ACADEMIA
 

4.1 Programmes: General

4.1.1 Current Programmes

IITs are offering undergraduate programmes leading to B.Tech. Degree and Master's Degree in Science and Technology since their inception.

As compared to many Engineering Colleges, IITs have a favourable teacher-pupil ratio, averaging 1:8 for undergraduate courses and 1:4 at postgraduate levels. A teacher in an IIT has a normal teaching load of 8-10 hours per week. Every teacher including the senior-most in a Department has to have one lecture course of three to four hours duration per week. The work load expected of a teacher is fixed as 20 hours of lectures and lecture equivalent. All other assignments such as administrative responsibilities, hours spent on library, on practical work, on research etc. are converted into total work load.

IITs have the advantage of a continuous internal evaluation system that is well thought of in academic circles. IITs also have a periodical examination system, which some consider as a strait-jacket system, taking away the joy and pleasure of a learning process. The periodical system of assessment of students although rated by many as innovative, does tend to be highly evaluation-oriented rather than knowledge-oriented and it seems that their students are preparing for examinations all the time. But the resilient nature of the IIT system does permit review and change all these defects by themselves. Some IITs, as a result, reduce their class strength, and in some classes teachers are given freedom to decide their own system of evaluation. But generally speaking, all the IITs adopt letter grades like A, B, C, D and E instead of percentage marks, to measure the performance of a student. Opinions are divided on the use of letter grades; some favoured the use of more letter grades with each letter representing a finer range of marks. There are, however, courses amenable to evaluation purely on the basis of pass or fail. The salutary feature is their being aware of various methodologies of evaluation and their ability to correct for themselves.

4.1.2Continuation of Existing Programmes

IITs must continue their B.Tech. programmes because

(i) Evidence indicates clearly that they have evolved a commendable undergraduate system comprising merit-oriented entrance examination for selection of students; a good teaching and training programme and a sound evaluation system. The system has produced excellent technically-oriented manpower. B.Tech. graduates of IITs have earned uniformly good reports both within and outside the country.

The undergraduate system should not, therefore, be dismantled but improved upon to reach still higher levels of excellence.

(ii) Undergraduate education in institutions like IITs where there are dominant postgraduate and research activities, offers to students an exposure to the best of faculty and facilities. This prepares them well to face newer technological changes.

Faculty also benefits by this opportunity to teach from basic levels young students who are both intelligent and inquisitive.

However, some changes in these programmes, can be made to utilise fully the better class of faculty, and students that are available to IITs:

- Instead of offering same common programmes/courses, as offered in any engineering college, IITs should make efforts to design and offer courses in newer areas. To what extent specialisation and

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trans-disciplinary courses are to be introduced at the first degree level has to be considered by each IIT.

- Help transfer of some of the well developed B.Tech. programmes to other engineering colleges.

- Start has already been made in a couple of IITs in designing integrated M.Tech. programmes. The quality of and response to such courses needs to be carefully watched before expanding the programmes.

- Methods of imparting instructions need improvement. Use of electronics media, flexible options to students to select subjects of study; self-study techniques-are some areas needing detailed examination, planning, and successful implementation.

- The country's requirement of engineering manpower at the first degree level can be categorised into two distinct types. One may be termed Engineer-Scientists and the other Engineer-Managers.

- The need for the former is felt in design, development and research areas; and in teaching. In fact, such persons will be more attuned to acquire further in-depth knowledge by continuing postgraduate and doctoral courses. IITs programmes have been oriented more towards this category.

- Engineer-Managers, on the other hand, are needed to formulate and implement plans for growth; to develop organisation and systems; to evolve methods of forecasting and so on. A number of IIT graduates have acquitted themselves creditably in these areas of management including marketing, entrepreneurship. Such supplementary skills have often been acquired subsequent to leaving IITs. IITs may consider supporting them, by offering critical courses in these areas. IITs' good image as " producers of excellent manpower" rests more with this group of engineers who have joined industry rather than those in research & development areas-although the latter was to be the unique products of the IITs.

- IITs ought not to feel satisfied that their graduates have done well in production, maintenance, construction and similar shopfloor functions in operating industries. The graduates of other engineering colleges are equally well equipped to play this part and the requirements of engineering manpower for such functions will largely have to come from the engineering colleges.

- IITs must also continue their postgraduate programmes/courses leading to M.Tech. and Ph.Ds. The one to one ratio between UG and PG decided upon earlier must be attained and maintained.

