) is building a digital infrastructure to help law enforcement agencies locate and rescue missing persons. The work is deeply collaborative, partnering with state police units in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, and grounded in real-world application of data systems and civic technology. This is a huge responsibility and has shown me what is possible when academic rigor meets social purpose.

Inside the Heart of IITK: Student Life
Academics aside, I immersed myself in campus life early. Through the Student Gymkhana and Senate, I was part of many initiatives like the Industrial Exploration Program, enabling first-year students to visit companies and understand real-world operations, and the Faculty Mentorship Program, which connects students with professors for academic and non-academic guidance.  

During my tenure as the Chief Presidential nominee, I worked closely with other student leaders to ensure student voices were heard, while also maintaining communication with the administration.

Academics aside, I immersed myself in campus life early. Through the Student Gymkhana and Senate, I was part of many initiatives like the Industrial Exploration Program, enabling first-year students to visit companies and understand real-world operations, and the Faculty Mentorship Program, which connects students with professors for academic and non-academic guidance.  

Freedom to Think, Fail, and Fly 
The interdisciplinary freedom IIT Kanpur offers is unlike any other, and I made the most of it. Courses went far beyond civil engineering - from systems programming to some electives in machine learning.

Favorites? Introduction to Machine Learning by Prof. Purushottam Kar and Big Data Visual Analytics by Prof. Soumya Dutta.  

The toughest? Reinforced Concrete Structures, where more than two-thirds of the class didn’t make it (luckily, I did.)

Our batch made the terrace of the Design Building our unofficial HQ, a place for late-night ideas, debates, and dreams. In Hall 1, our wing is always alive with someone pulling an all-nighter, another organizing something, or getting grilled for it. Every day is a story here.

My Brief Time in Blues 
Somewhere between all of this, I also qualified for the Air Force achieving an AIR of 287. Since studying in an Air Force school, flying was a dream since I was a kid. So I landed there, trained for a month, and immersed in NDA’s discipline and ideals. But then came a crossroad. The pull of IIT Kanpur’s open-ended freedom and its potential for broader impact convinced me to return.

Building for Real-World Change  
Currently along with a friend and two faculty members, we are working on a project with C3i Hub, where we are building a digital infrastructure to help track and rescue missing persons, a project aimed at solving human trafficking.

We’re collaborating with state police departments like UP and Karnataka, and it’s one of the most meaningful things I’ve worked on.

If I Were in Power... 
If there were ever a chance to rewrite one rule, it would be to let the music play past 10 PM in places like OAT. There is something about those impromptu gatherings under the stars, music floating in the air, that defines what campus life should feel like: unfiltered, unscripted, unforgettable.  

The IITK Chain of Trust 
What truly defines IIT Kanpur for me isn’t just academics – it is the connections. My student guides. Their guides. And their guide’s guides. There is this unique chain of mentorship and support that runs through the years, unspoken but strong. I have learned not just how to survive academically, but how to navigate people, ideas, failures, and fresh starts.

Advice for the Ones Just Starting Out 
I would suggest two things: 
- Don’t stay locked in. Explore. Go to random events. Take that one class you are unsure about. That is how you grow. 
- Don’t follow the crowd. Find your own voice and follow it. IIT Kanpur gives you that freedom for a reason.

Looking Back, Looking Forward 
When I finally leave this place, I will remember more than just the Senate meetings. It will be the 2 AM wing conversations, the music in the background, and the feeling that I helped build something, not just for myself but for others too.

I came here with one kind of dream. But at IIT Kanpur, I learned how there are many ways to take flight. I am not a very bookish person anymore. What I have gained is perspective - to dream bigger, to connect deeply, and to not be afraid to start.