(a) whether several instances of mid-course drop outs by
the students of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
have come to the notice of the Government;
(b) if so, the details of such cases reported during each
of the last three years alongwith the reasons therefor,IIT-wise;
(c) whether the Government proposes to take fresh
initiatives to check such drop outs; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT(SMT. D. PURANDESWARI)
(a) & (b): While cases of dropouts are reported from some
of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), those
are not always on account of poor performance. Many
students leave IITs mid-way to join other Institutes
of their choice or which offer them their preferred
subjects.IIT students are provided with sufficient
opportunity to improve their performance. However,
those who are found to be academically deficient and
are unable to improve, irrespective of their being
in general or any of the reserved categories, are
not eligible to continue their academic programmes.
While,no student of IITs at Bombay, Madras,
Kharagpur and Roorkee has been made ineligible to
continue their studies, registration of a few
students of IITs at Delhi, Kanpur and Guwahati,
whose performance were not upto the mark, have been
terminated. However, opportunities to appeal / re-
appeal for reinstatement / continuation of the
academic programmes are available to such students,
which are examined by the Senate uniformly on merits.
(c) & (d): IITs have been adopting various steps to
address the needs of poorly performing students
which inter-alia include the following:
(i) Students earning less than the stipulated number of
credits (General / OBC: 26; SC / ST: 22) in the first year,
have the option to restart the programme.
(ii) Students performing below the minimum acceptable level,
are placed on probation with warning and intimations sent to
their parents / guardians. Such students are monitored,
including mandatory attendance in classes, special tutorials
and mentoring, comprising structured guidance under
specially selected Ph.D. / M.Tech. students under the
supervision of course co-ordinator.
(iii) A faculty member in each department is identified
who would function as an advisor for students under
probation.The faculty member closely monitors the academic
performance of these students.
(iv) Students under probation are to meet regularly their
course advisors once in every two weeks and report their
difficulties. The meetings would take place as per mutually
agreed schedules decided at the beginning of the semester.
(v) Counseling requirements of students under probation,
which may be identified by their advisors or course co-
ordinators or wardens, are taken care of by Associate Dean
of Students, who monitors the progress with the Counseling
Cell and takes necessary steps.