Significant rise in failure rate at top ranking IIT-M, says MHRD data

According to the data submitted by the institute, in the Human Resource Development Ministry’s National Institute Ranking Framework 2016, 1,423 students (UG, PG, MS/ PhD) graduated in academic year 2012-13, out of which 155 could not graduate on time, in 2013-14, from the 1,599, a total of 169 did not graduate on time and in 2014-15, of 1,684 students, 216 failed to graduate in the minimum possible time. 

BTech students need to complete their programme in four years, BTech (Dual degree)/MTech will graduate in 5 years and the MTech/MSc/MBA programmes in 2 years. 

IIT-Madras director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said that the intake of students at IIT-M went up by 13 per cent in 2008, 33 per cent in 2009 and 54 per cent in 2010 respectively due to implementation of expansion as a result of OBC reservation, which means graduating class strength (in minimum duration) also went up by these percentages in 2012-15 for the B.Tech/ B.Tech-Dual-degree (after 4 and 5 years respectively). “The number of students not completing in the minimum time also went up during these years, by approximately the same percentages,” he said. 

Prof. Ramamurthi also said that there were various reasons for students not able to complete their course on the stipulated time, which includes student’s leave for health reasons and adoption of a slower-paced programme to cope up with their academic load. 

“Some of these students could have taken slightly longer (even by a month or two) to complete their final year projects to the satisfaction of the evaluation committees,” he added. 

A faculty said that the institute had been helping students with initiatives like mentorship programme to help them cope up in academics and excel well in all aspects. They also help some students on a one-on-one basis who are in need of help by guiding them in their projects, as some find it difficult to complete their project. 

Asked whether academic stress could be one of the reasons for students not able to complete their course in the minimum possible time, a senior faculty (who did not want to be named) said that IIT system had been student friendly providing flexibility in academics and academic stress could not be the reason as students who score top marks enter IIT system, also they do perform well in academics.