Indian Institutes of Technology: Difference between revisions

  | established            = {{Start date and age|df=yes|paren=yes|br=yes|1956|9|15}}

|+IITs and their locations, sorted by date of establishment <ref name="IIT act" /><ref name="IIT Act As amended till 2012" /><ref name="hindustantimes.com" /><ref name="Gazette Notification of the Bill">{{cite web |url=http://www.itbhuglobal.org/IIT-Amendment-Act-2012.pdf |title=Gazette Notification of the Bill |date=29 June 2012 |access-date=2 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405110050/http://www.itbhuglobal.org/IIT-Amendment-Act-2012.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="IIT Kharagpur">{{cite web|url=http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/institute/history.php|title=Institute History&nbsp;– Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur|access-date=22 October 2008|publisher=IIT Kharaggpur|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080420181942/http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/institute/history.php |archive-date = 20 April 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 22-member committee, headed by [[Nalini Ranjan Sarkar]], recommended the establishment of these institutions in various parts of India, along the lines of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), with [[Affiliated school|affiliated]] secondary institutions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/institute/history.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813213137/http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/institute/history.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-08-13|title=Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur|date=2007-08-13|access-date=2019-09-07}}</ref>

Over the past few years, there have been several developments toward establishing new IITs. On 1 October 2003, Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] announced plans to create more IITs "by upgrading existing academic institutions that have the necessary promise and potential".<ref name="more IIT">{{cite news | first = Yogesh K. | last = Upadhyaya | url = http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/mar/23iit.htm | title = The making of new IITs | work = [[Rediff.com]] | date = 23 March 2005 | access-date =14 May 2006}}</ref> Subsequent developments led to the formation of the S K Joshi Committee, in November 2003, to guide the selection of the five institutions which would be converted into IITs. Based on the initial recommendations of the Sarkar Committee, it was decided that new IITs should be spread throughout the country. When the government expressed its willingness to correct this regional imbalance, 16 states demanded IITs. Since the S K Joshi Committee prescribed strict guidelines for institutions aspiring to be IITs,<ref name="eligibility criteria">{{cite news| first = Yogesh K| last = Upadhyaya| url = http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/aug/18guest.htm | title = The march of the new IITs | work = [[Rediff.com]] | date = 18 August 2005 | access-date =14 May 2006}}</ref> only seven colleges were selected for final consideration.<ref name="seven colleges">{{cite news| first = Yogesh K| last = Upadhyaya| url = http://us.rediff.com/money/2005/may/25iit.htm| title = New IITs: A long journey ahead| work = [[Rediff.com]]| date = 25 May 2005| access-date = 14 May 2006| archive-date = 7 December 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191207155204/http://us.rediff.com/money/2005/may/25iit.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> Plans are also reported to open IITs outside India, although there has not been much progress in this regard.<ref name="IIT abroad">{{cite news|author=Times News Network |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1094211,prtpage-1.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502155333/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1094211%2Cprtpage-1.cms |archive-date=2 May 2007 |title=Desi IITs in pardes: conditions apply |work=The Economic Times |publisher=Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. |date=1 May 2005 |access-date=27 August 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Eventually in the 11th [[Five-year plans of India|Five year plan]], eight states were identified for establishment of new IITs.

From 2008 to 2009, eight new IITs were set up in [[Gandhinagar]], [[Jodhpur]], [[Hyderabad]], [[Indore]], [[Patna]], [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Rupnagar|Ropar]], and [[Mandi, Himachal Pradesh|Mandi]]. Following a similar selection process since 1972, in 2012 the [[Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University]] was made a member of the IITs and renamed as IIT (BHU) [[Varanasi]].<ref name=":2" />

