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In what is good news for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=iim+students&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">IIM students</a> across the country, the college management has decided to transform itself into a global education hub and create facilities usually found in Western hostels- with a pantry on every floor and air-conditioned rooms in order to combat the brunt of Indian summers. 
 
IIM-Trichy, which will move to its new campus sometime in October this year from its transit campus in<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Startups-plan-over-3-fold-jump-in-recruitments-eye-top-engineering-business-schools/articleshow/49241642.cms"> NIT</a> Trichy will be the first <keyword id="19478" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIM">IIM</keyword> to get and experience all these facilities. 
 
According to Professor Prafulla Agnihotri, Director, IIM Trichy, the new hostels will have a pantry room on every floor, so that students- especially international ones who are not comfortable with spicy Indian food have the option to cook their own food. 
 Following in their footsteps, <keyword id="349500" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIM-Udaipur">IIM Udaipur</keyword> also plans to have fully loaded pantries replete with toasters, microwave ovens, induction stoves, utensils and refrigerators. This will be available in the new campus in Balicha which will also be open by October. 
 Moreover, the newer IIMs including IIM Udaipur, and Raipur also plan to have air-conditioned hostels. The IIM <keyword id="112271" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishakapatnam">Vishakapatnam</keyword> campus already has air-conditioned hostels. 
 Maybe the other IIM campuses- <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>, Bangalore, Lucknow and Ahmedabad will also follow suit- for the sake of their students?

IIM students
to get air-conditioned hostels, pantry
rooms on every floor

Air conditioners not only consume a lot of power, escalating your electricity bills, it is also harmful for the environment due to emission of Chlorofluorocarbons, or <keyword id="71878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="CFCs">CFCs</keyword>, which cause depletion of the Ozone layer. They are a dent to the pocket and also to the environment. But, what if we tell you there is a pocket and environment friendly AC too. 
 
To tackle these two major issues, two students, Simran Bajaj and Aishwarya Singh, along with their mentor Maham Malik from Galgotia’s University have designed and engineered an environmental-friendly AC. 
 
“The need for an environmental-friendly and pocket-friendly AC was increasing and that is why we decided to take up this idea,” said Malik. 
 
How it works 
 
The AC works on the principle of cooling air by bringing it in contact with cold copper tubes, which is cooled by a liquid coolant flowing through it. The coolant used is brine. The concept behind it is cooling- on the principle of conduction and convection. 
 
 
 
How effective is the AC 
 
The AC is best suited for small rooms. It has been tested in a room and it dropped the temperature by seven degree Celsius. 
 
“Since it is a low budget AC, it is fit for use in hostel rooms. We have only tested its cooling in a 4x4 room size. It gives a temperature drop of 7 degree Celsius on a hot day,” said Malik. 
 She said that the AC can be used in areas with low voltage and it can beat the industrial <keyword id="6383291" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ACS">ACs</keyword>. 
 
“Cost wise and usage wise, it can give the industrial ACs a tough competition and can be used in areas which have a low voltage supply,” she said. 
 
 
 
How eco-friendly is the AC 
 
The AC works on brine and it isn’t a coolant, which comes under the chemical category. It can be recycled, so no more CFCs. Besides, it does not lead to unwanted humidity in the air nor does it over dry the air on cooling. 
 
It does not consume a lot of electricity. “It is marketable and can be of great use to common people,” said Malik.

These 2 students along with their mentor have built a very effective, pocket and environment friendly AC

It was the long weekend everyone dreams of, but one that rarely comes true. Except, in my case it did. 
 
The Indian festival of Dussehra fell on Thursday, 22nd October. It was a national holiday. 
 
Luckily, for me- so was Friday. And, the two glorious days after that. 
 
The enormity of the opportunity at hand didn’t quite hit me until Thursday morning itself. You could blame it on my laziness or the fact that when you work with a news organization, you start expecting less and less holidays. 
 
But, this was an exception. And, I increasingly became determined to make the most of it. 
 
As minutes passed, my mind grappled with the possible options. And, there were many (One good part about living in Delhi is its proximity to hill stations). 
 
Unfortunately, what I didn’t have on my side was a generous helping of time and funds. A budget trip will have to suffice, I told myself. 
But there arose more questions. 
 
Mussorie? Dharamshala? Nainital? Landsdowne? Rishikesh? 
 
Aided by my internet connection, I checked out accommodation at these places and worked out the logistics in my head. The numbers clearly weren’t in my favour. 
 
