Roorkee University in year 1959 onwards

During first year all the students stayed in the C Block.After first year we were shifted to diff rent hostels namely Azad Bhawan, Ravendra Nath Tagore Bhawan , Ganga Bhawan and for Architecture there was Asian Hostel etc. There were PG Hostels also. I was allotted room in Azad Bhawan and my room number was F-48 and it was located on the first floor.This room was situated in front of stair case and all the friends going downstairs and coming up used to disturb and any way I could not help and had to reside in that room.Some times I had to put lock on the door but even then friends jump from the balcony and in that way disturbance was there .These rooms were single seated and we had common bath rooms and toilets good in number s on each floor of the hostel.There was strange type of ventilators at bottom side of the room instead of at the roof level.By peeping through these ventilators one could know what is going inside whether any body was sleeping or studying.Some times I had to study under the table with a shaded lamp so that light could not be visible outside the room. It was the habit of some of my friends that they studied and completed their home work and they would enter in the others room for gossip and recreation etc.Although this habit was not good but this was the prevailing practice in those years.During second year I did not take part in ragging and I new some of friends did ragging of first year.One of my friend and from mechanical was very much interested in ragging.I liked our Survey Professor Sh S R Singh.He was our dean of students also.At the evening all the students used to go the play ground or club and some of them played Billiards.The marker was a very nice person .We felt elated when we played as we used to see in movies in the yest er years also .In the club all types of indoor games were played like carom board playing cards .and also some books and newspaper were available.We were not allowed to go to the picture halls in the old Rookee city.We were also debarred to go to Paran Kalian Ka Mela which were held in the near by village.Stict decipline was observed. Some times we had cycle race used to Haridwar on bicycles.We had Ncc camps at Raiwala near Dehradun.I remembered that one day my duty was on cotter gaurd and it was instructed that at night if any body or enemy enters we had to ask for pass word otherwise we had to shoot the intruder.The army person used to check at night whether the cadet was doing the duty in a correct way or not.During one occasion when I was on the Duty I challenged the intruder but he did not replied then the trainer came forward and tried to snatch my rifle .Then I uttered the words Ustad Ji It was you as such I spared him otherwise I could shoot him .To this the trainer laughed and instructed me to be cautious and would not repeat and I had to say sorry for my folly.We had got intensive training in the Ncc camp.We were told to lead a hard life and try to sustain all type of difficulties.We were given one bowl and a few utensils.As we got tired we were given milk buns and butter and in the evening after the parade we used to get tea and samosa etc .Life was hard but quite interesting We used to to the river side in the jungle and take bath and used to enjoy.We were given the Lanterns in the tent some torches in the tents.Daily there was a march past and there was siren and we had to fall in in proper lines and if any body was late then he was court marshal led and had to take rounds of the parade ground with both hands up or with rifle and kits on the back of each cadet.The parade march shoes were very heavy and it was our duty to polish our shoes and also to polish our belts with bras so .In the NCC camp we were given the rifle training and shooting and how to handle the heavy 303 rifles with heavy wooden buts.I remember that in second year the Professors Sh Jai Kishan,Pro.Jain taught us theory of structures and Earth quake eng.inneering and cancreat, plain and reinforced concreate pre stressed concrete,Pro.Arya Pb Shahni (survying)Prof.Sr Singh.etc I had a great regard and respect who taught us Now I had lost track of all of the great professors.We had also gone to Kalsi Surveying camp near Dehradun. This was basically plane table surveying practice and we had to plot and submit the papers. Contiued.........