 CURRICULUM: MEETING EMERGING NEEDS

The system allows each IIT with flexibility to evolve its own curricula and syllabi. Respective Senates review this on an on-going basis and make appropriate revisions. The Group did not therefore consider it necessary to dwell on specific academic issues. Instead, it addressed itself to the duration of courses at the UG and PG levels and in the manner in which they are structured.

B.Tech Programme

8.1 The 4-year B.Tech programme does not provide time for students to get adequate exposure to industry. Summer practical training does not receive the attention it deserves either from students or industry. The Group recommends that the B.Tech programme should be extended to 5 years with the student spending the final year as an "intem" in industry. This internship should form an integral part of the curricula and should be planned, implemented and evaluated in conjunction with industry. This would have several advantages. For the student, it would provide 'hands-on' experience in productions planning manufacturing methods and QC proceedures. For the industry, it would provide infusion of new ideas at minimal cost, with no commitment for continued employment. For the IITs, it would provide an additional source of revenue.

The Group recommends that placement interviews should begin well towards the end of the 7th semester so that the student knows what would be expected of him by industry and can choose electives to suit his specific needs. Designated faculty members should counsel the students in the choice of subjects in association with industry. Industry should also be required to present an internship plan which would outline what the student would accomplish during his period of attachment. Thus, the onus of practical training would be shared by the IITs and the Industry. The Group further recommends that during the period of internship, designated faculty members should visit places of attachment to jointly monitor and evaluate students,

As stated in earlier section of this report, presently industry would pay 50 percent of the stipend (around Rs. 2,500 per month) to the student and an equal amount to the IIT for the internship period. This is by no means excessive as starting salaries of untrained B.Tech students are in excess of this,

Masters Programme

8.2 The regular Masters programme is of 3-semester duration; two semesters of course work and one semester of project work. This does not really give students an opportunity of effective exposure to the industry*5.

4*. A spin-off would be the development of relationships between faculty and industry in areas other than student placement.

5*. Though there is a provision for doing the M.Tech project in collaboration with industry.

The Group recommends a 2-year M.Tech programme with the student spending one full semester in industry, As in the case of B.Tech students, industry would pay for the services which the student would provide; payment of a stipend of Rs. 3,000 per month to the student and an equivalent compensation to the Institute would be equitable. The students' performance should be monitored by designated faculty to ensure that he makes a meaningful contribution. As the M.Tech project would be evolved in collaboration with industry, it would lead to constant flow in information to the IIT system of areas of maximum concern to industry.

Joint B.Tech/MBA Programme

8.3 In the IIT system, the management subjects are covered through a "minor area programme" in which B.Tech students in any discipline have the option to take a "minor area" in management.This minor area involves taking 20 credits out of the approximately 200 credits for the degree. As this is very popular with students, the Group recommends a double degree programme of a total duration of 5 years at the end of which students will get a B.Tech degree in their discipline and also an MBA.

Students opting for this double degree programme would be selected through a competitive examination at the 5th or the 6th semester stage and the courses would be so structured that they meet both engineering and management requirements. Such programmes are available in several well known universities in the USA, and would meet an oft expressed need of industry. This would supplement the exclusive 2-year MBA programme which would retain its individual identity.