IIT-B to offer fast-track B Tech programmes

MUMBAI: Students at IIT-Bombay can complete their BTech programme in just three-and-a-half years instead of four from the coming academic year.

The radical move to offer a fast-track B Tech degree as an option to students across courses was taken in a recent senate meeting of the institute. Students who are keen on completing the course faster, can choose to take up additional credits and complete their course in just three and a half years.As of now, none of the older IITs have started offering the fast-track BTech, but, IIT-Kharagpur is moving towards it and plans to implement it from the 2017 batch.

"In the final semester, students are free to opt for internships, start work on their entrepreneurial venture or spend a semester abroad at any institute as an exchange student. They will be free to opt for anything. The finer details of the plan are yet to be worked out. The provision is applicable to students from the current batch itself, so they can start accumulating credits from the next academic year," said the director of IIT-Bombay, Devang Khakhar.

He added that these students, who complete their coursework in three-and-a-half-year, will be eligible to sit for the placements in December and start working immediately too once they are placed."Once the students complete their course in three and a half years, they will be asked to leave the campus. Students will be given a provisional statement of marks, but the final degree certificate will be given to the students only during the institute's convocation," said Shubham Goyal, external general secretary of academic affairs (undergraduate). The provision is currently applicable only for the BTech students, whether it can be extended to dual degree students will be decided on case-to-case basis, said Goyal.

Students can start accumulating additional courses after the completion of the first year. "They can choose to do any courses that they wish to. For some courses, which will require the student to have completed a pre-requisite course, they will have to choose it after second or third year," said Goyal. The system will enable the students to learn at their own pace, without any stress. However, there will be a limit on the campus stay. Though students can take more than six years to complete their BTech programme too, they will not be allowed to stay on the campus beyond that, said a student.

Beyond six years, students will have to make alternative arrangements outside the campus. This will also help the institute's administration, which is anyway facing a shortage of accommodation facilities for the ever-increasing strength.
While around 15 students from every batch are keen to complete their course and leave the campus, once the system is institutionalised, there will be more takers, said a student.

IIT-Kharagpur, is probably the only institute to have moved to a partial flexible credit system. Director Partha Chakrabarti said, "We are anyway allowing students to take up micro-credits in their final semester. We have already introduced a flexible system to allow students to learn at their own pace. The fast-track B Tech programme will be offered by 2017 as we are bringing about the changes in phases. Sixty per cent of the work is already done and implemented."

Source:TOI