== Organisational structure ==

The [[President of India]] is the [[ex officio]] [[Visitor]],<ref name="Visitor">{{cite web|url= http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/visitor.html|title= Visitor of the Institute|access-date=7 January 2007|date= 18 November 2005|publisher= IIT Kharagpur|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070922000123/http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/visitor.html |archive-date = 22 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and has [[residual power]]s. Directly under the President is the IIT Council, comprising minister-in-charge of technical education in the Union Government, the Chairmen of all IITs, the Directors of all IITs, the Chairman of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]], the Director General of [[CSIR India|CSIR]], the Chairman of [[IISc]], the Director of IISc, three members of Parliament, the Joint Council Secretary of Ministry of Education, and three appointees each of the Union Government, [[All India Council for Technical Education|AICTE]], and the Visitor.<ref name="IIT Council">{{cite web|url= http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/council.html|title= IIT-Council|access-date=7 January 2007|date= 18 November 2005|publisher= IIT Kharagpur|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070921225014/http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/council.html |archive-date = 21 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Under the IIT Council is the ''Board of Governors'' of each IIT. Under the Board of Governors is the ''Director'', who is the chief academic and executive officer of the IIT.<ref name="Org">{{cite web|url= http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/stru1.html|title= Organisational Structure|access-date=7 January 2007|date= 18 November 2005|publisher= IIT Kharagpur|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070922000243/http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/stru1.html |archive-date = 22 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Under the Director, in the organisational structure, comes the ''Deputy Director''. Under the Director and the deputy director, come the [[Dean (education)|Deans]], Heads of Departments, [[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India|Registrar]], President of the Students' Council, and Chairman of the Hall Management Committee. The ''Registrar'' is the chief administrative officer of the IIT and overviews the day-to-day operations.<ref name="Org"/> Below the Heads of Department (HOD) are the faculty members (Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors). The ''Wardens'' come under the Chairman of the Hall Management Committee.<ref name="org">{{cite web |date=3 March 2006 |url=http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/stru1.html |title=Organizational Structure |publisher=Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur |access-date=14 May 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922000243/http://iitkgp.ac.in/rti/stru1.html |archive-date=22 September 2007}}</ref>

The IITs receive comparatively higher grants than other engineering colleges in India.<ref name="funding">{{cite web | date = 10 February 2004 | url = http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/feb102004/369.pdf | title = Performance based funding of IITs | page = 3 | publisher = [[IISc]] | access-date = 14 May 2006 | archive-date = 13 November 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181113032608/http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/feb102004/369.pdf | url-status = live}}</ref> While the total government funding to most other engineering colleges is around {{INR}} 100–200 million (${{To USD|100|IND|year=2002|round=yes}}–{{To USD|200|IND|year=2002|round=yes}} million) per year, the amount varies between {{INR}} 900–1300 million (${{To USD|900|IND|year=2002|round=yes}}–{{To USD|1300|IND|year=2002|round=yes}} million) per year for each IIT.<ref name="seven colleges"/> Other sources of funds include student fees and research funding from industry and contributions from the alumni. The faculty-to-student ratio in the IITs is between 1:6 and 1:8.<ref name="Faculty ratio">{{cite web|url=http://www.littleindia.com/january2003/Dream%20Team.htm |title=What makes the IITs so chic |access-date=27 August 2006 |last=Rajguru |first=Suvarna |date=30 December 2005 |publisher=LittleINDIA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903055838/http://littleindia.com/january2003/Dream%20Team.htm |archive-date=3 September 2006 }}</ref> The Standing Committee of IIT Council (SCIC) prescribes the lower limit for faculty-to-student ratio as 1:9, applied department wise. The IITs subsidize undergraduate student fees by approximately 80% and provide scholarships to all ''[[Master of Engineering|Master of Technology]]'' students and ''[[Doctor of Philosophy|Research Scholars (PhD)]]'' in order to encourage students for higher studies, per the recommendations of the Thacker Committee (1959–1961).<ref name="Scholarships">{{cite web|url= http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf|title= The Evolution of Postgraduate Engineering Education and Research in India|access-date=27 August 2006|last= Natarajan|first= R|work= CAGS 2005 Conference|publisher= Canadian Association for Graduate Studies|page= 12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060921144431/http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf |archive-date = 21 September 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> The cost borne by undergraduate students is around {{INR|180000}} per year.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kakodkar-panel-suggests-steep-hike-in-tuition-fee-at-iits/790547/ |title=Kakodkar panel suggests steep hike in tuition fee at IITs |work=The Indian Express  |date=14 May 2011 |access-date=31 May 2011}}</ref> Students from the [[Other Backward Class|OBC]], [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|ST, SC]] categories, female students as well as [[Physical disability|physically challenged]] students are also entitled to scholarships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT fee more than doubled; total waiver for SC/ST, disabled, poor - The Economic Times |url=https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/education/iit-fee-more-than-doubled-total-waiver-for-sc/st-disabled-poor/amp_articleshow/51726245.cms |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=m.economictimes.com}}</ref>[https://m.economictimes.com/industry/services/education/iit-fee-more-than-doubled-total-waiver-for-sc/st-disabled-poor/amp_articleshow/51726245.cms]