And, then I stumbled onto what I thought was the discovery of the day. 
 Touted as India’s first chain of backpackers’ hostel, <keyword id="2232457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Zostel">Zostel</keyword> claims to be the home ground for people with a passion to <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>. 
Its aim? To revolutionize the way youngsters travel in India. 
 
After two days of camping at their Rishikesh address which was brimming with (young) people and activity, a mere two weeks after opening its doors, I’ll tell you this- It’s time to ditch the hotels. 
 
The idea is simple- to make your stay affordable without compromising on the quality. And, boy do they live up to that promise! 
 
 
 
At the moment, Zostel is present in 10 locations in India, apart from having its vase in Veitnam as well. 
 
In India, you can find Zostel at Rishikesh, Goa, Delhi, Pushkar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Agra, Varanasi, Jaipur and Udaipur. 
 
Their accommodation comes in three forms- You could take the easy (spoilt) way out and zero in on the private deluxe room, which comes with a big comfortable double bed, big windows, tiled washroom, AC and a TV- basically everything that you’d expect from a usual hotel room. But that’s where the similarities end. 
 
In a regular hotel, you’d be shelling anything between 2,000-3,000 for this. At Zostel, you’ll need to spend Rs 990. Yes, including taxes. 
This is Zostel’s most expensive option. 
 
The alternatives are such- One bed in a mixed dorm, having either four beds or eight beds, which means, you’d be sharing the dormitory with guys and girls. You’d be paying Rs 350 for the spot. 
 
Not one to ignore the needs of girls who’re wary of sleeping next to the opposite sex, Zostel also has an option where one can share a bed in a girls only dormitory which comprises four spots. The moolah you need to shell out for this? Rs 400 only. 
 
If you’re imagining it as a seedy, unkempt place because of how cheap it is, think no further- you couldn’t be far from the truth. 
Zostel not only boasts of exemplary cleanliness, the entire space is done up in bright colours and has enough books, beanbags and games to keep you hooked. 
 
 
 
Additionally, it also has a lit up terrace and a hangout area replete with mattresses, cushions, a carom board and a TV. Relax your evening away! 
 
Apart from being super economical and delivering big in that bracket, Zostel also lets you meet like-minded travelers and foreigners who are fond of travelling just like you! 
 
There’s more. The staff is friendly and helpful and lets you check-in whenever you want, provided you check-out at time. 
 
Zostel is not what young India wants. It’s clearly what young India needs. 
 
Image credit: Zostel

Listen up solo travellers! I stayed at Zostel the weekend I visited Rishikesh and here’s why you should too

