ACADEMIA
 

11 IITs should continue to offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. (Para 4.1.2)

12 The student strength of undergraduate and postgraduate courses should be aimed to be maintained at 1:1 ratio, (Para 4.1.3)

13 The overall student strength at any one campus should not ordinarily exceed 2500. (Para 4.1.4)

14 Instead of starting new IITs, wherever higher technical manpower is needed, support to Departments/Engineering Colleges/Centres who have done well, is recommended. (Para 4.1.5)

15 B.Tech level programmes in the IITs should aim at:

-greater flexibility and actual availability of a wide choice of electives;

-new technology and system involving cross-disciplinary perspectives;

-experimental and innovative programmes to foster creativity;

-maintaining a science-based engineering curriculum. (Paras 4.2.2 to 4.2.4)

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16 M.Tech. programmes must be carefully chosen and designed to serve the following objectives:

-prepare teachers for engineering education;

- provide trained manpower to industry with the capability to influence upgradation and absorption of technology and setting up of new high-technology industries. (Para 4.3.1)

17 We endorse the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee that the M.Tech. degree be prescribed as a minimum qualification for recruitment to many positions in the engineering profession in industry, R&D organisations, Electricity Boards, PWDs, Post and Telegraphs, Railways etc. The present policy and practice of recruiting graduate engineers at the lowest levels (single point entry) to many services should be modified to allow for lateral entry at higher levels. As an incentive and mark of recognition it should be mandatory to give not less than two advance increments wherever postgraduated degree holders are recruited (para 4.3.1)

18 Conscious and concerted effort is needed to excel in research activities so as to be in the forefront of research in atleast a few of the emerging areas, and to build competent research groups of international standing. (Para 4.4.1)

19 The impact of the IITs through research and development activities has not been conspicuous for varied reasons, including the unpreparedness of industry, policy support for technology imports and foreign collaboration and non-involvement with development-oriented projects. Conscious and positive steps should be taken to make the presence of IITs felt in this area. It is recommended that:

-an Industrial Foundation independent in its normal day- to-day functions, may be set up in each IIT. It should work as a commercial corporate body with its own budget and Plan for marketing its research and consultancy capability (CSIC of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore is one example);

- IITs may get involved in setting up innovative centres, S&T parks, industry owned research centres etc., adjacent to the campuses;

- faculty members may be encouraged to become entrepreneurs taking three year leave following the CSIR pattern. (Para 4.4.2 to 4.4.6)

20 IITs either directly or preferably through the proposed Industrial Foundation should compete for and get plan assistance from Department of Science and Technology (SERC and GRS), Department of Electronics, Department of Defence Research, Department of Energy and others to do research and consultancy work in identified "thrust areas" in the national S&T plan. (Para 4.4.7)

21 A number of "thrust areas" have been identified and a synoptic view given on them by faculty of IITs. These should be examined by the Academic Advisory Committee of the IIT Council. Internal and external funding of these projects is recommended. para(4.4.8)

22 IITs should have greater interaction between themselves and with outside educational institutions, universities, CSIR and other research laboratories, taking a lead in technology missions of national priority. Industry-Research-Education should become a closely linked triad. (Para 4.4.9)

23 Besides the newer areas of high technology in the emerging fields, IITs should also take up research and development activities related to the environment in which they are located. If successful, the impact will be more visible and the role of these higher seats of learning will be well appreciated by the community. It will also condition the student to relate to his surroundings. It is recommended that:

- public service in some meaningful form should be organised for participation both by the teachers and the taught;

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-the IITs should diagnose problems/needs of nearby rural community and work on their solutions through application of technology;

- the IITs should enlarge their interaction with other technical institutions and colleges in the region. The interaction can take varied forms. A periodical review of the above functions should be carried out. (Para 4.4.10)

24 Industry-IIT linkages have to be strengthened considerably. There are now a number of technology-oriented industries who are appreciative of the importance of the linkages and inclined to cooperate fully in giving access to the facilities and resources available with them. It is recommended that IITs (through Industrial Foundation, as and when it is formed), take more positive steps in this direction to remove the shortcomings. (para 4.5.1)

