Is Brand IIT broken?

Hasty expansion, faculty shortage and falling student standards are taking the
sheen off India's best engineering brand.

Nitin Kumar Reddy

came across as a chilledout guy. He was nerdy,
yet jovial. His friends at
the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT)
Madras, where he was
studying mechanical
engineering, called him FireStallion. Every day, he would download hard to find movies and
share them over the local computer network that connects all students at the IIT. And just for fun,
he once spent 14 hours without a break building a large crane using Lego blocks. "I'm awesome,"
he wrote on his profile page on a social networking site.
One hot muggy afternoon in May 2011, Reddy locked the door of his third-floor hostel room
from within and hanged himself from the ceiling fan.
IIT Madras, where 8,000 students and 530 teachers share a 620-acre campus with 400 species of
plants, blackbucks, fan-throated lizards, tortoises and venomous cobras, was rattled. Reddy, a
final-year M.Tech student was behind schedule on a project, and had been asked to stay back
another six months to complete the work, while everybody else in his department graduated.
Perhaps, Reddy was not able to cope with the academic pressure, or the shame of staying back at
the institute was too much. Or he was upset that he had to let go a plum job he had landed.
Whatever the reason, the 24-year-old's suicide is a cursor to an epidemic across all IITs.
According to the government, 10 IIT students have killed themselves since 2010 - there were two
suicides each in IIT Madras and Kharagpur and one each in IIT Kanpur and Delhi in 2011 alone.
And a government taskforce found 18 attempted suicides in the last two years in the centrallyfunded technical institutions.
All is not well with the IITs, the country's finest technical education chain to which millions of
youngsters have aspired since the 1950s. In 2012, a record 479,651 candidates appeared for the
Joint Entrance Exam, or JEE, for 9,647 undergraduate seats. And, when this year's JEE wraps up
in June, the number is likely to have crossed half a million.

But over the years, the JEE, well-known for its tough standards, has developed loopholes that
may let smart, but not necessarily the best, brains in the country into IITs. This, at a time when
competing global engineering schools such as Singapore's Nanyang Technological University,
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, and Korea
Advanced Institute of Sicence and Technology have popped up into global prominence.
Much of this is because of the scorching pace at which IITs have expanded over the last five
years. Still, there is no denying the erosion in the quality of output of the IITs --- at least,
relatively speaking --- and what it does to the famed Brand IIT, which played a role in changing
India's image from a "nation of snake charmers" to a "nation of (computer) mice". Is Brand IIT
killing itself?
Q&A: IIT Madras director on entrance tests
The number of IITs now totals 16. Nine of them came in or after 2008. The result has been a split
in how IITs are perceived. The new IITs at Bhubaneshwar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur,
Ropar, Patna, Indore and Mandi, some professors and recruiters say, are not quite IITs the way
the world expects them to be.
"Employers clearly understand the difference between old IITs (Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras,
Kanpur, Delhi) and the new ones. There are the old ones, the intermediate ones like Roorkee and
Guwahati, and the new kids on the block," a senior professor of the Computer Science
Department in IIT Delhi, who didn't want to be identified, says. "The old IITs still have the same
value as they did earlier but you can't say you are from IIT. You have to say which one you are
from," he adds.
That is a view resonating widely among IIT's alumni across the world. "Until now, an IIT meant
something, now there is a distinction based on what follows 'IIT' --- as in the location," says San
Francisco serial entrepreneur and IIT Kharagpur alumnus Indra Singhal. That distinction has
slowly eroded the way the world perceives the IITs. "There is a dilution in Brand IIT because
with the increased numbers, there is a perception that the selectivity is no longer there," seconds
Anand Jagannathan Founder-CEO at Newzstand Corp, also in California, and an IIT Kanpur
alumnus of 1974.
Q&A: We should not compare the new and old IITs
That is not an emotional argument from a bunch of people bent on preserving IIT's elitist tag.
The reason employers want to differentiate is because of quality - the new IITs, mostly located in
smaller cities and towns, have not been able to attract good faculty. Neither are their facilities at
par with the older ones. Ask Intel. Every year, the world's biggest chipmaker hires about 150
engineers from campuses in India with specialised skills in areas such as power management mostly from the IITs. Apreeta Singh, Senior Manager of Talent Delivery at the company says she
only goes to the top four old IITs. "We don't go to the new IITs because there definitely is a
difference in the quality of students. And these IITs don't have the brand name.," she says. "Even
other MNCs would not want to go to new IITs."
Q&A: 'There should be a national evaluation system'

