Opinion IIT Delhi’s new curriculum: A break from the grind

IIT Delhi’s decision to revamp its undergraduate curriculum marks a much-needed shift in Indian higher education — from relentless academic pressure to thoughtful, student-centric reform. By reducing credit loads, introducing smaller class sizes, and embedding interdisciplinary flexibility into the learning experience, the institution is acknowledging an uncomfortable truth — excellence cannot come from rote learning or at the cost of mental or physical well-being. The revised curriculum, to be introduced from this academic session, has made pivotal changes: It emphasises hands-on learning to ensure students gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge. Smaller classroom sizes — especially critical in the first year for those transitioning from vastly different educational environments — offers the promise of stronger faculty-student engagement. It will also offer integrated courses and options to change branches after year one, based on merit. The integration of sustainability modules across various disciplines reflects a forward-thinking approach, aligning education with environmental concerns. Additionally, the incorporation of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning into the curriculum ensures that students are equipped to navigate and contribute to the evolving technological landscape.

The revamp, which comes after 12 years, is more than administrative housekeeping — it’s a response to a crisis that elite Indian institutions have struggled to confront. In 2023–24, six students at IIT Delhi died by suicide, part of a grim national pattern. Behind these numbers are stories of young minds buckling under pressure in an academic system that too often conflates merit with endurance. Years of grinding at coaching centres, rigid curricula, hyper-competitive environments, and an assembly-line model of education create a perfect cocktail of burnout and mental-health crises. An internal committee set up by IIT Delhi last year identified key structural stressors, that include post-coaching fatigue, unforgiving grading systems and persistent caste- and gender-based discrimination, especially for first-generation learners and students from marginalised backgrounds.

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Over the past couple of years, however, IITs have worked to dismantle the myth that the path to excellence is necessarily punishing or linear. By setting up a sports scholarship at IIT Madras and implementing a supernumerary quota for women in their undergraduate engineering programmes, IITs have risen to the task of reimagining higher education as inclusive, diverse and future-ready. IIT Delhi’s curriculum reform builds on this foundation. A lot now rides on the implementation. But in moving away from rote learning toward an academic model that values curiosity, well-being, and personal growth, it grounds its vision in empathy, innovation and adaptability. That is a crucial — and necessary — first step.