The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are among the most coveted institutes in India.
They are pretty hard to get into and also are apparently pretty tough to stick around till the end of one's course.
In the past two years, some 2,461 students have dropped out of IITs, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) has revealed.
Here are more details.
Statistics
Out of 2,461 dropouts, 57% from IITs in Delhi, Kharagpur
HRD Ministry's data, tabled in the Rajya Sabha recently, showed 2,461 students from 23 IITs have dropped out in the past two years.
These include 1,290 general category students and 1,171 reserved category students: SC (371), ST (199) and OBC (601).
IIT Delhi tops the list with 782 dropouts, followed by IIT Kharagpur (622), IIT Bombay (263), IIT Kanpur (190) and IIT Madras (128).
Details
Here are the reasons for the high number of dropouts
In response to a question asked by Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh V. Vijayasai Reddy, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' told the Rajya Sabha, "The reasons may be attributed to shifting to other colleges, personal reasons, medical reasons, placement during PG courses and pursuing higher education abroad."
Reportedly, the high number of drop-outs mostly include post-graduate students who choose jobs over degrees.
Quote
M.Tech students drop out after getting PSU jobs: IIT-K Professor
Further, IIT Kanpur professor Dheeraj Sanghi told The Print, "I am shocked to see the huge dropout number but as far as I can understand the data, it is because of the M.Tech students who drop out after getting a job in a PSU where hiring typically happens in July."
Sanghi added that they have requested the government to start PSU hiring in June.
IITs fail to accommodate students with non-English backgrounds
Separately, according to some professors, the dropouts are also a result of students not being able to cope with the pressure of the curriculum. Students from vernacular medium backgrounds also struggle at IITs, which predominantly use English to teach.
Reserved category
Most reserved category students are from non-English medium schools
Meanwhile, some have pointed out that the number of reserved category dropouts (over 47%) is worrisome.
Anoop Kumar, a documentary filmmaker, told The Print that most reserved category students have non-English medium backgrounds and IITs fail to alleviate the language barrier.
Kumar has made a three-part documentary series Death of Merit, which details the lives of students who committed suicide allegedly due to casteism.
Counter-argument
47% reserved category dropout rate corresponding to 49.5% quota
However, the Dean of Students Affairs at the IIT Kharagpur, Somesh Kumar, stated that the reserved category dropouts weren't alarming, The Hindu reported.
"The intake of students from the weaker sections in the IITs is almost 50% and if similar number of students drop out, there's nothing unusual," Kumar said.
The IITs allocate 15% seats for SC, 7.5% for ST, and 27% for OBC.
Other details
Institutes offer additional classes for weaker students, counseling sessions: MHRD
The HRD Minister also highlighted that out of 99 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) dropouts, 14 were from the SC category, 21 from ST, and 27 from OBC.
He added that undergraduates drop out over "wrong choices filled, poor academic performance, personal and medical reasons."
The minister also said some institutes are now offering additional classes for weaker students and counseling on personal issues.