Nobody doubts that India needs more quality

engineering institutes. The country mints about
600,000 engineers every year and counts about
four million students in its engineering colleges
but employability is a critical issue. Different
surveys say just one in four engineers in India can
be ushered into a job, and that too after training.
Only 17.45 per cent of engineers are employable
in the IT services sector and just 2.68 per cent in
IT product companies, a study by talent
assessment company Aspiring Minds concluded in
2011. Engineering companies fall somewhere in
between and make one hire from 20 candidates,
says Varun Aggarwal, co-founder of Aspiring
Minds. India, reckons Mohandas Pai, the former
HR chief of Infosys, needs around 400,000
engineers a year.
While a higher number of IITs in dispersed
locations can help increase the supply of quality
engineering talent in the future, the kind of quality
educationists are looking for remains elusive.
One way to raise the bar on quality of education at
the new IITs would be to bring in top notch
faculty but that is easier preached than done. A
typical IIT assistant professor starts at about Rs
75,000 a month - less than what many engineers
from Tier II colleges get as their first pay cheque.
Says Ashok Misra, a former director of IIT
Bombay and now the Chairman of the JEE
Council, "People go for teaching because of their
passion for it. But if your colleagues working in
corporate offices get four times your salary, it
does affect your teaching." But with government
rules on compensation in operation at the IITs,
there is little they can do to raise faculty salaries.
The irony is that even trainers in some JEE coaching centres make six times as much, if not
more.
Q&A: 'The premium IIT graduates demand is hard to justify'
IIT administrators hold that attracting good faculty will continue to remain a challenge for
institutes located in places like Ropar, Jodhpur, Gandhinagar and Mandi because of what they
call a "two-body" problem - both the husband and wife want to work and that may not be
feasible in a smaller location. "This was not a problem in the previous generation when one

spouse was a homemaker," says Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director of IIT Madras. IIT Kharagpur, a
sleepy town with a large railway workshop and an Anglo-Indian heritage, easily flourished,
having started in 1951.
But IIT Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, in comparison, which according to a board member of the
institute has a "wow campus" being located in the hills, has only 22 teachers of a sanctioned
strength of 90.

So why set up IITs in remote places? "That is a good question," Ramamurthi snaps. There are no

easy answers.
The political undertones of the expansion in the number of IITs is unmistakable. Most of the new
IITs began in 2008 and were announced by the late Minister of Human Resource Development
Arjun Singh on March 28, 2008 as Congress insiders were betting on a wave of welfare
measures to bring them back to power. A year later, in the 2009 general elections, the Congress
emerged as the single largest party and formed the second United Progressive Alliance

government.
To be sure, it was not the new IITs' decision that helped Congress at the hustings. Academics say
that if at all they had to be set up, the new IITs should have been spaced out - say, one every five
years, or even one every two years. "That would have been easier on the system. But the timing
and locations were political decisions. In the long-term, these IITs will become good," Dheeraj
Sanghi, Dean of Academic Affairs at IIT Kanpur, says hopefully.
Q&A: Recruiting good faculty is a challenge all over the world
Tall and lean, Krishna P. Jagannathan moves around the IIT Madras campus in smart sunglasses.
A 2004 B. Tech graduate from the IIT, he went on to do his Ph.D from MIT before coming back
to join his alma mater as an assistant professor in the Electrical Engineering department. Soon,
he will be in Italy and Japan presenting conference papers on wireless networks. In the one and a
half years he has been at the IIT as a professor, he has already published his research work in two
journals, besides readying two conference papers. Jagannathan's research output is a slight
improvement by IIT Madras standards of a decade ago. In 2002/2003, publications per faculty
member a year at the IIT stood at 1.23, according to an IIT review committee report of 2004,
chaired by noted scientist P. Rama Rao. In other IITs, it varied between 1.03 and 1.69. In
2011/12, the output by professors at IIT Madras jumped to 2.05.
IIT Bombay has hired 100 people from abroad since March 2010. And IIT Madras' intake of such
faculty has been about 30 a year. The thrust towards research is in one way aimed at countering
the faculty shortage. The Anil Kakodkar Committee of 2010 in its strategic recommendations for
IITs set a target of 10,000 doctoral fellows being produced annually by the 2020-25 period, up
from the current 1,000. The hope is that some of these Ph.Ds will stay to teach at the IITs.
Today, faculty at the IITs is far behind the ideal number needed to do a good job of teaching -the
teacher-student ratio in the older IITs are trending at 1:16 while ideally it should be 1:10. Quality
recruitments have simply not kept pace with the sudden expansion in the number of seats. In
2007, IITs had 5,537 seats. This jumped 74 per cent to 9,647 by 2012, with most of the
expansion happening in the reserved categories as the Ministry of Human Resources and
Development implemented 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in
2008. "People believe that there has been dilution in quality. That is expected because you have
admitted 50 per cent more people today," says Krishnan Balasubramanian, Professor in the
Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras.
The problem of teacher shortage is compounded by the fact that many students feel disillusioned
with some of the older professors who continue to teach from 20-year-old notes and have not
upgraded themselves with the changing times. Textbooks, however, are reviewed by some of the
IITs every three years.
Armin Mustafa, an IIT Kanpur post-graduate from 2010, now works with Samsung. She says she
was lucky to have a good teacher. "But in the IIT there were two-three professors who did not
teach much. They took half the classes in a semester. They were either on leave or just absent,"
she says.

