Institutional facilities: Main building of 26 Chatham Lines was the only place immediately available for the location of classrooms in the beginning. The existing tiles of the roof were brought down, supporting rafters and framework were strengthened and retiling of the whole roof was done. The internal partition walls between bedrooms and the attached dressing rooms and bathrooms were removed to turn the bedrooms into four spacious class rooms. The whole building was thoroughly checked, all peeling plasters were removed, repaired and renovated and all walls were given fresh coats of whitewash and paint. All fittings and fixtures of doors, windows and other woodwork were checked, repaired and polished. Side rooms and other accommodation available in the main building was similarly repaired, renovated and refurbished for use as staff rooms, office and library. At the same time, temporary sheds were erected outside the main building, for housing six rooms of 1000 sft each ( 25 ft x 40 ft ) for utilization as drawing halls, laboratories and workshop.
The annexe of the main building was also renovated and turned into two residences for two members of the staff who were expected to look after the safety, security and day to day maintenance of the campus. The outhouses were also brought in shape for providing living accommodation for the supporting staff.
The open land lying between 26 Chatham Lines and 27 Chatham Lines was cleared for making some open space available for playgrounds and recreational activities of the students.
Hostel Facilities: The main building of 29 Chatham lines had a tiled roof, which was in a reasonably good shape. The whole building was thoroughly checked and put through routine repairs, whitewash, paint and polish. The doors, windows, fittings and fixtures were adjusted to make it suitable for use as hostel for the students. There was sufficient outdoor space for playgrounds and recreational activities.
The main building of 30 Chatham lines, belonging to the Raja of Ayodhya was a well built masonry structure. It also had a row of eight to ten well built outhouses. The whole building and the outhouses were thoroughly repaired and refurbished for making them suitable for utilization as the second hostel of the institution.
Furniture and fittings: There were many options for the procurement of furniture and fittings. Bareilly was a popular choice for the purchase of furniture made of shisham. However, time was running out and it was felt that it was not feasible to get supplies from outstation suppliers. The local market of Allahabad was also full of readymade furniture and fittings. However, from considerations of economy, uniformity and utility, it was decided to fabricate the furniture and fittings in the institution premises to suit the specific needs of the institution. Skilled workmen were picked up, timber and other materials were procured and a mini workshop commenced the process of providing custom built furniture and fittings for the class rooms, hostels, offices, laboratories and workshops.
Equipment for laboratories and workshops: Roorkee was a manufacturing hub and marketing centre for the supply of survey and drawing equipment. Suppliers were invited to display their goods at Allahabad and orders were placed directly with the manufacturers in conformity with the expected requirements of the institution, during the first year. Scientific equipment for Chemistry and Physics laboratories was competitively available locally at Allahabad. The local suppliers were invited to display their goods and the orders were finalized on the spot. Equipment for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Laboratories was not readily available at Allahabad. The major suppliers of Calcutta were contacted and orders were placed after inspection of the goods at Calcutta.
Finances: Gradually, the things started shaping up. There was no room for let up in the efforts, but, every new dawn brought a sense of relief. The call letters had gone to the students and the process of depositing the fees in the bank was in motion. The total collection from 400 students was expected to touch rupees two lacs. The amount was sufficient in those days for covering the salaries and allowances of teachers and supporting staff for one year and for meeting normal running expenses of the institution. The remaining funds were utilized for covering the initial costs involved in repairs and renovations of accommodation, for the supply of furniture and fittings for class rooms and offices and for the purchase of equipment needed in first year for laboratories and workshops.
Roll lists and formation of sections: Roll lists were prepared soon after the last date for the payment of fees. The minimum qualification for admission was High School with Science and Mathematics. However, academic background and attainments of the students varied widely. It is helpful for the students as also for the teachers, if the students sitting in a class belong, more or less to similar academic level. Keeping that in mind students with more than 60% marks in intermediate and higher examinations were placed in order of merit in sections A and B. Students with more than 60% marks in High School were placed in section C. Other students with less than 60% marks in intermediate or higher examination were grouped under sections D and E. The remaining students with less than 60% marks in High School were placed in Section F. All sections had 65 to 70 students and names of students were arranged in roll lists in order of merit of the students in their sections. The formation of sections in conformity with the academic level of the students enables the institution to organize differential teaching for different sections.
Allocation of subjects to teachers: Normal teaching load of the lecturers was expected to be 18 hours per week and that of demonstrators and instructors 24 hours per week. We had been able to pick up some extremely experienced persons with long years of active field experience to work as teachers and a group of bright and enthusiastic youngmen, who were raring to shoulder teaching responsibilities in the classrooms, on the shop floors and outside in the field. Most of them did not have previous teaching experience, but that was not much of our worry. The teachers were given the option to choose subjects of their liking and after suitable adjustments, the time-table for the first term was prepared and the sectionwise roll lists and time-table were placed on the notice board. The doors of the institution were opened for the students in the third week of October 1955 without any fanfare and formal ceremonies. The students picked up their roll numbers and copies of timetables and were found moving on their way to the classrooms, laboratories and workshop from the word go, with a lag of almost two months from the start of the session of Civil Engineering Schools of Lucknow.
Behind the Scenes: Vishwamitra was one of the busy lawyers of Allahabad High Court. In the beginning, he used to spend four to six hours in the morning for looking after the repairs and renovation work of the buildings. Then, as things started moving, he got involved in almost every activity connected with giving initial push for functioning of the institution. Even after the institution started functioning, his attachment drew him to the institution in the early hours of the morning and he would spend three to four hours every day, looking up things and tidying up the neglected spots. In spite of his bubbling energies and enthusiasm, his long hours at the institution started taking a toll on his health and his flourishing practice in the High Court. A word had gone round that he was not available to the clients in the court, because he had almost resigned from his profession and was deeply involved in the activities of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. Sometimes, in the end of October 1955, almost two weeks after normal running of teaching work in the institution, he told that it was time to go back to the High Court for picking up the lost threads again.