Student life at IIIT Delhi is considered to be quite challenging but also rewarding. Students don’t have to be engrossed in academics throughout the day and can follow the Work Smarter not Harder mantra here. Attend the classes sincerely and pay attention to everything that is being covered. Apart from lectures 2–3 hours of focused studying a day is more than enough to get decent marks. Additionally, you will have to spend 1–2 hours daily on project work. 

Students have opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities like music, dance, software development, scripting, literature, quizzing, business, robotics, speedcubing, etc. There is also a new sports complex and the other sports facilities are also top notch.

Overall, many students at IIIT Delhi find their experience at IIIT Delhi to be positive and valuable.

No, CSAM at IIIT Delhi is definitely not worth it. Here is a detailed review of the program as shared by a friend 

• Branch Structure: In the first year, students are taught subjects the same as CSE, The course structure becomes challenging after the first year, There are 2 math courses added every semester. In the 4th semester complex subjects like Algorithm design, Abstract Algebra, Differential Equations, and an elective from Physics, Maths, Bio, etc. are included in the syllabus. No core CSE courses like DBMS, CO, or OS are even offered to CSAM students. Overall, there are 7 compulsory Math courses and 5 CS courses. So, out of 15 courses to be done in the last 2 years, 12 are compulsory. 2 are compulsory for everyone and CSAM students have only 1 slot.
• Professors: Most professors are highly educated, and offer extremely challenging courses. Students aren’t asked basic questions or theorems taught in class. The grading scheme is also quite tough for these courses.
• Placements: CSAM placements at IIIT Delhi depend more on individual profiles and skills than the college. Usually, companies dont prefer CSAM students over CSE because they are taught core courses like DBMS, OS, CO, etc. CSAM BTech placement percentage this year stood at 98.44%. 

All in all, the CSAM branch of IIIT Delhi isn't a good choice if you are primarily interested in placements. It is futile to study such high-level Math if only your knowledge of Data Structures, OS, DBMS, etc. will be considered during placements. CSAM should be considered only if you are interested in research in applied math.

Change of branch at IIIT Delhi is possible but subject to certain rules and regulations. The change of branch from one program to the other begins only after the grades of the second semester are out. You will have to fill a form for the same and can also mention more than one program in the order of preference. Here are the rules and regulations pertaining to branch change

• You must have passed all credits specified for the first two semesters of the B.Tech. program. 
• You must have received a B- or better grade in both CSE courses of the first year, to be eligible for transfer to the CSE program.
• You must have received a B- or better grade in both ECE courses as well as both Mathematics courses of the first year, to be eligible for transfer to ECE program.
• You must have received a B- or better grade in both CSE courses as well as both Mathematics courses of the first year, to be eligible for transfer to the CSAM program.
• The students eligible for program transfer will be ordered in a priority list based on CGPA.
• The final strength of any program shall not be reduced by more than 10% of its base strength. Also, the final strength of any program shall not increase by more than 10% of its base strength.

Hope this helps you!

I am an alumnus of B.Tech CSE from IIIT Delhi. I joined in 2008. These were the two most difficult courses in CSE during my time-

Only 2008 and 2009 batch students got to study under Khushil Saini. He taught Digital Circuits to first-semester students, and Computer Organization to second-semester students. Sir taught at NSUT before joining IIIT Delhi. 12 was the most one could score in Computer Organization, to pass with a D grade. However, some students did manage to score mid-twenties and get a B grade in both faculty subjects. Lab practicals were their saving grace. 

But while his marking scheme was so frightening, sir was a very polite person. He addressed us as a friend and was not threatening at all. Then there was the Theory of Computation taught by Dr. Astrid Kiehn. From a class of 60, 26 of us failed his course.

In spite of every hardship, I miss IIIT Delhi since graduating from this college.

Dropping a year would not be a wise decision if you are genuinely interested in CSE, and have an option of joining IIIT Delhi. I don’t think the college name matters to the extent that you would be giving up on the chance of joining IIIT Delhi CS. In fact, it’s slowly making its own name and in a few years will be among the top engineering colleges in India. Moreover, your UG college is just a stepping stone and its brand name won’t matter much and does not correlate with one’s success.

Joining IIIT Delhi will open doors to multiple opportunities like working on big projects, exploring hobbies, and traveling. If you choose to take a drop year, you will be struggling again with the same exam just to get a better rank. Personally, I don’t think these exams are authentic measures of an individual’s aptitude for computer science. 

A close friend of mine was in a similar dilemma and was about to take a drop year when his mother persuaded him against the decision he finally decided to join IIIT Delhi and later realized it to be the best decision of his life. The 4 years were an ethereal experience allowing him to explore his research interests, learn and apply what’s new in computer science, and grow as an individual. So, in your case too, taking a drop year isn’t advisable. 

IIIT Delhi was initially established as a State University on a self-sustainable model. Although the Government has provided the land and the capital the University needs a lot of funds to sustain itself in the long run. The cost increases every year due to inflation and so to maintain the balance, IIIT Delhi is left with no option but to increase its fees. 

However, IIITD has provisions for fee waivers for students with weak economic backgrounds. Students are also allowed to work as TAs or interns with faculty and receive compensation given that you have an excellent academic record.

So, the hike will not stop in the near future given the fact that IIIT Delhi is still in its developing phase.