A recent survey carried out by a student group at IIT Bombay - incidentally, the preferred
destination of top JEE qualifiers (in 2011, 70 of the top 100 JEE qualifiers went to IIT, Bombay)
-- is revealing. In an article headlined 'Why don't we study at IIT-B?' published in its student
magazine InsIghT, the authors write: "Surveys among our students have consistently shown them
to be unhappy with the teaching at IIT-B. 88 per cent of the respondents feel that one of the
important factors why they don't study is because the professors haven't succeeded in generating

enough interest in their courses. 72 per cent of the respondents also blame the course content for
being too theoretical and lacking an application perspective making it disinteresting."
Q&A: 'You cannot have a collective vision for 20 IITs'
Nidhi Shanbagh, one of the students involved in the survey says that students are not questioning
the capability of professors. "We just wanted to see if the teaching can be made more interesting

so that we study more. We are not putting enough hours into study," she told BT.

The same survey raises another important issue. As IITs try and transition to being institutes of
research, teachers are perhaps spending more time in research than in teaching. "Research is the
most important factor in faculty recruitment as well as promotion, although course evaluation is
also a component. It's not hard to see why it is possible that research could be more interesting
while teaching could be relegated to being one of the unpleasant aspects of the job, for many
professors," the article states.
The issue of teaching quality is relevant in other IITs as well. A professor from IIT Kanpur who
did not want to be quoted says that there has been a decline in the quality of courses. "Twenty
five years ago, teachers gave out assignments to students every week and these were graded and
returned. Today, they can't give out assignments because grading them will take more time," he
says, adding that "Class sizes are much larger now and there is no personal connect with the
student".

Harish Hande, co-founder of sustainable energy company SELCO Solar also graduated from IIT
Kharagpur in 1990. He holds IITs are not teaching coursework relevant to India and the faculty
still have an elitist bent of mind. "IIT students are the classic product of subsidies and have
created jobs and innovations for America. There is hardly a connect between IIT and rural India.
Industrial Training Institutes (government-run technical training organisations) have had more
impact on rural India - students from these institutes made, installed and maintained pumps that
have helped in the agri revolution, for example," Hande says.
While coursework seems adrift, there is a growing view among that IITs may well be admitting
less meritorious students given the huge expansion in the number of reserved category seats. It is
a touchy issue and most professors shy away from talking about the quality of reserved category
candidates. But it is obvious everybody is worried about the disparity in a class - the Kakodkar
Committee conducted an online survey inviting inputs from all stakeholders (including students
and teachers) on the IIT system. A large majority suggested periodic review of the structure and
pattern of the JEE to ensure true quality and cautioned against expansion at the expense of
quality.
We are getting good students. Whether we are getting the best students is difficult to say...:

Bhaskar Ramamurthi :Photo: Nilotpal Baruah

"There is no significant difference between general category candidates and OBCs," says a
professor with an administrative role in one of the IITs. "But some of the other caste students,

particularly those who come from Hindi medium, have difficulty following lectures." The
medium of instruction in the IITs is English. "They have major problems in the first year but are
counselled not to lose confidence. The average pass out grade in four years is 7.3. Students from
SC/ST background have grades of around 6.5," he adds.
The other trend is of students laser-focused on careers these days. The perception of quality
changing has to do with cultural change, says the II T Delhi computer sciences professor quoted
without naming earlier. "Twenty years ago, there were brilliant people who had no career
ambition. They did crazy things, smoked grass, cracked exams," he says. "Today, everyone has a
career path decided from the day he or she enters IIT."
The current JEE system has problems that might be leaving out truly bright students and
admitting just the smarter ones for undergraduate courses. Entrance exam coaching, professors
say, makes candidates smarter at cracking the JEE. According to a JEE report, one in five
registered students took coaching help during JEE 2012 but they made up about half of the
successful candidates.
"We are getting good students. Whether we are getting the best students is difficult to say in an
elimination exam with this ratio. Somebody who is very good but didn't get coaching and didn't
know the strategy of time management may lose out to somebody who does not have that spark.
It could be matter of a few marks," Ramamurthi, the IIT Madras director, acknowledges, and
hastens to add, "If I have gone for coaching, I am taught how to decide when a question is
beyond my capability and move on. But the instinct of any bright student is to 'let me take this up
and do it'. He may waste too much time on a question."
Strangely, IITs alone has been responsible for the growth of the coaching industry in many ways.
The JEE earlier made candidates go through a multiple-choice screening exam followed by a
problem-solving exam where answers were graded by humans. But with growing volumes, such
grading became difficult.
Around the year 2006, "We made one big mistake. We said do away with the second exam. This
started coaching for multiple choice questions. We did not anticipate that coaching will distort it.
Now, there is no training for real understanding," Ramamurthi says.*
How does this distortion reflect on the campus? Students have become less serious about
coursework. "People believe that there has been a dilution in quality. That is expected because
you have admitted 50 per cent more people today," says Krishnan Balasubramanian, professor at
the Department Of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras. He joined the IIT 13 years ago and
cites an example of how he has seen a change in student motivation towards academics. "In the
first six-seven years of my tenure, we got at least 5-10 students publishing papers every year
from my department at the undergraduate level. Today, I have great difficulty in finding a single
student who wants to do it at that level."
IIT students are also becoming less nerdy, it seems. The survey by InsIghT, the IIT Bombay
student magazine, says that 75 per cent of the students at the IIT don't spend any time on
academics if there are no upcoming assignments and 80 per cent of students study less than three
hours a week. IIT Madras has been shutting Internet connectivity during some hours of the night

