1 hr ago
Former IIT Director Proposes Flexible Five-Year BTech Structure
V Ramgopal Rao says IIT students do not all enter college with the same preparation.
Some may learn quickly, while others need more time or extra help.
He suggests calling BTech a five-year programme for everyone.
Students who earn enough credits could still graduate in four years or even three and a half.
Students who need more time could use the fifth year without feeling they had failed.
Extra help could include recorded lessons, online materials and language support.
This idea is different from simply leaving college early with a certificate or another degree.
Rao says the goal is to keep academic standards while letting students learn at different speeds.
Former IIT Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao has proposed making five years the default BTech duration, while allowing eligible students to graduate sooner.
Students completing the required credits could finish in four years or, in some cases, three and a half years.
Students needing more time could use a fifth year with recorded lectures, online material and language support.
Rao says varied academic backgrounds, languages, coaching and learning styles make a one-size-fits-all classroom difficult.
The proposal comes amid student protests at IIT Bombay following a BTech student’s death, whose circumstances and alleged caste discrimination are under investigation.
- Who
- Former IIT Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao proposed the change, with IIT students and institutions at the center of the discussion.
- What
- Rao suggested a five-year default BTech structure with completion possible in four years or, for some students, three and a half years.
- Where
- The discussion concerns IITs, including IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.
- When
- The proposal was made amid protests at IIT Bombay following a BTech student’s death.
- Why
- Rao says students have widely differing preparation, language backgrounds, coaching experiences and learning styles, creating pressure in one-size-fits-all classes.
Key facts
- Proposed structure
- Five-year BTech by default, with earlier completion based on credits and performance.
- Earlier completion
- Eligible students could graduate in four years or, in some cases, three and a half years.
- Additional support
- The fifth year could include recorded lectures, online material and language assistance.
- Main rationale
- IIT classrooms include students with widely different academic preparation and learning needs.
- NEP 2020 model
- The policy allows three- or four-year undergraduate programmes with multiple entry and exit points.
- IIT Bombay route
- IIT Bombay offers a three-year exit route leading to a BSc (Engineering) after 160 credits and six semesters.
- Other IIT provisions
- IIT Delhi has multiple-entry and exit provisions, while IIT Madras offers staged exits in its online BS programmes.
Quotes
V Ramgopal Rao
Former IIT Delhi director and former IIT faculty member
“Coaching had prepared them to solve familiar types of questions quickly. Many are lost when they see a question which they haven’t solved before.”
indianexpress.com
“With such heterogeneity, can we expect every student to learn at the same pace?”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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