Why Are IITians Switching Their Streams Midway?

Scores obtained by students in JEE decide their streams but they don’t always graduate in the same stream, at least that’s what the latest trend shows. The number of students in Indian technical institutions switching their courses midway is no all-time high. Needless to say, the trend is fast catching up with the students.

According to official reports, the number of students who switched to other courses midway at IIT-Bombay campus doubled from just 32 in 2010 to 68 in 2013.  And this trend can be experienced at other IITs as well. The number of students switching to other courses midway in IIT-Kanpur has risen to 40 in 2013 from just 10 in 2012.

“Many students do try this option to get a branch of their choice. Last year, more than 140 students applied to change their branch, with 68 being successful. There definitely is a positive motivation to do well in their academics and also the satisfaction of achieving a technical branch of their interest that is not purely determined by their JEE performance. It is a popular initiative,” said Narayan Rangaraj, dean, academic programs (IIT-B).

Indian Institute of Technology-Madras believes that in its campus the switch takes place right after the first semester.
“We allow 10% of the total class strength to change branches. And many do so too,” said Dean, academics, K Ramamurthy.

However, things are slightly different at IIT-Kanpur campus following the prevalent trend of the switch in IITs. IIT-Kanpur allows students to switch to other courses only after first and second semesters. The institute also allows students to pursue a minor along with a scheme of a second major under which 10 courses for another stream can be chosen.

“We have noticed that many students take up a stream due to family and peer pressure, but after they join they realize where their interests lay. All the schemes we have allow a perfect marriage between the student and the stream where his/her heart is. We are liberal because we see our undergraduate program as the one that should broaden the mind,” Dheeraj Sanghi, IIT-Kanpur dean (academic affairs) was quoted as saying.
This post was published by Aditya Singhal, co-founder of askIITians.