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2024 Olympic Games begin in Paris on July 26 and run until August 11.</li><li>Over 10,000 athletes who play 32 different sports will compete at the Summer Olympics.</li></ul>In the words of Taylor Swift, baby, let the Olympic Games begin.The 2024 Olympic Games will begin in Paris, France, on July 26 and run through August 11. This will be the third time the city has hosted the Olympic Games. London is the only other city with three Summer Olympic Games.The city has been preparing to host the Olympics for years, from building new sporting venues to designing a mascot.Paris settled on the Phryges for its mascot. The red Phrygian caps — also known as Phrygian hats — have historically been used to symbolize freedom. The cone-like caps have ancient roots, but were also used by French revolutionaries to show allegiance to the cause. The mascot demonstrates the 2024 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/the-games/the-brand/mascots">Olympics' goal</a> to "drive a revolution through sport."<div type="image" title="The Olympic mascot — a red Phrygian cap — displaying the Paris 2024 logo stands next to the Olympic torch." height="1334" width="2000" msid="111938120" hostid="261" sizebytes="67168"></div>Paris will be taking advantage of much of its existing infrastructure throughout the Olympics, which helped the city win its bid to host this year's games back in 2017.For instance, the opening ceremony will take place on Paris' iconic River Seine, making it the first summer Olympics to open outside a stadium. The opening ceremony will set the tone for the Games, giving competitors and attendees new ways to explore the city.Triathlon competitors will also swim across the River Seine, bike on the iconic Champs-Élysées, and then run through the streets of Paris before ending up at the Pont Alexandre III bridge. Marathon swimming will start and end at the Pont Alexandre III bridge as well. Likewise, marathon runners will take a route from Paris to Versailles and back, honoring the path protesters took during the Women's March on Versailles in 1789.The closing ceremony will be held at the Stade de France, a stadium that can hold over 77,000 guests. Paris' expansive public transportation system will help athletes and sports fans move throughout the city for the duration of the Olympics.Paris has also invested billions in new infrastructure for the Olympic Games. The developments include the Olympics Aquatics Centre and the Adidas Arena, both of which can seat thousands of spectators.<div type="image" title="The empty Adidas Arena in Paris shows three badminton courts set up, surrounded by &quot;Paris 2024&quot; Olympics logos." height="1333" width="2000" msid="111938130" hostid="261" sizebytes="244748"></div><h2 id="7220da6b-cf1e-4ca0-b699-a6bb90e33c22">The athletes and sports at the 2024 Olympics</h2>According to the International Olympic Committee, the 2024 Olympics will feature some 10,500 athletes.All the athletes competing are the best at their sports, and some will be sure to draw attention at the 2024 Olympic Games.Decorated swimmer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://olympics.com/en/news/kevin-durant-to-katie-ledecky-individual-and-team-records-that-could-be-broken-at-the-olympic-games-paris-2024">Katie Ledecky</a> could secure the record for the most gold medals for an athlete in the women's category if she wins three more medals at the 2024 Games.Likewise, the US men's and women's athletics teams are favorites in the 100 and 200-meter sprints thanks to Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson. Lyles ranks No. 1 in the men's 200m going into the Olympics, while Richardson is first in the women's 100m.Simone Biles' return to the Olympics stage will be one of the most exciting moments of the Games. She's the most decorated gymnast in history but withdrew from multiple events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-simone-biles-getting-the-twisties-was-so-terrifying-and-what-recovery-could-look-like-2021-7">Biles got the "twisties."</a> But she seems more ready than ever for the Olympics.Biles won the all-around title at the US Gymnastics Championships on June 2, and she led the US Olympic Gymnastic Trials later the same month. She'll compete at the 2024 Olympics alongside her teammates Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera.<div type="image" title="Simone Biles wearing a red, white, and blue leotard" height="1667" width="2500" msid="111938125" hostid="261" sizebytes="137894"></div>The 2024 Olympic Games will feature 32 sports in its program, some of which have different disciplines within them, like artistic gymnastics versus rhythmic gymnastics.The 2024 program includes the following sports:<ul><li>Aquatics — Swimming, Marathon Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, and Artistic Swimming</li><li>Archery</li><li>Athletics</li><li>Badminton</li><li>Basketball — 3x3 and Basketball</li><li>Boxing</li><li>Breaking</li><li>Canoe — Canoe Sprint and Canoe Slalom</li><li>Cycling — BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Road Cycling, and Track Cycling</li><li>Equestrian — Equestrian Eventing, Equestrian Dressage, and Equestrian Jumping</li><li>Fencing</li><li>Football</li><li>Golf</li><li>Gymnastics — Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Trampoline Gymnastics</li><li>Handball</li><li>Hockey</li><li>Judo</li><li>Modern Pentathlon</li><li>Rowing</li><li>Rugby — Rugby Sevens</li><li>Sailing</li><li>Shooting</li><li>Skateboarding</li><li>Sport Climbing</li><li>Surfing</li><li>Table Tennis</li><li>Taekwondo</li><li>Tennis</li><li>Triathlon</li><li>Volleyball — Beach Volleyball and Volleyball</li><li>Weightlifting</li><li>Wrestling — Greco-Roman Wrestling and Freestyle Wrestling</li></ul>The 2024 games will feature new sports like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/breaking-world-championships-olympics-korean-breakers-2023-9">breaking</a> — also known as breakdancing — and kayak cross, which is a new event in the canoe slalom.On the flip side, the 2024 Olympics has dropped some sports from its program; baseball, softball, and karate have all been cut this year. The IOC has not given any official reasons for why these sports were dropped.