to encourage students to sleep.

Q&A| We believe in holistic education: Director of IIT Bombay
In the middle of all these, some recruiters and academics feel that the gap between IITs and some
of the second-tier engineering institutions has narrowed. P. Anandan, Managing Director of
Microsoft Research India asserts that IITs are not any worse than they were 15 years back. But in
the same breath, he rates Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-Delhi),
which was created as a State University by an act of Delhi Government in 2008, in the same
league as the IITs. He insists others such as International Institute of Information technology in
Hyderabad are also in that league.

Vineet Kaul, the Chief People Officer at metals company Hindalco Industries Ltd and the former
HR head of Philips, does not recruit from IITs but has experience of recruiting from these
institutes in his previous company. "Our experience with the National Institutes of Technology
has been good at Hindalco. The students offer us quality and stability. The top quartile of the
students at NITs and BITS are very good and quite comparable to talent at the IITs," he stresses.
Arjun Malhotra, who co-founded HCL Technologies along with Shiv Nadar back in the 1970s
and more recently, was the Chairman and CEO of IT services company Headstrong, says there
are departments in some NITs that match IIT standards. He cites the example of the Computer
Science Department at NIT Surathkal.
If the IITs don't pull up their socks, they will soon face much tougher competition from both
Indian colleges on one hand and international universities on the other. With all the chestthumping in India about being premier, IITs don't figure in the list of top 200 universities in the
world. As per QS World University Rankings 2012/13, which evaluates 700 universities in the
world, the best rank was of IIT Delhi at 212. Bombay (227), Kanpur (278), Madras (312) and
Kharagpur (349) follow. IITs have slipped a bit since 2008 when the highest ranking IIT was
Delhi at 164. Professors at IITs often criticise the QS ranking system since the methodology
does not favour standalone tech institutes but the writing on the wall is clear: Brand IIT is under
siege.
Q&A: IITs need to give emphasis on soft skills
But hope was evident on a recent Wednesday sunny morning on the IIT Delhi campus. The
institute was gearing up for the ninth edition of I2Tech, a programme to open up to the public the
research it does. "The general public was not aware of the research and innovation happening at
IIT. "It is important to reach out and tell people what we are doing," says Mahesh Abegaonkar,
Professor of Electronics and Communications, adding that this year he expects more than the
5,000 visitors who turned up in 2012. A small effort at buffing Brand IIT. And, not a day late.

Electrical engg beats computer science at IIT

TNN Sep 25, 2010, 02.56pm IST

(IIT Roorkee )

MUMBAI: For years, computer science was a rage among those who made it to the top of the
selection list of the joint entrance exam (JEE), which is the passport to the Indian Institutes of
Technology. Anumula Jithendar Reddy from Hyderabad who topped the competitive entrance
test, didn't take that road much travelled. Instead, he decided to pursue electrical engineering at
IIT-Bombay.
There were many like Reddy, whose preferences have shifted with the IT shimmer fading.
Picture this: While electrical engineering opened at all- India rank (AIR) 1 and closed at rank 98,
computer science, on the Powai campus, dragged on and closed at rank 116.
"One will notice the same trend picking up in other IITs next year. But telecommunication is on
the top, at least neck-and-neck with computer science. And electrical engineering is as much a

