The reason behind the spike in the dropout rate is believed to be the adoption of a more stringent evaluation procedure in recent years
Rise in terminations result of strict monitoring of academic performance
IIT Bombay over the last few years has seen a sharp rise in the number of undergraduate SC/ST students who are unable to complete their courses. While from 1997 to 2002, no SC/ST student dropped out—except for four in 1998—the number failing to make it through the four-year courses rose from six in 2003 to 21 in 2006.
The reason behind the spike in the dropout rate is believed to be the adoption of a more stringent evaluation procedure in recent years.
“The high termination rate of the last few years is due to better monitoring of the students,” says Professor S Biswas, dean of academic programme, IIT Bombay. “Earlier, proper records were not being maintained. Sometimes a student would stay on despite continuing to fail the semesters for 10 years. But now, the institute is stricter.”
The terminations, Biswas says, are not meant to discourage the students but occur when corrective steps to improve scholastic ability prove ineffective. “Only when we know the number of students who are unable to take IIT’s rigour, can we start taking steps to get them back on track.”
Among the corrective steps taken by IIT Bombay—and the other IITs as well—are special coaching classes for first-year students and remedial classes in English. “The SC/ST students lack a sound understanding of English. We are giving them an opportunity to improve their skills in the language,” says Professor PK Tripathi, dean of student affairs, IIT Kahargpur.
“We have a department-wise student monitoring system where faculty members regularly summon students to discuss with them their academic problems,” says Professor Shashi Mathur, associate dean (students), IIT Delhi.
In IIT Bombay, a standing committee of the institute enquires into the reasons behind consistent poor performances of certain students. The answers are revealing. “Many SC/ST students are financially on the deep end,” Biswas says.
“Many are children of daily wageworkers who have taken loans to support their families. Many are not able to repay these loans and are unable to focus on studies because of the tension.”
t_mayank@dnaindia.net
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