- Unfortunately M.Tech. graduates have not made the same excellent impact as B.Tech. graduates. Most of them are first degree graduates from other colleges and only a few are graduates of IITs. Better selection through GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering); closer interaction with user industries in selecting students and subjects; better course materials-will, it is hoped, bring about the desired change. This issue has been discussed further in Para 4.8.2.

A number of issues were raised by some of the witnesses such as, reduction of duration of undergraduate programme from five to four years and M.Tech. programme from two years to three semesters. Duration will necessarily vary from time to time depending upon the quality of input available from the schools and at entry level. We feel that such matters should be watched carefully by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology and they should take appropriate decisions from time to time.

4.1.3 Student Population in UG and PG

Neither the Sarkar Committee nor the IIT Act laid down precisely the relative emphasis between UG and PG programmes. However, in 1974, based on the recommendations of the previous Review Committees, the Visitor issued orders directing IITs to try to achieve a one-to-one ratio between the undergraduate and postgraduate student population. Table 4.1.3 gives the student strength in UG and PGIIT-wise and year- wise from 1974. While IIT Madras kept close to this norm from 1974 onwards, Delhi & Bombay have achieved it later; Kanpur is static at about 1.5:1 and Kharagpur slid back to 2:1 after having made some move towards this norm.

We noticed that (except in IIT Kharagpur) a significant number of students are taking PG programmes in pure science/humanities as distinct from technology, constituting almost one-third of PG population. All IITs have sophisticated facilities and good faculty in pure science to serve as supporting structure for

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technology teaching, and it is good that these are being well utilized.

A number of views in this regard were presented to us. Our perception is as follows:

-The best of students at undergraduate level must be encouraged to continue in the IITs for postgraduate education and, therefore, IITs must nurture in sufficient strength both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

-Equal emphasis on postgraduate and undergraduate courses is more desirable than concentration on either one. The advances of technology are such that require inter- disciplinary approaches for the solutions of real world problems. Co-existence of both types of programmes is likely to increase problem-solving capabilities.

-Through postgraduate programmes IITs can assimilate the latest knowledge and such new knowledge can be passed on to undergraduate curricula. Even for formulating model curricula for the technical education system, programmes at both levels are necessary.

- Undergraduate programmes should continue to give instructions in various scientific and engineering disciplines so that the students have the necessary background. Promoting more and more inter-disciplinary courses at this level at the cost of the core courses will not be desirable.

- There must be an equal emphasis on first degree and on postgraduate courses because without good undergraduate students one cannot have good postgraduate programmes. The quality of students admitted by IITs for postgraduate programmes from other engineering colleges have not proved to be upto the mark. A vigorous postgraduate research school has a stimulating effect on the undergraduate programmes and, therefore, it is necessary to continue programmes at both the levels.

- Staff and research facilities available in these institutions have been developed over the years to cater for both postgraduate and undergraduate programmes with equal emphasis.

We recommend that student strength of undergraduate and postgraduate courses should be aimed to be maintained at 1:1 ratio.

4.1.4 Optimum Size of an IIT

The resources and management structure of the IITs were modelled as for a small University. Over 25 years and more, the system has now come to a point of strain and perhaps even a break-down. IITs conduct currently a number of programmes such as undergraduate courses, postgraduate courses, research programmes, QIP, FIP, consultancy etc. far beyond what was visualized at the time of their establishment. Though, this is a natural growth, it is time to consider whether the already strained system can be loaded further and, if so, what is the limit of expansion. For this purpose, it is necessary to examine the facilities available in each IIT, such as limited power supply, water supply, computer facilities, control and information systems, problems of accommodation and other infrastructural constraints. A general lay-out of the campus of each IIT can be seen in Figs. 4.1.4 (I,II, III, IV and V). There has been a tremendous increase in their M.Tech. programmes from 6-8 per IIT to over 40-50 per IIT now. Similar expansion has taken place in other fields too. These courses may well be essential, as some of these programmes are in emerging areas of technology or areas of relevance to our industrial needs. IIT system itself should constantly look into whether some of these fields can merge with others so that an IIT does not grow beyond its optimum size. The key indicators can be expressed in several ways such cis number of students or teachers or courses etc. They are all inter- related ultimately to the student population which determines the overall staff strength, and also related to the number of programmes IITs conduct. Having taken into account several factors we feel that in order that each IIT can function efficiently it should have an optimum size of about 2500 students. Within this framework it is possible for them to work efficiently and also achieve maximum results. This has become now more relevant and urgent because of the scarce resources available and the high investment needed for the pursuit of high-technology with which IITs are concerned.

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4.1.5 Any More New IITs?