rage as computer science, at least in the IITs. After that we have most students opting for
mechanical engineering," said an IIT faculty member.
While computer science still attracted a large chunk of the JEE toppers, this year, however, of the
top 100 JEE-2010 rankers, about 25% opted for electrical engineering, while they could have got
a seat in computer science. Interestingly, pure sciences too seem to have attracted some top
rankers. AIR 33 signed up for physics in IIT-Kanpur and engineering physics, too, moved up the
popularity charts and opened at rank 48 in Bombay; last year's opening rank for this stream was
303. The trend was noticed in IIT-Madras too where engineering physics opened admission at
rank 494 (last year's opening rank was 832).
Statistics on the opening and closing ranks of candidates admitted into the IITs in August 2010
on the basis of their scores in the JEE also revealed that mechanical engineering has been
steadily climbing the ratings. At IIT-B, the opening rank in the general category is 56 against last
year's 72 and 2008's AIR 171. On the other hand, chemical engineering and civil engineering
have descended in the preference list.
At IIT-B, chemical engineering opened at rank 561, as against last year, when rank 244 was the
first one to opt for it. AIR 887 at IIT-B took up civil engineering, a stream which opened
admission at AIR 665 a year ago.
"However, one should not interpret this as a sign of declining preference for the course. You must
take into account the fact that some of the aspirants would have opted for other courses at the
new IITs as a result of which they would have ranked civil or chemical slightly below in order
while exercising their options at the time of admission," explained a dean at the IIT Madras.
Among the new IITs, Patna and Hyderabad were among the first to admit students, most of who
signed up for electrical engineering and computer science.

IIT-2012: The best are avoiding Chennai, Kharagpur,

Kanpur
If the number of vacant seats at the IITs has been the highlight of the admission-trivia for the last
few years with roughly 750 seats reportedly going unfilled in 2011, this year it is the preference
for Mumbai and Delhi IITs by the top rankers that is making headlines.
For some, the big-city attraction seems to be the main reason, while for some others it is the
infrastructure, quality of academics, exposure and placement record. The preference for old IITs
is understandable compared to the new ones located in far-flung areas, but why do candidates
give a go-by to, say a premier IIT like Chennai?
It is not the pecking order of computer science followed by electrical and mechanical
engineering that the top candidates want, but a combination of both the discipline and the place.

ibnlive.com
Nothing unusual. But this year, they have particular penchant for Mumbai and Delhi. Some
students are even willing to give up the stream of their choice for a place of their choice. For
instance, candidates who could have got a computer science seat in Chennai have opted for a
mechanical engineering seat in Mumbai.
A cursory glance of the opening/closing ranks and the allotment of seats show that most of the
rank holders under 100 have opted for Mumbai followed by Delhi. The opening rank for the top
course at IIT Chennai, electrical engineering is 100; followed by computer science at 103.
Mechanical opening rank is 193. In other words, nobody among the first 100 ranks have looked
at Chennai as a possible option although its electrical and computer science departments are
highly rated.
This should be good news for those with ranks higher than 100 from Chennai who wish to stay
back in their city. For instance, a candidate with 2235th rank can get civil engineering at Chennai
in the first round itself.
Interestingly, the popular ranking of IITs by some periodicals do not seem to match the
perception of the aspirants. For instance, India Today has ranked IIT Kanpur as the topmost
engineering institution in the country this year, but except for computer science, electrical and
civil engineering, the opening ranks are well over 1000. The other biggie among the old IITs,
Kharagpur, again one of the favourites of the ranking publications, is either in a similar or worse
situation.
Another side of the story is that most of the middle rank holders, say from 3000 to 4500 end up
in one of those less fashionable places or less popular courses and many of them drop out even
after paying the fee or joining. Last year, about 750 seats were vacant. Such a pity for a test that
is contested fiercely by half a million students after a gruelling preparation of at least three years.

Looks like the IIT tag is no more the attraction, but the course and the place. The Joint
Admission Board (JAB) will again be faced with a sizable number of unfilled seats that might
add up to 8 percent of the general category seats. A simple analysis of the uptake of the last few
years show that it is mainly the course followed by the place that make the difference.
Rectifying the problem of such a large number of vacant seats in the most coveted and competed
brand of technical education in India doesnt seem to be in Kapil Sibals reforms agenda. Why
run courses that nobody wants? Why dilute the brand by opening up new institutions when the
students have other options such as NITs or even private institutions.
Following the admission to IITs, will be the counselling for NITs (National Institute of
Technology) using the ranks from the AIEEE examination. The trend so for has been most of the
top rankers opt for NIT Trichy followed by NITs either in Suratkal or Warangal.
The same story repeats in selection and omission of the NITs and the numerous national
institutions spread across the country, some old and some new. However, the saving grace for
NITs, compared to IITs, will be the 50 percent quota for the candidates from the state. Therefore,
an NIT in Agartala, even if doesnt have many takers from other parts of the country will cater to
the needs of the state.
The story is not over yet. There are two more rounds of counselling.