25 To promote greater linkages between IITs and Industry and IITs' involvement in national development projects, it is recommended that:

- faculty should spend compulsorily one of their sabbaticals in industry;

- IITs should invite competent persons from industry to be adjunct professors;

- IITs should be involved in technology missions connected with national development projects;

- the government may extend tax concessions for contributions made by the industry to IITs. (para 4.5.2)

26 IITs should also undertake technology surveys. IITs should have some association with bodies like DGTD.DOE etc. who regulate import of technology. (Para 4.5.3)

27 It is recommended that IITs use their facilities more intensively to spread education. Some of the suggestions are:

- evening classes in some specialised subjects for employed persons;

- continuing education through seminars and other programmes. (Para 4.5.4)

28 A large number of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels are being offered by the academic departments and school of studies. While this is as it should be, some important points have to be borne in mind:

- Programmes should be reviewed periodically and updated and modified to match with the needs of the country, and the developments in Science & Technology. New programmes (like Bio-science) may have to be introduced as interlocking/supporting ones to produce doctoral manpower to work on "thrust areas" and leading edge of technology.

- Doctorate degrees may be offered on work relating to developmental projects, hardware, experimental work, instrumentation etc-areas in which the IIT faculty seem to have an ambivalent attitude.

- Programmes be shifted from the traditional areas towards inter-disciplinary ones like Materials Science, Energy System, Instrumentation etc. These should be normally offered as postgraduate programmes. Over the years separate undergraduate programmes in these areas be evolved, giving up the traditional areas. In the early stages, these postgraduate programmes of inter- disciplinary subjects can be based on elective course structure instead of starting a separate department/centre for it.

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- Innovative ideas should be attempted such as starting of integrated five year course leading to M.Tech. degree; and modular courses to give students greater flexibility in transfer between institutes and to change disciplines.

- Modern teaching aids like audio-visual, computers etc. to be increasingly used. (Paras 4.6.1 to 4.6.7)

29 Academic departments in the IITs handle both teaching and research. The number of departments vary from IIT to IIT-largest at Kharagpur and smallest at Kanpur. It is recommended that such departments whose load is below an optimum level and not likely to build up in the near future, should be either closed or merged with another department. This will help utilisation of scarce resources, better elsewhere. (para 4.7.1)

30 Departments should have more autonomy delegated to them and run them with their own committees of management. (para 4.7.1)

31 `Centres' were started as nodal points to foster research and become peak points in some selected areas of importance, generally inter-disciplinary in character, drawing talent from other departments, other IITs and from outside organisations. The tendency for Centres to function like any other academic departments has to be curbed. An immediate review and evaluation of all Centres is necessary to ensure proper focus and character. New centres may be established only after proper assessment of the need by outside expert groups. An inbuilt mechanism for periodical evaluation of every centre is also suggested (para 4.7.2)

32 Students are inducted into undergraduate courses through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) barring a very small number who are either Foreign Nationals, or Indian Nationals residing abroad. While this test has been well-developed and is able to pick up high calibre students, it has been noticed that some of them do not have any marked inclination for a profession in engineering/technology. It is recommended that this entrance examination scheme should be refined by evolving and introducing an aptitude test. (para 4.8.1)

33 For inducting into postgraduate courses, recently a Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) has. been introduced. Though this is being organised by IITs, it is not exclusively for entrance to IIT postgraduate courses; nor, is it compulsory that all should come through this test. It is necessary only for those who want scholarship from government. Sponsored candidates normally do not take this test. It is recommended that this method of multi-entry should be watched for some more years for its efficaciousness. (Para 4.8.2)

34 Both JEE and GATE are being conducted at present by the IITs. There are both scope and need for a specialised national testing agency. The task of selection by IIT authorities to their B.Tech./M.Tech. programmes could become lighter and more meaningful if restricted to a smaller number from among those qualifying in the national test. (Para 4.8.3)

35 Special dispensation is being given to SC/ST candidates admitted at the entrance through JEE. In this context, it is recommended that:

