IIT Delhi Director Suggests 5-Year BTech Programmes, Says ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Approach Not Working

Last Updated:September 23, 2026, 2:48 PM IST

IIT classrooms have become increasingly diverse in academic preparedness and students should be given more time and academic support to meet the institutes’ standards, said Rao.

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IIT Delhi Director V. Ramgopal Rao has called for a rethink of the way BTech programmes are structured across the IIT system, proposing that UG programmes be designed as five-year courses to give students greater flexibility and academic support.

His comments come amid the controversy surrounding the death of an IIT Bombay student and the questions raised over academic pressure, examination rules and the treatment of students on campus.

In a statement, Rao also defended IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doola, who has faced criticism following the incident. Rao said he knows Doola personally and described him as one of the finest faculty members he has known in the IIT system and a person of high integrity. He said concerns surrounding the controversy should be examined fairly and that a public campaign against an individual would not serve any purpose.

Rao, who has more than 25 years of experience at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, said many of the challenges currently being seen across IITs stem from what he described as a “one size fits all” approach to teaching and learning.

According to Rao, IIT classrooms have become increasingly heterogeneous. Students admitted to the same programme can have widely different JEE Advanced ranks and academic backgrounds.

“With students coming through an intensive coaching culture, and classrooms bringing together students whose JEE Advanced ranks range from single digits to five digits (in the same class -for example CSE in IIT Delhi), we now have highly heterogeneous classrooms across the IIT system. Language also further adds to the challenge,” he said.

The issue, according to Rao, is whether students with such different levels of academic preparedness can reasonably be expected to learn at the same pace. He said there is nothing wrong with opening the country’s premier institutions to students from different backgrounds. However, he argued that IITs also need to adapt their teaching-learning methods to this diversity.

Rao said faculty members face a difficult situation when teaching students with widely different levels of preparedness. “Move too slowly, and some students lose interest. Move too quickly, and others are left behind,” he said.

Drawing on his own classroom experience, Rao also said that students with strong JEE Advanced ranks can sometimes struggle after entering IITs. According to him, intensive coaching can prepare students to solve familiar types of questions quickly, but the transition to independent learning and unfamiliar problems can be difficult.

He stressed that this challenge should not be linked to any particular admission category. “The move from coaching to independent learning can be hard for anyone,” he said.

Rao proposed that IITs consider moving their BTech programmes to five years. Under his proposal, students who meet the required credit requirements could complete the programme in four years or potentially three-and-a-half years. Students who need more time could spread their courses over five years and receive additional academic support.

Such support, he suggested, could include recorded lectures, online learning material and language assistance where required. The pace of a student’s programme, Rao argued, should be determined by their academic performance after joining the IIT rather than their admission category or JEE Advanced rank.

“No one would be singled out for taking a fifth year,” he said.

Rao also stressed that extending the time available to students should not mean lowering academic standards.

“IITs must uphold academic standards,” he said, while arguing that institutions also have a responsibility to recognise that students do not enter with the same level of preparation or learn at the same pace.

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What is the primary reason IIT Delhi Director V. Ramgopal Rao proposed 5-year BTech programmes?

IIT Delhi Director V. Ramgopal Rao proposed five-year BTech programmes to address the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and give heterogeneous student bodies greater flexibility and academic support.

How would the proposed 5-year BTech structure accommodate students with different academic speeds?

Under the proposal, students could complete the course in four or three-and-a-half years if ready, while those needing extra time could spread courses over five years with support like recorded lectures and language assistance.

What did V. Ramgopal Rao say about the transition from intense JEE Advanced coaching to IIT learning?

Rao noted that even top-ranked JEE students can struggle with independent learning and unfamiliar problems after transitioning from intensive coaching backgrounds, affecting students across all admission categories.

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