A Guide to JEE Counseling 2011

Congratulations for performing admirably in the toughest rat race in the world, and
soon, you will be one of us, the IITians. I am sure you are more thrilled on 25th May,
2011, than on 2nd April, 2011. (Don't remember that date. Well, when you were
studying for JEE, the Men in Blue got a fake trophy called the ICC World Cup.)
But the problem with rat races is that you are never satisfied unless you are number
one, and there can only be a single number one. So my first advice, you can
become a cat only if you stop being a rat. Accept your result with grace. Being in
top 10,000 in a country of 1.2 billion people (yes, they did count you even though
you were hiding yourself amongst the books in that tiny space in Kota) is not a
mean achievement, even if you believe that you ought to have topped the exam.
A few words about me. I am a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT
Kanpur, and have been here for most part of the last 17 years. I also studied at IIT

Kanpur (BTech/CSE/1986), so have some appreciation for both sides of the

classroom, though my experience as a student is too far back in the history. I have
taught at IIT Bombay for a semester. I have had joint research projects with IIT
Delhi. I am a Guest Professor at IIT Gandhinagar. I have visited a few other IITs as
well. I have friends, collaborators, and acquaintances in pretty much all IITs. Here is
the link to my webpage, if you are interested in knowing more about me.
Before I go further, let me claim the standard disclaimers. I have no association with
JEE. I am not their spokesperson. They did not pay me to write this note, and indeed
they would be happier if I didn't write this note. If any of my views here match the
views of anyone in JEE or for that matter anyone in any IIT, that is purely coincidental. What ever I say, take it simply as unsolicited advice, but take your own
decisions. Do not hold me responsible for your decisions. If you agree with any
suggestion on this page, follow it at your own risk.
While I have taken reasonable care to give correct data and processes, I take no
responsibility for correctness of any piece of information on this page. Before you
take a decision based on information provided on this page, please check from
authentic source. Here is the link to JEE Website. This would have a link to JEE
Counseling Online Portal, and that page would have links to all participating
Institutes.
OK. Let us get back to what you have to do. You should be getting a Counseling
Brochure from JEE explaining the various steps. But basically, your next step is to go
online and register yourself in the JEE Counseling Online Portal. If you don't have
Internet access at home, go to an Internet cafe. My advice to you, DO NOT share
your password with others, and the password should be such that it is difficult to
guess. After you have made JEE richer by One Thousand rupees, and also sent all
sorts of sundry documents to JEE, you can use the portal to fill the choices.
So now, we come to the main point. How should you decide the order of those
choices. Sorry, no simple answers. And let me warn you right in the beginning. This
is a long note, at the end of which you will realize that I am not telling you the order
of your choices anyway. So, if you are reading this to know what choices you should
fill on that portal, you may cut your losses and stop here. (This is how we teach at
IIT. We give 55 minutes long lectures, at the end of which you don't get the answer
to the question that we started with. You only get hints on how to proceed to get
that answer.)
JEE has an official stand on your choices. All IITs (and non-IITs) are equal. All
programs are equal. But the egalitarianism stops here. I wish they also believed that
all students are equal and hence any student can get any IIT and any program. But,
alas, we live in an unfair world, full of discrimination. IITs will discriminate on the
basis of your performance, not just at the admission stage, but till you manage to

break free and get out with a degree. We will stamp you with a dreaded word called
Cumulative Performance Index (CPI). (If you don't understand this word, read
Chetan Bhagat's "Five Point Someone.")
Oops, I digress again. If you believe in official words of wisdom, your life will be very
simple. Since all programs and all IITs are equal, the best way to choose is to draw
lots. Write down codes for each program on a separate piece of paper. Put all such
small pieces in a box. Take one slip out at a time, and write down the code in that
slip on the JEE Counseling Online Portal.
Did not like that. You have company. No one in India believes officialdom.
So what do you do. First of all, ask yourself whether you are really very keen on a
particular discipline. I don't expect many 12th class students to know their interests,
particularly because you would have been terribly busy over the last couple of years
in preparing for JEE. But some students do.
Sometimes it is a role model in the family or neighbourhood. Sometimes, you had
an excellent teacher in Physics, Maths, or Chemistry, and hence that subject is what
you want to pursue for your career. And, of course, there are many who always
dreamt of becoming a computer scientist. Their first toy was a computer. Their class
fellows in school envied them because they have 1000 friends on facebook. And if
they did not have to study for JEE, they would have certainly made their parents
proud by winning the state level championship on "AOE." All this justifies their
passion in Computer Science. And finally, some of you know that you are not
interested in engineering or science, but just want to own a piece of paper, which is
the key to joining the IIT Old Boys Network (girls can join it too).
Whatever is the answer, be honest with yourself. If you have a passion, it is
extremely important to follow it, Your career will largely depend on how passionately
you do your job, and if you are not interested in that discipline, you won't perform
well in IIT, you won't perform well in your job, and you won't have a good career.
Remember, there are excellent careers in all disciplines.
So fill up the discipline of your passion as a choice in as many participating
Institutes as you are willing to study in. If you can't get admission to that discipline
in an IIT, see if you can study it in a good institute outside the IIT system.
But if you have not been able to identify your passion, do not worry. I have collected
the questions that I have been frequently asked over the years, along with their
answers. I hope you will find these helpful in taking your own decision about the
order of choices to be filled in.
1. Should I be selecting an IIT or a Discipline.

