The IITs are a brand themselves. IITs like IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur are getting ranked among the top institutes in the world, and that's a very big achievement for our country. Although IIT Bhilai is a newly formed IIT, it will make its way to one of the top institutes of our country. So if you are able to secure a seat at IIT Bhilai it is better to go for it rather than choosing NIT Raipur.

NIT Raipur is also a great institute with great faculty and good placement records over the years, but my suggestion is to go for IIT Bhilai. Students at IIT Bhilai are mentored by IIT Hyderabad which has a great reputation in terms of CSE Branch. 

The faculty of the CSE branch at IIT Hyderabad is great at their job and they mentor the students of IIT Bhilai. They also have their own faculty from top NITs which are better in the ranking than NIT Raipur. 

So it can be a safe decision to choose IIT Bhilai for the CSE branch and as an IITian it will be also helpful in the future during placements or applying for a job at top companies.

Most of the newly constructed IITs suffer from the same problems compared to the old ones. They include lack of infrastructure, unchartered territory, etc. If you have to choose, go by branch and not by the IIT brand name. You can opt for other colleges like BITS Pilani, NIT Trichy/Warangal as they will provide much better opportunities, considering placements.

If you want to study CSE among these two top colleges, it won't require comparison. Both are doing well and have equally good placements, average packages, and campus life. So, for other branches, IIT Bhilai will be a good choice because practicals and research work are better at IIT Bhilai.

One of my juniors is pursuing his BTech from IIT Bhilai. Some of the important details about the institute are discussed below according to his experience at the institute. 

Campus:

• It shares the GEC Raipur campus. As GEC Raipur is a government based engineering college, the campus is good enough to accommodate 3 more colleges at the same time.
• In comparison to other IITs, the campus is quite small in size.
• The main campus will probably start in the next 5 years.

Academics:

• You may think that a new IIT may not have much good quality of academics but the fact is that the level of faculties appointed is the same for all IIT’s.
• In the case of newer ones, you are at an advantage since the class-strength is lower. It is easy to interact with the teachers and understand the topics taught in class. 
• Moreover, the institute set up the labs at a good pace, so that the academics won’t lag behind. 

Cultural Activities & Events:

• The college had recently organized its first tech event in 2017, named ‘TECHMAITRY’. In the same year, IIT Bhilai also had its first cultural cum tech fest.
• Besides this, there are good clubs and their activities take place such as Dance Club, Music Club, Orators Club, etc.

Sports & Games:

• Proceeding further towards sports & games, the institute is getting a large number of participants in upcoming years.
• The college participated in Inter-IIT sports meets for games like badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and athletics over the years.
• Recently, the college also had basketball, football, and cricket matches and similarly, it will add more in forthcoming years.

For further details regarding the clubs, labs, etc. you may ask your seniors, they will be able to guide you in a better way.

There is a myth that the new IITs are not that good since it does not have a vast alumni network. Which is true to some extent. But it is not always the case. 

IIT Bhilai is a prestigious college to attend. It is one of the youngest and fastest-growing third-generation IITs under the guardianship of IIT Hyderabad. It is an autonomous institute with decent academics, great faculty, and excellent placement records.

Academics:

• The selection procedure of faculty is at par with any other IIT.
• The institute has well-qualified, supportive faculty members.
• You are supposed to clear JEE Advanced and those bases decide to pursue science at a top institute. You should not be worried about the academics being so hard as JEE prepares you in a unique style.
• The fractal system of academics is followed here.

Campus and Infrastructure:

• IIT Bhilai has a transit campus located at the Government College of Engineering Raipur while its permanent campus is under construction and expected to start functioning by the year 2022.
• The college offers a host of facilities like hostels for boys and girls, well-equipped labs and classrooms, sports facilities, a library, and more.

Sports Facilities:

• The institute holds a position in the lines of grades 9&10 in the inter-IIT events.
• The talent pool of the institute is too small due to low batch strength in comparison with other IITs. Due to that reason, the participants perform very well.
• The batch strength is likely to rise in the upcoming years.

Placement Opportunities:

IIT Bhilai is the best institute among the new IITs and is a great institution for studying. It offers a plethora of opportunities in terms of academics, training, placements, and above all, the exposure and expertise of an IIT institution.