In view of the limit on the total student-population we have recommended for each IIT, a natural question that arises is, whether we need to establish more IITs. We are aware that the rush for admission to the undergraduate courses for IITs is heavy. Currently not more than 1200 students are taken into the IIT system even though over 70,000 students appear every year at the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to their B.Tech. programmes. The JEE standards are high and demand hard work and high motivation and provide stiff competition among the best of candidates. This is a testimony to the high rating given by candidates for gaining admission to a B.Tech. programme in IIT. The IIT degree is prestigious and is commonly perceived as a valuable aid for good career opportunities both at home and abroad.

Naturally the question arises as to why more IITs should not be established. We have considered this issue.

Historically, the IITs are the result of a major experiment in international collaboration inducting the experience and expertise of leading nations in the world providing us their proven methods of development of high grade engineering manpower. There is little scope or necessity for proliferating this pattern at this stage of our development.

We also did not have any concrete evidence regarding specific manpower requirements that may justify the need to expand the number of undergraduates trained in India as Engineer-Scientists. Therefore, we do not feel that there is any ground either to start new IITs or to expand the number of seats at undergraduate or at postgraduate levels in the IITs.

IIT as a unique system does not make undergraduate education its ultimate end. The logic of the IIT system derives from its involvement in PG and research work and manpower training to keep pace with technological growth. The cost of undergraduate education in the IIT system is bound to be substantially higher. The argument for establishing more IITs cannot be based on the demands for good quality training at undergraduate level but has to consider the totality of benefits and outputs including the PG and Research level, the manpower needs to be met and the investments involved. We are of the view that the existing five IITs provide an adequate base for meeting the foreseeable needs of highly qualified trained and equipped "Engineer- Scientists" and that there is no urgent need to establish more IITs for the next decade or so.

We are also aware that there are a number of first rate technical institutions in this country both as university technical institutions as well as Regional Engineering Colleges who have done excellent work, in the sphere of providing good quality technical manpower with their limited resources. It is more advantageous to help such excellent institutions by additional funding to build up their resources and augment their capabilities.

4.1.6 IITs as Pace Setters

We noted that (except in the case of IIT Kharagpur) the establishment of IITs was helped by assistance from first-rate institutions abroad. With coming of age it should be now possible for the IITs to be the focal points of assistance to other Indian technical institutions in several ways and for projecting the pattern of their programmes in the Indian Technical Education scene. In any educational system, it is essential to have a national yardstick against which the performance of other institutions could be measured. IITs provide this standard. It is also their duty that IITs should now assist other technical institutions in their development, through the Institutional Net-Work Programme and Faculty Development Programme. It is vital for the IITs in the context of heavy demand on their resources such as buildings, space, equipment to pass on their developed programmes to other institutions. Starting new B.Tech. programmes in inter- disciplinary/multi-disciplinary fields and in frontier areas would require additional financial and other human resources. We are taking these into account while recommending the additional Plan Provisions for the IITs (Para 5.1.2).

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4.2 B.Tech. Programmes

4.2.1 Aims

The development of technical personnel at higher levels in India has been traditionally in the institutions like engineering colleges and in the IITs, and these products absorbed in the industry with or without suitable practical training programme. As mentioned earlier the category of technical personnel required at higher level is of two different types; the first are those to be developed as engineer- managers. For their development they must have besides an understanding of the basic sciences and principles of engineering, the ability to lead people, formulate and implement plans and to organise production. Critics of IITs often find fault with the IIT system to the effect that IIT products do not fit the role of engineer-managers in industry. The aim perceived by the IITs when they developed their programmes, was to produce another category of engineering personnel best described as Engineer-Scientists. This training of engineer- scientist belongs specially to the domain of an IIT. Engineer- scientists are expected to be mostly employed in research, design and development and in teaching. This is the basis which distinguishes the IIT training from the training given by many engineering colleges. Engineer-scientists must not only have a very sound background of basic and engineering sciences but they must possess the ability to apply this knowledge to a specific situation. For historic reasons and because of the nature of our industrial development, no systematic effort has been made to identify the tasks of Engineer-Managers as distinct from Engineer-Scientists. This contributes to the fact that a large number of IIT engineering graduates take up jobs which have little to do with their engineering-background. The malady lies in the inability of Indian industry to absorb the type of engineers produced by the IITs in appropriate research, development, design or academic positions so far. Nevertheless, the IITs should continue to produce manpower requirement of engineer-scientists through their B.Tech. programmes as the Indian technological scene is rapidly changing and will need such products in the near future.