2. I have decided the Discipline. Which IIT should I choose.

3. I have decided the IIT. Which program should I choose.
4. Should I prefer a Dual-degree program or a BTech program.
5. If Dual-degree programs are so good, why is it that many people are not
opting for it.
6. Which IIT has the most liberal branch change rules.
7. Which IIT is best for MBA entrance preparation.
8. How are programs on Mathematics and Computing.
9. How are programs on Engineering Physics.
10.For Bio-related courses, is it necessary to have done Biology in the 12th class.
11.I am interested in pure science programs. Should I prefer IITs, or IISc, or
IISERs.
12.I am interested in Aerospace related career. Should I prefer IITs or IIST,
Trivandrum.
13.I have heard that IT BHU will become an IIT soon. Will I get a degree from IIT
Varanasi, if I join IT BHU.
14.Is IIT Roorkee as good as original five IITs.
15.Is it safe to study in Guwahati? Why do many people not prefer IIT Guwahati.
16.I am convinced about IIT Guwahati. But my parents are not agreeing to let me
go so far. What do I do.
17.Should I opt for programs in one of the eight new IITs. Are they going to be as
good.
18.Which of the new IITs would you recommend.
19.What discipline should I choose in ISM Dhanbad.
20.What Institutes would you rank higher than new IITs.
21.I have got a rank between 1 and 500 in JEE. Should I opt for Computer
Science or Electrical Engineering.

22.I have got a rank between 500 and 1000 in JEE. Should I take Computer
Science in IIT Kharagpur or Mechanical Engineering in other four older IITs.
23.I have got a rank between 1000 and 1500 in JEE. Should I choose Civil in
Bombay, Chemical in Delhi/Kanpur/Madras, or ECE/CSE in Roorkee/Guwahati.
24.I have got a rank between 1500 and 2000 in JEE. What are the prospects of
Civil Engineering.
25.I have got a rank between 2000 and 3000 in JEE. How are programs in
Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Textiles, and Metallurgy.
26.I have got a rank between 3000 and 4000 in JEE. What engineering programs
(BTech) can I expect to get.
27.I have got a 4000+ rank in JEE in my first attempt. Should I go for a second
chance next year.
28.I have got a 5000+ rank in JEE. Should I study abroad. I have an offer from
NTU, Singapore.
29.I have got a 6000+ rank in JEE. But I have a much better rank in AIEEE. Can
you suggest a few good colleges.
30.I have got a 7000+ rank in JEE. Why do IITs declare so many candidates as
successful when the total number of seats available is less.
31.How many options should I fill in.
32.Can I seek refund, if I do not take admission.
33.Tell me about second round of counseling.
34.Will there be a third round of counseling.
35.What are the colleges that admit students based on JEE rank, but are not part
of JEE Counseling.
36.If I need additional information about a specific program, whom do I contact.
37.Can we contact you for more information.
1. Should I be selecting an IIT or a Discipline.
If you are passionate about a particular discipline, then programs in that
discipline should be given higher preference. You should be even willing to
consider good institutes outside the IIT system to study that discipline. If you
are not sure of your interest in any particular discipline, then selecting an IIT

