Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Former IIT Delhi Director Proposes Flexible Five-Year BTech Programmes
V. Ramgopal Rao says IIT students do not all begin with the same preparation.
Some have had intensive coaching, while others may face language or learning challenges.
He says it is difficult for one teacher to teach everyone at the same speed.
Rao suggests designing BTech programmes as five-year courses for all students.
Students who finish the required credits could still graduate in four years or even three and a half years.
Students who need more time could study during a fifth year without being treated as failures.
Extra help could include recorded lessons, online materials and language support.
Rao says the pace should depend on how students perform after entering IIT, not on their entrance rank or admission category.
He says the plan should preserve academic standards rather than lower them.
V. Ramgopal Rao proposed making five years the default duration for IIT BTech programmes.
Students meeting credit requirements could graduate in four years or, in some cases, three and a half years.
Students needing more time could use the fifth year with recorded lectures, online materials and language assistance.
Rao said varied academic preparation, coaching backgrounds, language abilities and JEE Advanced ranks make a one-size-fits-all approach ineffective.
The proposal follows protests and controversy at IIT Bombay after a BTech student’s death, while allegations and circumstances remain 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 proposed a five-year default BTech structure allowing eligible students to graduate in four years or, in some cases, three and a half years.
- When
- The proposal was reported on September 23, 2026, amid controversy and protests following an IIT Bombay student’s death.
- Where
- The proposal concerns IITs, including IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.
- Why
- Rao said IIT classrooms contain students with widely different academic preparation, coaching experiences, language backgrounds and learning styles.
- Proposed duration
- Five years by default, with earlier completion based on credits and academic performance.
- Early completion
- Eligible students could finish in four years or, in some cases, three and a half years.
- Fifth-year support
- Support could include recorded lectures, online learning material and language assistance.
- Basis for pacing
- A student’s performance after joining IIT, rather than admission category or JEE Advanced rank.
- Rao’s rationale
- IIT classrooms have become increasingly heterogeneous, making a single teaching pace difficult.
- Existing IIT Bombay route
- IIT Bombay offers a three-year exit route leading to a BSc (Engineering) after 160 credits and six semesters.
- Other institutional provisions
- IIT Delhi has multiple-entry and exit provisions, while IIT Madras offers staged exits in its online BS programmes.