</ref> The electronic libraries allow students to access on-line journals and periodicals. The IITs and [[Indian Institute of Science|IISc, Bengaluru]] have taken an initiative along with [[Ministry of Education (India)|Ministry of Education]] to provide free online videos of actual lectures of different disciplines under [[National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning]]. This initiative is undertaken to make quality education accessible to all students.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/edu/2009/03/09/stories/2009030950040200.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125045328/http://www.hindu.com/edu/2009/03/09/stories/2009030950040200.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=25 January 2013 | title=NPTEL | access-date=14 December 2011 | location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=9 March 2009}}</ref>

The academic policies of each IIT are decided by its ''[[academic senate|Senate]]''. This comprises all professors of the IIT and student representatives. Unlike many western universities that have an elected senate, the IITs have an academic senate. It controls and approves the curriculum, courses, examinations and results, and appoints committees to look into specific academic matters. The teaching, training and research activities of the institute are periodically reviewed by the senate to maintain educational standards.<ref name="Review">{{cite web|url= http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/Archive/dirnov3/cover_story.html|title= Engineering Education in a Flux|access-date= 27 August 2006|last= Prabhu|first= S.S.|date= September–November 2000|work= Report of the Review Committee|publisher= IIT Kanpur|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060904044208/http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/Archive/dirnov3/cover_story.html|archive-date= 4 September 2006|url-status= dead}}</ref> The ''Director'' of an IIT is the ex-officio Chairman of the Senate.

All the IITs follow the credits system of performance evaluation, with proportional weighting of courses based on their importance. The total marks (usually out of 100) form the basis of [[grade (education)|grades]], with a grade value (out of 10) assigned to a range of marks. Sometimes, relative grading is done considering the overall performance of the whole class. For each semester, the students are graded on a scale of 0 to 10 based on their performance, by taking a weighted average of the grade points from all the courses, with their respective credit points. Each semester evaluation is done independently and then the weighted average over all semesters is used to calculate the cumulative [[Grade Point Average]] (known as CGPA or CPI—Cumulative Performance Index).

The [[Bachelor of Technology]] (BTech) degree is the most common undergraduate degree in the IITs in terms of student enrollment,{{citation needed|date=September 2011}} although Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, dual degrees integrating [[Master of Science]] or [[Master of Arts]] are also offered. The BTech course is based on a 4-year program with eight semesters,<ref name="BTP2">{{cite web|url=http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |title=Structure of B. Tech Programme (Ordinance No.3) |access-date=7 January 2007 |work=Ordinances |publisher=IIT Madras |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622005229/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |archive-date=22 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while the Dual Degree and Integrated courses are 5-year programs with ten semesters. In all IITs, the first year of BTech and Dual Degree courses are marked by a common course structure for all the students, though in some IITs, a single department introduction related course is also included.<ref name="BTP7">{{cite web|url=http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |title=Structure of B. Tech Programme (Ordinance under R.4.2:Class Committee) |access-date=7 January 2007 |work=Ordinances |publisher=IIT Madras |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622005229/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |archive-date=22 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The common courses include the basics from most of the departments like Computers, Electronics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Electrical and Physics. At the end of first year (the end of first semester at IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Palakkad, and IIT Roorkee), an option to change departments is given to meritorious students on the basis of their performance in the first two semesters.<ref name="BTP4">{{cite web|title= Structure of B. Tech Programme (Ordinance under R.5.0:Change of Branch)|access-date= 7 January 2007|work= Ordinances|publisher= IIT Madras|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070622005229/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html|archive-date= 22 June 2007|url-status= dead|url= http://www.urdupost.net/category/urdu-tutorials|df= dmy-all}}</ref> Few such changes ultimately take place as the criteria for them are usually strict,<ref name="BTP4"/> limited to the most meritorious students.

