The IIT dilemma - Old vs New

WHILE the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are still believed to be the ultimate destination for engineering students, more than 500 students have rejected the admission offer to study in one of these institutes this year. Reasons vary from not getting one's choice discipline to being hesitant about 'new IITs' and temporary campuses.

The seven 'old IITs' include Kharagpur, Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kanpur, Roorkee and Guwahati. Eight more were added to the list and approved by the government in 2008. These IITs are mentored by the nearest old IITs.

Surendra Prasad, director, IIT-Delhi, says that the rejections should be seen in the context of new IITs. People are suspicious of the effectiveness of the new IITs. The sudden expansion has led to this kind of a situation, he explains. However, he agrees that though the pace could be a little slow, the need for an expansion was always there.

A recent ministry of human resource development (MHRD) agenda paper on the futuristic vision of IITs states that India has about 1,700 engineering educational institutions and about two million students. The number of graduates per year is about 4,00,000. In a scenario like this, the seven IITs, 20 NITs, three IIITs, and a few other institutes are not sufficient. According to the MHRD report, the only way to meet the demand is by increasing the intake of existing IITs by setting up satellite campuses of existing campuses or setting up new IITs.

As to the hesitation factor of parents and students, Prasad says, “It is important to disseminate information and we are trying our best.” What parents and students need to know is, he adds, that all these new IITs have an established IIT as their mentor. Besides, quality will not be compromised in any of these new institutes. But then, Prasad points out that in the initial years, the dilemma is likely to persist because one has to choose between an established IIT and a new one. That's a tough choice to make.

While one of the major concerns of IIT aspirants and parents seems to be the idea of temporary campuses, Rajat Chakraborty, ex-professor and former head of Jadavpur University, mechanical engineering, feels that such fears are unfounded. “The moment the first batch from any of these institutes complete their placements, students will start feeling confident.”