Institutional Mandate
About the Middle Layer Committee
A consultative and coordination conduit connecting campus users, Hostel System Administrators, and the Computer Centre at IIT Bombay.
Mandate & Institutional Charter
Established in 2002 at IIT Bombay, the Institute Middle Layer Committee (MLC) serves as a vital communicative layer between the Computer Centre (CC) and the student body.
Campus computing infrastructure encompasses thousands of student endpoints across residential hostels. MLC ensures that user requirements, hostel network realities, and policy updates are systematically conveyed between students, system administrators, and central administration.
Conveying student computing requirements and hostel network reliability concerns.
Assisting in reviewing acceptable use policies and security compliance frameworks.
Supporting hostel System Administrators with protocols and CC liaison channels.
Operational Scope & Boundaries
Understanding committee boundaries ensures rapid routing to the authoritative office.
- Conveying collective student concerns and network grievances to Computer Centre leadership.
- Assisting in the formulation, review, and communication of campus computing and network policies.
- Coordinating with Hostel System Administrators (SysAds) on hostel network health and computer room status.
- Reviewing student access restriction appeals for legitimate academic research traffic.
- Promoting responsible computing, clean LAN hygiene, and compliance with IIT Bombay guidelines.
- Operating or maintaining central servers, LDAP credentials, or authentication databases (handled by CC).
- Providing individual repair service for personal student laptops or private equipment.
- Running an independent grievance ticketing backend (official tickets belong on CC Helpdesk).
- Issuing disciplinary penalties independently (penalties follow Institute DAC and CC regulations).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Institute Middle Layer Committee?
The Institute Middle Layer Committee (MLC) is an institutional coordination body functioning under the Students' Gymkhana and the Computer Centre at IIT Bombay. Appointed student conveners and representatives work in close liaison with the Computer Centre to address student computing concerns, formulate policies, and assist hostel SysAds.
When should I contact MLC instead of the Computer Centre Helpdesk?
For personal technical faults (e.g. your room ethernet jack has failed, or you need an LDAP password reset), always start with your Hostel SysAd or log a ticket on the CC Helpdesk. If an entire wing or hostel faces protracted downtime, or you have an institutional policy grievance, contact MLC as your liaison advocate.
How are MLC members appointed?
MLC representatives are appointed annually through an open institute-wide selection process conducted at the commencement of each academic session, vetted by outgoing committee leadership and faculty in-charge.
Have a suggestion or agenda item for MLC?
Drop an email to the committee at mlc@iitb.ac.in.