IITs redraft courses to ensure students do not lose time, jobs to virus
IIT Kanpur plans to not detain any student and to award them with A, B, C and S grades under a special system
NEW DELHI : Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are revisiting the way they are offering courses to ensure that students do not lose out on years and job opportunities amid the covid-19 crisis. The elite institutes have worked on models for early graduation, take-home examinations, and a grading system based on past performances, and also introduced viva-voce sessions through videoconferencing.
IIT Kharagpur said it has decided to close the spring 2020 semester with the end semester examination being replaced with other considerations of evaluating student performance, including the grades of the mid-semester examination, assignments, and viva-voce.
IIT Delhi has given students the option to fast-track the process and get degrees by June, or wait till July or longer, for the regular graduation process to end, as the future course of action will depend on how the covid-19 situation evolves. “All early-graduation requirements will be met through an online process. No student will need to come to campus," IIT Delhi director V. Ramgopal Rao said. It will involve take-home examinations, telephonic interviews, and online tests, Rao said.
“The graduating batch (students who have less than a semester left) can decide on an early graduation option, or go through the regular graduation process (when we are allowed to reconvene) and follow a regular schedule for graduation," he said.
“We hope to get the students back to the campus starting 2 July in a phased manner. However, the dates can change depending on how the covid situation evolves. As there may be some delays in this, time-bound early graduation plan is being offered. Students are not forced to take it, but will have the flexibility if they choose to exercise this option," Rao said.
IIT Kanpur will not detain anyone and adopt a special grading scheme in view of the crisis. Students will be awarded A, B, C, and S grades.
“The grading for courses and theses will be completed by 30 June. There will be no terminations at the end of the semester. The Masters’ students who were unable to complete their research work for the thesis because of the lockdown can submit the project report to enable them to graduate," said IIT Kanpur director Abhay Karandhikar.
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