From the second year onward, the students study subjects exclusively from their respective departments.<ref name="BTP5">{{cite web|url=http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |title=Structure of B. Tech Programme (Ordinance under R.2.0 (ii)) |access-date=7 January 2007 |work=Ordinances |publisher=IIT Madras |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622005229/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |archive-date=22 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition to these, the students have to take compulsory advanced courses from other departments in order to broaden their education. Separate compulsory courses from [[humanities]] and [[social sciences]] department, and sometimes management courses are also enforced.<ref name="BTP6">{{cite web|url=http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |title=Structure of B. Tech Programme (Ordinance under R.2.0 (iii)) |access-date=7 January 2007 |work=Ordinances |publisher=IIT Madras |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622005229/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech |archive-date=22 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the last year of their studies, most of the students are placed into industries and organisations via the placement process of the respective IIT, though some students opt out of this either when going for higher studies or when they take up jobs by applying to the companies directly.<ref name="Ordinance">{{cite web | url = http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech | title = BTech Ordinances | work = Senate Ordinances | publisher = IIT Madras | access-date =26 May 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060517063550/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#BTech  |archive-date = 17 May 2006}}</ref>

The IITs also offer an unconventional BTech and MTech integrated educational program called "Dual Degree". It integrates undergraduate and postgraduate studies in selected areas of specialisation. It is completed in five years<ref>[http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#DUAL Ordinance under Ordinance No. 3] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517063550/http://www.iitm.ac.in/Academics/Ordinances.html#DUAL |date=17 May 2006 }}</ref> as against six years in conventional BTech (four years) followed by an MTech (two years).<ref name="Dude">{{cite web|url= http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf|title= The Evolution of Postgraduate Engineering Education and Research in India|access-date=27 August 2006|last= Natarajan|first= R|work= CAGS 2005 Conference|publisher= Canadian Association for Graduate Studies|page= 6|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060921144431/http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf |archive-date = 21 September 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> Integrated Master of Science programs are also offered at few IITs which integrates the Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies in Science streams in a single degree program against the conventional university system. These programs were started to allow its graduates to complete postgraduate studies from IIT rather than having to go to another institute.

The IITs, along with NITs and IISc, account for nearly 80% of all engineering PhDs in India.<ref name="PhD">{{cite web|url= http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf|title= The Evolution of Postgraduate Engineering Education and Research in India|access-date=27 August 2005|last= Natarajan|first= R|work= CAGS 2005 Conference|publisher= Canadian Association for Graduate Studies|page= 25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060921144431/http://www.cags.ca/conference/2005/pdf/2005_Natarajan_R.pdf |archive-date = 21 September 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> IITs now allow admission in PhD programs without the mandatory [[Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering|GATE]] score.<ref>{{cite web|title=Getting Admission to PhD Seats in IITs gets simplified|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2013/09/getting-admission-to-phd-seats-in-iits-gets-simplified/|access-date=17 September 2013|archive-date=27 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927201154/http://news.biharprabha.com/2013/09/getting-admission-to-phd-seats-in-iits-gets-simplified/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Students-of-central-institutes-can-join-PhD-in-IITs-without-GATE/articleshow/22645492.cms|title=Students of central institutes can join PhD in IITs without GATE|work=The Times of India|access-date=12 June 2015}}</ref>

All the IITs provide on-campus residential facilities to the students, research scholars and faculty. The students live in [[hostels]] (sometimes referred to as ''halls'') throughout their stay in the IIT. Students in all IITs must choose among [[National Cadet Corps (India)|National Cadet Corps]] (NCC), [[National Service Scheme (India)|National Service Scheme]] (NSS) and [[National Sports Organisation (India)|National Sports Organisation]] (NSO) in their first years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/~ugacademics/wiki/index.php/NSO/NCC/NSS|title=Different academic programmes at IIT}}</ref> All the IITs have sports grounds for [[basketball]], [[cricket]], [[association football|football (soccer)]], [[field hockey|hockey]], volleyball, [[lawn tennis]], [[badminton]], athletics and swimming pools for aquatic events. Usually the hostels also have their own sports grounds.