- this be continued while at the same time ensuring that positive and effective steps are taken to coach them up before the start of the very first semester;

-while every attempt should be made to fill the reserve quota fully, entry standards should not be further lowered;

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- concrete and positive steps should be taken by bodies/agencies outside IITs to coach such of those SC/ST students who show promise, so that they can take JEE and get entrance on their own competitive merit without the aid of special dispensation. This can be undertaken by specialised agencies/institutions. ( Para 4.8.4)

36 Steps are required to reduce the incidence of migration abroad of fresh graduates from IITs. This may be done through conscious career development planning for bright students, their involvement in technology missions and rural development schemes rather than rely on restrictive measures alone. The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the IITs must emphasise in the curriculum the socio- economic ethos in which technology development is taking place in India,so as to inculcate distinct Indian values. (Para 4.8.5)

37 Faculty is the back-bone of these institutes. Necessarily they have to be highly competent and committed to teach, conduct and guide research, and interact with industry and society. It is recommended that conscious efforts be continuously made to maintain an environment where excellence will be sustained and even enhanced.

The ambient conditions are:

- reasonable facilities for work;

-absence of hindrance by any section, specially the supporting staff;

-motivating factors i.e. recognition of good work and posing of challenges;

-continual communication of stimulus and response from other institutions in the country and elsewhere in the world and easy mobility between Education, Research and Industry; -involvement in national development programmes in the realm of high technology;

-exposure to challenges in technology missions and development projects of national priority;

- close coordination of technology imports, technology policies and technology manpower needs with education and research;

- opportunity for extension/consultancy/research for both industrial and rural development;

- encouragement of risk-taking in an atmosphere of trust. (Para 4.9.1)

38 At the start, IITs attracted an excellent faculty team, well qualified and committed. But with passage of time gerontocracy is likely to be established. Added to it, is the deteriorating environment with increasing indiscipline, constraints on resources, etc. It is time, steps are taken to arrest this trend. These steps are:

- a strict and objective assessment of all faculty against well-laid norms; mechanism and criteria needs to be developed by the IITs themselves with expert assistance, if necessary;

- give special status and additional `perks' to highly merited people and at the same time `ease out' those who continue to perform poorly. (Para 4.9.2)

39 IITs are not able to attract, retain and motivate high calibre young entrants for the teaching profession. Bright students are not coming to study M.Tech. and Ph.D. courses. A large number of faculty members are due for retirement. All these will reflect on the future of IITs. It is, therefore, recommended that:

- salary scales and attached `perks' be made more attractive, maintaining a differential between IITs and other related institutions;

- introduce a clear personnel policy;

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- steps be taken to ensure faculty residential accommodation. If it is not feasible to build new flats, alternative arrangements like leasing to estate developers should be made. Lack of accommodation discourages new entrants;

- at the undergraduate level, bright students who show aptitude for teaching should be spotted and groomed for service. They should be specially trained to Ph.D. level, sponsored for specialization abroad and during the senior studentship phase, be given a teaching assistantship;

- the present method of selecting faculty by advertisement alone should be supplemented by active `search' for talents; as is done by some corporate bodies, with a determination to induct fresh blood into the system.

40 The Committee recommends that a Ph.D. from the same IIT should not become a member of faculty till he has served outside for a period of not less than five years. Similarly lecturer in an IIT should be encouraged to go out to other IITs or institutions before he is taken in the same institute. (Para 4.9.3)

41 IITs should have the cadre of Associate Professor in the three- tier system of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. Lecturers will comprise of Research Scholars/Associate Scholars and will not be part of the faculty cadre. They could be employed on contract for a trial period of two to three years and in no case exceeding five years. (Para 4.9.4)

42 Mobility of faculty, between IITs, R&D organisations, other engineering institutions, and industry needs to be deliberately fostered. Impediments to such a mobility need to be identified and steps taken to remove them by introducing measures like National Pension Scheme, carrying the privileges, seniority,pension etc. wherever a person moves. Para (4.9.5)