The university grants commission's (UGC) attempt to rein in IITs with the backing of human resource development ministry has not gone down well with these autonomous institutions which feel they are free to design their courses.
Are IITs autonomous institutions?
They were set up by a separate Act of Parliament and are not governed by UGC Act.
What does the ministry say?
According to the ministry IITs are free to set "courses of study," but not "degrees", as they figure at separate places in IIT Act, 1961.
What is the point of contention?
The range of 4-year undergrad courses: IIT-B's 4-year BS chemistry (32 seats); IIT Kanpur's 4-year BS chemistry, physics, maths and economics (30+30+49+38 seats); IIT Kharagpur's several BS courses.
When were they started?
Most were started under UPA1 and 2. UGC recognises only 3-year BSc courses. IIT-B started BS this year after scrapping 5-year integrated MSc (chemistry). Couple of IIT-K's integrated MSc courses launched in 2005 were re-launched as 4-year BS in 2011.
Are these courses popular?
They are highly popular and rated next only to technology courses.
What about those enrolled?
Altogether over 2,000 students are said to have been enrolled in these courses this year. And they are panic-stricken. "I just took admission (BS chemistry) and this cropped up. I don't think IITs will toe UGC line like DU did," said a first year BS in IIT-B.
What do the faculty say?
The faculty is clueless. An IIT Kanpur professor said: "There's no point in IITs offering 3-year courses when general universities too offer them. NDA govt must decide if it wants to improve the quality of education or meddle in affairs of premier institutions."
Why the UGC-IIT tussle?
It has roots in DU's FYUP fiasco. DU withdrew its 4-year programme after MHRD put pressure on the ground that the course does not fit UGC's approved nomenclature of degrees. UGC then asked other institutions including IITs, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Symbiosis International University, Pune and Shiv Nadar University, NOIDA to scrap their 4-year programmes.
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