<h2 id="7457e8dd-f0da-4e3b-add0-7c73ab469c0c">How to watch or attend the 2024 Olympics</h2>You can watch the 2024 Olympics on NBC and Telemundo in the US, and they can also be streamed on Peacock and <a target="_blank" href="http://NBCOlympics.com">NBCOlympics.com,</a> though you'll need a login or cable verification to stream.Many tickets for the Paris Olympics sold out months ago. But the IOC released new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tickets.paris2024.org/en/search/?affiliate=24R">tickets</a> on July 18 for events, including the Opening Ceremonies, ranging in price from €15 to €2700, or about $16 to $2,938 USD.<div type="image" title="A boat full of tourists passes by a series of empty stands along the banks of the Seine in Paris, where the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony will be held." height="1333" width="2000" msid="111938133" hostid="261" sizebytes="263800"></div>If you can snag last-minute tickets, you will still have to find somewhere to stay during your trip to Paris unless you live locally. Most of the hotels in the area are already sold out, but some places have last-minute availability.For instance, Airbnb is a worldwide partner of the 2024 Olympics, and it has a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=8ef5538bf983b7705b84ca82bb7f60e4da1aaafbb3eabb76ed5b3c7f2bb3b7de&amp;postID=66880963cbc59e61ceb7ffa4&amp;postSlug=paris-summer-olympics-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Fe%2Fparis2024stays">landing page</a> set up to specifically help people find lodging for the games. The Paris Olympics also has a list of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/spectator/accomodation">preferred hotel groups</a> on its website as well as recommendations on affordable lodging like hostels.Visitors will also need to plan ahead for traveling within Paris during the games. The price of metro tickets during the Olympics will be higher than normal, but the city is making <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/en/tickets-fares/detail/paris2024-pass">Paris 2024 travel cards</a> available that offer unlimited metro access. The passes can provide access for between one and seven days and will be available from July 20 to September 8. A seven-day card costs €70, which is about $76.<h2 id="f6ffc5ec-a6ab-4785-991e-64cb0f489440">Controversies leading up to the 2024 Olympics in Paris</h2>Although the Olympics are an exciting endeavor for Paris, the lead-up to the Games hasn't been stress-free for the city.Parisians have been widely critical of how much money has been invested in the games — the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-olympics-costs-tickets-stadiums-2024-7">2024 Olympics will cost France</a> an estimated $8.2 billion.Others have raised concerns about pollution in the notoriously filthy Seine, where several Olympic events are set to occur. Some French activists even threatened to protest by pooping in the Seine.Despite swimming being banned in the Seine since 1923 due to the extensive pollution, athletes for the triathlon and marathon swimming events will be testing the murky waters.The French government invested more than $1.5 billion over roughly a decade to make the Seine clean enough for Olympic competition, but data from the city of Paris showed that levels of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seine-river-paris-still-too-polluted-olympics-city-officials-2024-6">E. coli and other bacteria in the Seine</a> were too high just weeks ahead of the Olympics. However, E. coli levels dropped as the games approached, and on July 17, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine with other French officials to send the message that clean-up efforts were a success.<div type="image" title="Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the River Seine." height="1333" width="2000" msid="111938136" hostid="261" sizebytes="179344"></div>Paris has also been criticized for not providing athletes with air conditioning in their rooms at the Olympic Village, instead opting for an eco-friendly cooling system.Paris hoped to promote sustainability with their design. But many countries were concerned about the lack of AC, as Paris will be extremely hot during the games. Heat can pose risks to the athletes' health and performance, so some nations are even providing their teams with portable AC units, using more energy than Paris had hoped. Team USA is among them.France has also been scrutinized for barring its athletes from competing in a hijab or any other religious headwear during the Olympic Games. Athletes from other countries can wear hijabs while they compete because they will adhere to International Olympic Committee rules, not French regulations.Both the UN and Amnesty International have condemned France's stance. Amnesty International said hijab bans "undermine efforts to make sports more inclusive and mean that Muslim players and athletes who wear a hijab in France will continue to be discriminated against."To top it off, three aviation unions threatened to strike just before the games were set to begin. The aviation workers demanded bonuses for all airport staff ahead of the busy pre-Olympics travel season. The unions struck a deal with airport management and called off the strike just in time, however.Despite the setbacks, it's finally time for the Olympic Games to start.