All IITs organize annual technical festivals, typically lasting three or four days. The technical festivals are [[Shaastra]] (IIT Madras), Kshitij (IIT Kharagpur), [[Techfest]] (IIT Bombay), Technex (IIT-BHU Varanasi), Cognizance (IIT Roorkee), Concetto ([[Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad|IIT-ISM Dhanbad]]), Tirutsava ([[ IIT Tirupati]]), Nvision (IIT Hyderabad), Meraz (IIT Bhilai), Amalthea, (IIT Gandhinagar), [[Techkriti]] (IIT Kanpur), Tryst (IIT Delhi), [[Techniche]] (IIT Guwahati), [[Wissenaire]] (IIT Bhubaneswar), Technunctus (IIT Jammu), [[Exodia]] (IIT Mandi), Fluxus (IIT Indore), Celesta (IIT Patna) and [[IIT Jodhpur#IGNUS|IGNUS]] (IIT Jodhpur). Most of them are organized in the months of January or March. Techfest (IIT Bombay) is also one of the most popular and largest technical festivals in Asia in terms of participants and prize money involved. It has been granted patronage from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ([[UNESCO]]) for providing a platform for students to showcase their talent in science and technology. Shaastra holds the distinction of being the first student-managed event in the world to implement a formal [[Quality Management System]], earning [[ISO 9001:2000]] certification.<ref name="ISO">{{cite web | date = 8 May 2005 | url = http://www.iitm.ac.in/attachments/Directors-report.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060515151948/http://www.iitm.ac.in/attachments/Directors-report.pdf | archive-date = 15 May 2006| title = Director's Report | page = 36 | publisher = IIT Madras | access-date =26 May 2006}}</ref> Kshitij, which is branded as a techno-management festival due to its emphasis on both technology and management, is the largest of these festivals by sponsorship money.

Annual [[Cultural festival (India)|cultural festivals]] are also organized by the IITs and last three to four days. These include [[Thomso (festival)|Thomso]] (IIT Roorkee), Kashiyatra (IIT BHU Varanasi), [[Alcheringa (festival)|Alcheringa]] (IIT Guwahati), [[Exodia]] (IIT Mandi), [[Saarang]] and [https://www.instagram.com/paradox_iitmadras/ Paradox] (annual fests of IIT Madras BTech and BS Degree respectively), [[Spring Fest]] (IIT Kharagpur, also known as SF), [[Rendezvous (culfest)|Rendezvous]] (IIT Delhi), Meraz (IIT Bhilai), Tirutsava (IIT Tirupati), Srijan, (earlier known as Saturnalia, IIT Dhanbad), Tarang (culfest) (previously Rave), [[Anwesha]] (IIT Patna), SPANDAN (IIT Jodhpur), Renao (IIT Jammu), Petrichor (IIT Palakkad), [[Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar#Blithchron|Blithchron]] (IIT Gandhinagar), ELAN (IIT Hyderabad), [[Alma Fiesta]] (IIT Bhubaneswar), [[Mood Indigo (culfest)|Mood Indigo]] (IIT Bombay, also known as Mood-I), [[Antaragni]] (IIT Kanpur) and Zeitgeist (IIT Ropar).

IITs have generally ranked above other all other engineering colleges in India for Engineering. According to ''[[Outlook India]]''{{'s}} Top Engineering Colleges of 2017, the top four engineering colleges within India were IITs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/top-100-engineering-colleges-in-2017/298916|title=Top 100 Engineering Colleges in 2017|date=6 July 2017|publisher=[[Outlook India]]|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> In the 2019 [[QS World University Rankings|QS World University Ranking]], IIT Bombay ranked highest at 162, followed by IIT Delhi (172), IIT Madras (264), IIT Kanpur (283), IIT Kharagpur (295), IIT Roorkee (381) and IIT Guwahati (472).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/|title=Top Universities|website=Top Universities|language=en|access-date=2019-01-06|archive-date=21 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621140551/https://www.topuniversities.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2022 [[National Institutional Ranking Framework|NIRF]] rankings published by [[Ministry of Education (India)|Ministry of Education, India]], '''IIT Madras has been ranked 1st''' for seven consecutive years in the Engineering Category and for four consecutive years in the Overall Category.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-15 |title=IIT Madras emerges as the Undisputed Leader in Higher Education in India |url=https://www.iitm.ac.in/happenings/press-releases-and-coverages/iit-madras-emerges-undisputed-leader-higher-education-india |url-status=live |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=IIT-Madras (Press and News)}}</ref>

!2022 [[National Institutional Ranking Framework|NIRF]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-16 |title=National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022 Engineering Rankings |url=https://www.nirfindia.org/2022/EngineeringRanking.html |url-status=live |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=nirfindia.org}}</ref>

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| colspan="12" |N/A

The IITs have faced criticism from within and outside academia. Major concerns include allegations that they encourage [[brain drain]] and that their stringent entrance examinations encourage coaching colleges and put heavy pressure on the student's body. Recently some prominent IITians have also questioned the quality of teaching and research in IITs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indiaeducationreview.com/news/iit-iim-faculty-not-world-class-jairam-ramesh|title=IIT, IIM faculty not world-class: Jairam Ramesh|work=India Education Review|date=24 May 2011|access-date=12 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614002903/http://www.indiaeducationreview.com/news/iit-iim-faculty-not-world-class-jairam-ramesh|archive-date=14 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twocircles.net/2011oct25/what_ails_iits.html|title=What ails the IITs; Anil K Rajvanshi|date=25 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Poor-quality-of-students-entering-IITs-Narayana-Murthy/articleshow/10217469.cms | work=The Times of India | title=Poor quality of students entering IITs: Narayana Murthy - The Times of India}}</ref>

