Due to recent incidents at the IIT campuses across the country, the discussion on the mental wellness of students has gained momentum. Professor Budaraju Srinivasa Murty talks to indianexpress.com about rank-based discrimination, the need of coaching institutes and gender ratio in the IITs. Q: Rank-based discrimination has been going on for years but has now come to notice after sad tragedies on IIT campuses. What measures has IIT-H taken to curb this kind of discrimination? At IIT-H, we have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, including rank-based. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where every student feels valued and respected. To curb such discrimination, we have implemented awareness programmes, sensitisation workshops, and established counselling services to address grievances. We actively promote a culture of empathy, understanding, and mutual respect among our student community. Q: Be it OTT series or social media posts etc, IIT graduates and current students have often tried to voice their stories of struggles in Kota-based coaching institutes and other cities too. The coaching centres have been gaining traction in the past few years and the pressure has been increasing for students. What are your thoughts on this? The stories of struggles faced by the IIT aspirants are significant, and we empathise with their experiences. We have implemented mentorship programmes, stress management initiatives, and peer support systems to help students cope with the challenges. We encourage open dialogue and actively engage with our students to address their concerns and provide necessary support. We are almost ready with an 'Olympic size' sports and cultural complex, which would help the students in their co-curricular activities. Our curriculum ensures that the students earn 10 per cent of their total credits from courses in liberal arts and creative arts. This enables the students to study dance, music, painting and other art forms, and IIT-H also supports communal harmony via supporting student events such as the annual cultural and tech fest, Elan & nVision, Inter-Hostel Tournament – Milan, Inter-departmental Tournament-Diesta and many other events so that students develop interpersonal skills. JEE has become a filtering exam. JEE preparation coaching centres are creating smarter students, who can crack any objective type of question paper. However, the IIT education system needs different types of skills and thoroughness in the subject. So, when a student enters an IIT from a coaching centre, a significant amount of unlearning and relearning is needed, which also creates stress on students. In addition, when a student does not get a branch of his/her choice, there is additional pressure on them to do well in the first year to get a high CGPA for a branch change. Therefore at IIT-H, we have removed the branch change option, while allowing the options of minor and double major. One way out is to reintroduce subjective question papers in JEE Advanced, which is possible now with many science faculty members being available in 23 IITs. However, in the long run, I would like to see a day when we have a better way of selecting students to IITs instead of one written test called JEE Advanced. Q: Do you think coaching classes are really necessary to clear JEE? While coaching classes can be helpful for some students, we come across several students who have cleared JEE without coaching. Clearing JEE needs strong fundamentals, the ability to apply those and focused preparation. In terms of resources, NCERT textbooks serve as a fundamental resource for JEE Advanced preparation. However, as I mentioned before, the students need to learn to apply the concepts for them to clear JEE Advanced. Q: There are very few female students in IITs. While the trend is slowly changing, do you think that girls have any societal or general disadvantage in the engineering field? The underrepresentation of female students in engineering, including at IITs, is a societal concern that needs to be addressed. There has been a trend for many decades in India that girls prefer biology and medicine rather than engineering and technology. Our current female student strength is around 33 per cent and we have more female students at PG and PhD level. By fostering an inclusive environment and empowering young women, we aim to create equal opportunities for all genders in the engineering field. We have formed a committee of female faculty members with a request to suggest measures to increase female student strength at IIT Hyderabad. Q: How many seats remained vacant in the last three years? This year, around 5 per cent of seats remain unfilled. This is at par with all other IITs (including older IITs). The primary reason can be attributed to candidates not getting the branch of their choice. Q: Has the IIT-H seen the effects of the Covid pandemic-induced online classes? Do you think students came under more pressure due to the pandemic? The Covid-19 pandemic did present unique challenges for students and faculty, including the shift to online classes. However, at IITH, we swiftly adapted to the online mode of education to ensure minimal disruption to the learning process. We strengthened our digital infrastructure with 20 hybrid classrooms, implemented innovative teaching methodologies, and provided extensive support to students through virtual platforms. While the pandemic did introduce additional pressure, we have actively worked towards minimising its impact and providing a conducive learning environment. We have announced an online MTech programme for working professionals so that they can upgrade their knowledge. In addition, IIT Hyderabad is proud to be the first in the country to open its classroom to external learners via OAT (Open to all Teaching). From this August, we are offering 15 courses under this scheme. Our idea is to be a global knowledge centre. Q: The recent news of layoffs created panic among IT professionals. Do you think the layoff wave can negatively affect Indian students too? The recent wave of layoffs in the IT industry is a matter of concern for all stakeholders. While it is difficult to predict the future, it is essential for students to develop a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and adaptability. If a student has the necessary skills, his/her job is secured. In industry what matters is skills and not a degree anymore. At IIT Hyderabad, we emphasise holistic education and equip our students with a diverse set of skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication abilities. We encourage entrepreneurship and industry collaborations to enhance their employability and prepare them for the ever-evolving job market. We are also establishing an ecosystem that brings out students who are job creators and not job seekers. Q: Are there any non-mainstream courses that have recently gained popularity at the institute? In the past five years, IIT Hyderabad has introduced several non-mainstream programmes that have gained popularity among students. Some notable examples of UG programmes include BTech in Industrial Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Computational Engineering, and IC Design and Technology and a UG program on Design (BDes). We also have a unique BTech programme on Engineering sciences, where the student has the freedom to pick up courses of their liking. We also started several multi-disciplinary MTech programmes such as MTech in Additive manufacturing, E-waste management, Energy, Sensors, Smart Mobility, systems packaging, Semiconducting materials and devices, etc. Q: Do you have any advice for schools when it comes to preparing students for IITs/ higher educational institutes? Preparing students for IITs and higher educational institutes requires a balanced approach. Schools play a vital role in nurturing the foundation of knowledge, curiosity, and problem-solving abilities in students. It is crucial to focus on developing conceptual understanding, fostering analytical thinking, and encouraging self-learning. Schools should provide a supportive environment that encourages experimentation, hands-on learning, and critical thinking. Additionally, it is essential to instill a growth mindset, resilience, and time management skills to help students thrive in competitive examinations. Exams like IITs should be a means to a larger goal, not a goal in themselves.