Paris 2024 Olympics: What to know about the athletes and sports at the summer games

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image">Thomas SnerdleySnerdley's packing system laid out before a trip.</div></div>With their reputation for adaptability and traveling at a moment's notice, it's no surprise that a military veteran had an outstanding answer to the <a href="http://www.quora.com/Tips-and-Hacks-for-Everyday-Life/What-are-the-best-travel-hacks">"What Are the Best Travel Hacks?" question on Quora</a>.
Thomas Snerdley, an airman who served in Iraq and a former military brat, has traveled around the world more than a few times and in the process developed a system for traveling light and efficiently.
<a href="http://www.quora.com/Tips-and-Hacks-for-Everyday-Life/What-are-the-best-travel-hacks/answer/Thomas-Snerdley">Here's his advice from Quora</a>, republished with permission here: 
1. The Two Bag System. Every pro traveler I've ever met travels light using some variation of this system.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">Courtesy of BoreasBoreas Bolinas 30-liter waterproof travel bag.</div></div></div>
Bag#1: Travel bag: High quality 25-40 liter travel pack with (preferably fold-away) hip belt. This is for clothes, electronics, toiletries, gifts. Put all your liquids/gels in a quart Ziploc by itself for easy inspection removal. My clothes are rolled up into <a href="http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-2-sided-half-cube/d/1083">an Eagle Creek 2-sided travel cube</a> with a plastic divider in the middle to separate the clean from the unwashed (isolating the smell away from the clean clothes and the rest of the bag) without having to pack two separate clothes bags ... genius! Always leave the travel bag at least one third empty for souvenirs and to leave room to carry:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:300px"><div class="image">Eagle CreekEagle Creek Two Sided Packing Cube</div></div>
Bag #2: Purse/man-bag or hiking waist-pack: Everything you will need to survive up to 18 hours in your airplane, train, boat, bus or tuktuk seat (e.g., iPad, smartphone, snacks, eyeshade, earplugs, wet wipes, water bottle, etc). You never have to touch your main travel bag after putting it in the overhead bin.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:300px"><div class="image">Nite IzeNite Ize Gear Ties</div></div>2. Going through Security: Put the small bag inside the big bag. Put everything except your picture ID and boarding pass into one of the big bag's zippered pockets and secure it with a heavy duty twist-tie (I use Nite Ize gear ties).
Since your Ziploc bag with liquids/gels is in its own pocket (right?) you won't accidentally lose anything taking it out for inspection. 
After clearing security, it'll take 30 seconds to put the Ziploc bag back in, your shoes back on and be on your way. Walk until you find a nice quiet area of the airport away from potential pickpockets to put everything back in your pants pockets. Walk by the folks paying $4.50 for a small bottle of water and, without being smug, fill your empty water bottle from a drinking fountain. (<a href="http://www.canidrinkthewater.org/">Check here to see if the water is safe to drink.</a>)
3. How do I know what to bring? As you pack your bags, make a text list on your smartphone of everything you pack. On your trip, once in a while when you're bored waiting for a bus or plane, go through the list and put a + next to everything you actually used. Next time you travel, don't pack anything without a + next to it.
Even after all these years my travel pack gets a little lighter every time I travel. That's important because if it's too early to check in to a hotel, I can actually walk around town all day with my light pack (with at least 75% of the weight resting on the hip belt, not the shoulder straps!) unlike "overpackers". 
 4. How do I wash my clothes, for free? In the shower with hotel soap and/or shampoo, while you're still wearing them. That's why world travelers swear by quick-dry Marmot, Icebreaker and Ex-Officio clothing. Start with t-shirt, socks, shorts, undies, then yourself. 
After your shower, first wring them out as dry as you can without overly stressing the fabric. Then, lay a hotel towel out on the bed, put one article of clothing on it at a time, roll it up as tightly as possible, then sit on it for a few seconds. This gets them much drier than hand-wringing alone. Your clothes will now easily air dry overnight draped over the furniture even if there's no fan or A/C.
5. How do I figure out where to stay and what to do, for free? Before you travel: <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page">WIKITRAVEL </a>or Quora. After you travel: ask people.
My personal system is to upload Wikitravel pages to my Evernote account, which I have set to automatically download to my iPhone, so I can use them even with no Internet connection. No muss, no fuss ...
6. How do I make friends in a strange city or country if I don't know anyone and I'm an introvert (that's me!)? Sign up for a several-hour activity of some kind through your hotel, hostel or whoever's offering one. Elephant riding, bamboo raft ride, parasailing, ziplining, hot springs soak, cooking class ... doesn't matter, whatever floats your boat. You'll inevitably meet people with whom you have something in common, strike up a conversation, and gather serious intel on this location (since they've probably been there a day or two) and lots of other places they just visited that they can't wait to tell you about and show you pictures of themselves standing in front of.

You Searched For "AC hostels" and got 6 results

IIM students to get air-conditioned hostels, pantry rooms on every floor

Poulomi Das

These 2 students along with their mentor have built a very effective, pocket and environment friendly AC

HASAN BABAR

Listen up solo travellers! I stayed at Zostel the weekend I visited Rishikesh and here’s why you should too

Poulomi Das

Paris 2024 Olympics: What to know about the athletes and sports at the summer games

Samantha Grindell

Air Force Veteran Shares His Tips For Efficient Packing And Traveling

Harrison Jacobs

Maharashtra identified 14 districts as red zones— here’s the complete list of containment zones in Mumbai and Pune

Navdeep Yadav

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