Students drop out from IITs, NITs due to Academic Stress : HRD Minister Smriti Irani

Updated on: Friday, August 07, 2015

IIT Over 4,400 students discontinued out of IIT and NIT in the last three years due to various reasons including "academic stress", the government said today and also promised that corrective actions will be initiated. As many as 2,060 students have dropped out from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) all over India during the period 2012-13 to 2014-15, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani informed the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

During this 3 year period, 2,352 students discontinued from the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). "The reasons for dropouts may be that they might be shifting to other colleges/institutions, personal reasons, medical reasons, getting jobs during PG courses, unable to cope with the academic pressure etc," Smriti Irani said. In 2014-15, IITs witnessed 757 dropouts which was an increase than 697 dropouts (2013-14) and 606 (2012-13). During this period, IIT Roorkee marks the highest number of dropouts at 228, followed by IIT Kharagpur (209) and IIT Delhi (169). There are no discontinue at IITs in Ropar, Madras, Kanpur, Jodhpur, and Mandi during 2014-15 period Smriti Irani said.

Totally there are 16 IITs and 30 NITs in the country and there were 717 dropouts in 2014-15, lower than 785 seen in last year. In 2012-13, the dropout numbers was at 850. Smriti Irani said there is a mechanism for helping students who are under academic stress. The government is committed to address the issues related to academic stress, Smriti Irani said.

Listing out various initiatives have been taken to minimise dropouts at IITs, Smriti Irani said there is a guidance and counselling unit, headed by a faculty member. It works along with a number of faculty counsellors and advisors to "identify students facing emotional difficulties and guide them to professional counsellors for help".

She was responding to AIADMK member M Thambidurai, also the Deputy Speaker, who asked the Minister about the anomaly in the written and oral responses. To a query aboutIIT Roorkee expelling 73 students last month for less academic scores, Smriti Irani said the IIT's action was challenged in court. The court had upheld IITs' right to ensure that academic performance, that the students themselves gave an undertaking to uphold, was met.

"IIT, Roorkee took an initiative to readmit these students only if they fulfill those academic conditions that they have promised when they admitted into the IIT," she said. AIADMK member P Sundaram enquired her about the issue at IIT, Chennai where students were apparently stopped from developing their knowledge through forums like Periyar-Ambedkar Study Circle. In response, Smriti Irani said in the case of IIT Chennai, it is the institution, the Academic Executive Council and the Students Council which has elected representatives of student bodies within the institution that sets benchmarks for activities undertaken by any individual within that campus.

Students drop out from IITs, NITs due to Academic Stress : HRD Minister Smriti Irani

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