Among the criticisms of the IIT system by the media and academia, a common notion is that it encourages [[brain drain]]. This trend has been reversed somewhat (dubbed the [[reverse brain drain]]) as hundreds of IIT graduates, who have pursued further studies in the US, started returning to India in the 1990s.<ref name="brain drain"/> Additionally, IIT alumni are giving back generously to their parent institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-05 |title=How IITs are tapping into their robust alumni network for funding |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/education/story/how-iits-are-tapping-into-their-robust-alumni-network-for-funding-328664-2022-04-05 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Business Today |language=hi}}</ref> Until [[liberalisation]] started in the early 1990s, India experienced large scale emigration of IIT graduates to developed countries, especially to the United States. Since 1953, nearly twenty-five thousand IIT graduates have settled in the US.<ref name="The World is Flat">{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Thomas L.|author-link=Thomas Friedman|title=The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century|year=2006|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|location=USA|isbn=0-374-29288-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/worldisflatbri00frie/page/104 104–105]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/worldisflatbri00frie/page/104}}</ref> Since the US benefited from subsidized education in IITs at the cost of Indian taxpayers' money, critics say that subsidising education in IITs is useless. Others support the emigration of graduates, arguing that the capital sent home by the IIT graduates has been a major source of the expansion of [[Foreign exchange market|foreign exchange]] reserves for India, which, until the 1990s, had a substantial [[trade deficit]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

The extent of intellectual loss receded substantially over the 1990s and 2000s, with the percentage of students going abroad dropping from as high as 70% at one time to around 30% in 2005.<ref name="brain drain">{{cite news|agency = Indo-Asian News Service | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-998814451.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121026092518/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-998814451.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 26 October 2012 | title = Trend of brain drain on reverse to India | work=Hindustan Times | date = 7 March 2006 | access-date =17 March 2009}}</ref> This is largely attributed to the liberalization of the [[Economy of India|Indian economy]] and the opening of previously closed markets. Government initiatives are encouraging IIT students into entrepreneurship programs and are increasing foreign investment. Emerging scientific and manufacturing industries, and [[Business process outsourcing|outsourcing]] of technical jobs from North America and Western Europe have created opportunities for aspiring graduates in India. Many undergraduates go abroad to pursue further studies, such as MS, MBA, and PhD.

| first = V G| last = Idichandy| url = http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/oct/11inter.htm | title = Why the IIT-JEE pattern was changed | work = [[Rediff.com]] | date = 11 October 2005 | access-date =14 May 2006}}</ref> Indeed, this was the case regarding preparation for IIT entrance exams even decades ago. In a January 2010 lecture at the [[Indian Institute of Science]], the 2009 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, [[Venkatraman Ramakrishnan]] revealed that he failed to get a seat at any of the Indian engineering and medical colleges.<ref name="indiatimes1">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-05/india/28132308_1_entrance-tests-coaching-classes-iits|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811025813/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-05/india/28132308_1_entrance-tests-coaching-classes-iits|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 August 2011|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Nobel laureate Venkat Ramakrishnan failed IIT, medical entrance tests|access-date=12 June 2015}}</ref> He also said that his parents, being old-fashioned, did not believe in coaching classes to prepare for the IIT entrance exam and considered them to be "nonsense".<ref name="indiatimes1"/>

After the change to the objective pattern of questioning, even the students who initially considered themselves not fit for subjective pattern of IIT-JEE decided to take the examination. Though the restructuring was meant to reduce the dependence of students on coaching classes, it led to an increase in students registering for coaching classes.<ref name="jee students 2006">{{cite news | author = Rukmini Shrinivasan & Hemali Chhapia | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-03-31/mumbai/27830928_1_iit-entry-lakh-students-joint-entrance-examination | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121103193954/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-03-31/mumbai/27830928_1_iit-entry-lakh-students-joint-entrance-examination | url-status = dead| archive-date = 3 November 2012| title = 3 lakh students to vie for IIT entry this year| date = 31 March 2006| work = [[The Times of India]]| access-date =14 May 2006}}</ref> Some people (mostly IIT graduates) have criticized the changed pattern of the IIT-JEE. Their reasoning is that while IIT-JEE traditionally used to test students understanding of fundamentals and ability to apply them to solve tough unseen problems, the current pattern does not stress much on the application part and might lead to a reduced quality of students.<ref name="too easy JEE">{{cite news| author = Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey| url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-05-04/india/27846683_1_iit-jee-iit-entrance-test-union-hrd-ministry

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121103194001/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2005-05-04/india/27846683_1_iit-jee-iit-entrance-test-union-hrd-ministry | url-status = dead | archive-date = 3 November 2012| title = Crack the IIT code, it's too easy| date = 4 May 2005| work = [[The Times of India]]| access-date =30 May 2006}}</ref>

 

IIT-JEE is conducted only in English and [[Hindi language|Hindi]], making it harder for students with regional languages as their main language. In September 2011, the [[Gujarat High Court]] has acted on a [[Public Interest Litigation]] by the [[Gujarati Sahitya Parishad]], for conducting the exams in Gujarati.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/education/30184151_1_regional-languages-entrance-tests-raghuveer-chaudhary |title=Sahitya Parishad demands entrance tests in Gujarati |access-date=28 October 2011 |date=21 September 2011 |archive-date=23 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140623155222/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/Sahitya-Parishad-demands-entrance-tests-in-Gujarati/articleshow/10059681.cms?referral=PM |work=[[The Times of India]] |url-status=live }}</ref> A second petition was made in October by Navsari's Sayaji Vaibhav Sarvajanik Pustakalaya Trust.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-21/ahmedabad/30306229_1_entrance-tests-regional-language-gujarati-language |title=Another PIL seeks entrance tests in Gujarati |access-date=28 October 2011 |date=21 October 2011 |archive-date=7 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107191535/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-21/ahmedabad/30306229_1_entrance-tests-regional-language-gujarati-language |work=[[The Times of India]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another petition was made at the Madras High Court for conducting the exam in Tamil. In the petition it was claimed that not conducting the exam in the regional languages is in violation of article 14 of the [[Constitution of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/plea-write-iit-entrance-tamil-866 |title=Plea to write IIT entrance in Tamil |work=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=20 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110221016/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/plea-write-iit-entrance-tamil-866 |archive-date=10 January 2012 }}</ref> IIT council recommended major changes in entrance examination structure which is effective from 2017 onwards.<ref>{{cite web |title= Changes in IIT Entrance Examination Structure |url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/committee-recommends-major-changes-in-iit-entrance-examination-1241216}}</ref>

== Alumni ==

{{Category see also|Category:Indian Institutes of Technology people}}

IITs have many alumni.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=45899|title=PM's inaugural address at the 'PAN IIT-2008' – IIT Alumni Global Conference|date=19 December 2008|publisher=Press Information Bureau|access-date=8 August 2009|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102224516/https://pib.gov.in/release/release.asp?relid=45899|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iitsystem.ac.in/?q=aboutiit/view|title=Student statistics}}</ref>

* [[Indian Institutes of Management]](IIMs)

* [[National Institutes of Technology]](NITs)

* [[National Institute of Design]](NID)

* {{cite journal|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1998/49/b3607011.htm|author1=Kripalani, Manjeet|author2=Engardio, Pete|author3=Spiro, Leah Nathans|year=1998|title=INDIA'S WHIZ KIDS – Inside the Indian Institutes of Technology's star factory|journal=Bloomberg BusinessWeek|edition=International|volume=|pages=|via=}}

* {{cite web|url=http://www.littleindia.com/january2003/Dream%20Team.htm|title=What makes the IITs so chic|access-date=27 August 2006|website=|last=Rajguru|first=Suvarna|date=30 December 2005|publisher=LittleINDIA|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903055838/http://littleindia.com/january2003/Dream%20Team.htm|archive-date=3 September 2006}}

* {{cite news|first=Bill|last=Gates|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/speeches/2003/01-17iit.aspx|title=Bill Gates Speech Transcript – Indian Institute of Technology 50th Anniversary Celebration Keynote|work=|publisher=[[Microsoft|Microsoft corporation]]|date=17 January 2003|access-date=29 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409195157/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/speeches/2003/01-17iit.aspx|archive-date=9 April 2008|url-status=dead}}