is alright.
2. I have decided the Discipline. Which IIT should I choose.
I would choose IIT Bombay. In my opinion, which is based on lack of
knowledge about things in most IITs, IIT Bombay offers a huge flexibility in
their programs and curriculum. You can undergo BTech or BTech (Hons.)
programs. Besides, you can either study for a second degree (MTech), or a
minor in another discipline. I consider such a flexibility as extremely
important, since during the next 4-5 years, your interests will change, and
you will have better information to take decisions on your career.
IIT Bombay has had the good fortune of having visionary leadership for a long
time now, and they have really transformed the place in the last couple of
decades. At IIT Bombay, they seem to believe that they can't be satisfied with
being in top 5 in the country, and they need to compete with the best in the
world, and they are not afraid of change.
Let me also point out that you may not choose an IIT for academic reasons
alone. It is ok to go with your heart (or heartthrob, if you have one) in such
decisions. For example, some of you may select an IIT because it is closer to
home (and you want to be able to meet family every weekend). Some of you
may select an IIT because you want to go far off from your home so that your
parents can't visit you frequently, and certainly not without a warning. Both
are valid ways of selecting an IIT.
You could also select IIT based on whether you want to be in a large city or a
smaller place. Till a few years ago, I used to recommend non-Metro IITs,
because Metro IITs attracted students from nearby areas, and hence were
very regional in character. But, now Metro IITs are attracting students from all
over the country and provide an equally diverse experience.
3. I have decided the IIT. Which program should I choose.
A more direct question that I get asked every year is what are the job
prospects of various programs. And it is a sad question to answer, because it
reflects complete lack of self-confidence even amongst people who have
qualified in one of the toughest exams in the world. If they won't have jobs,
then who else will.
If you look at those students who are in the top 75 percent of their class,
there is no problems at all in terms of finding a good job. Most graduates in
the lowest 25 percent will also find jobs, but there could be cases, where one
does not get a job in one's dream company, or does not get a salary in 7
digits, or one could not manage a job through the campus placement, but
had to apply on one's own. But, really placement is hardly an issue in IITs.
And if you didn't get a satisfactory first job, that is not the end of the world.
Perform well in whatever you got, and then switch to something more to your

liking.
And on top of that, most IITians end up doing things completely different from
what they studied at IIT anyway. So why worry about placement of a
particular program. A large number of IIT graduates seem to be interested in
doing an MBA these days. From that career perspective, there is no
distinction between various programs. In fact, if you are a smart cookie, and
you choose a program which all other smarter cookies will avoid, then you
can have an easy life in IIT, spend more time on extra-curricular, developing
your personality and soft skills, prepare for CAT, and have a better chance at
getting admission to IIMs.
4. Should I prefer a Dual-degree program or a BTech program.
There are fewer dual-degree programs now. IIT Kanpur has decided that it will
admit all students in BTech program, and the dual-degree will be an option, to
be exercised by the student after 2-3 years in the BTech program. IIT Bombay
has also closed a couple of dual-degree programs.
But we still have a large number of them across many IITs. And the answer
depends on whether you are talking about the two programs in the same
department, or different departments. Let us take the two possibilities
separately.
If you are comparing Dual and BTech in the same department, say Dual (CSE)
versus BTech (CSE), then the answer is very simple. Go for BTech. I think the
dual-degree programs are fantastic, but why go for an early commitment.
And if the MTech part of the dual degree is in a specialized area, that should
be avoided. When students don't even know the difference between
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, asking them to commit that
they will work on "Power" or "Wireless" or "VLSI" after three or four years is
simply ridiculous.
Now coming to the more interesting question. I prefer CSE over EE. But I am
not likely to get admission in BTech (CSE). Should I prefer Dual (CSE) or BTech
(EE).
You could replace EE and CSE with any two departments, and the answer will
be same. It depends on how strongly you prefer one department over the
other (CSE over EE in this example). And to test how strongly you prefer one
department over the other, I will ask a theoretical question. Be honest in
answering it.
Your BTech (EE) program will finish in May 2015. Suppose I were to offer you
admission in BTech (CSE) on the condition that your program will be delayed
by three months, and you will actually graduate in August 2015. Would you
then prefer BTech (CSE) or would you still prefer BTech (EE).
Basically, if you prefer EE in this hypothetical scenario, then it is clear that

your preference for CSE is very minor, and you are not willing to pay even a
small cost of three extra months to undertake a CSE program. Then you
should prefer BTech (EE) over Dual (CSE).
But if you preferred CSE in this hypothetical situation, then we can continue
this game a bit further. Now, I further suggest that you invest 9 more months
in the discipline for which you have indicated a reasonably strong preference.
In these nine months, we will most probably give you more than one lakh
rupees in cash, we will give you a degree that normally takes two years to
complete, and a degree that opens a lot more doors for you in industry. At
least in CSE, several multinationals have setup advanced R&D labs in India,
and they hire MTechs and PhDs only, giving a very good work environment
and a lucrative career. I am sure there are such labs in other disciplines as
well.
To me the decision is a no-brainer (though your mileage may vary). The
future certainly belongs to more specialisation, and having an MTech degree
will be an asset for everyone. Spending a few extra months in the same
environment where you have spent four years is the easiest way to get an
MTech degree.
5. If Dual-degree programs are so good, why is it that many people are
not opting for it.
Two reasons. One, because it does not fit into the career plans of many
students. Two, resistance to change. It is not easy to accept something new.
Fear of unknown.
Many students think that they might like to get a US degree after IIT. And the
easiest US degree to get is a Masters degree. People feel shy of joining
another master's degree after completing one.
This used to be the only ticket to US a decade or more ago. Very few IIT
graduates go abroad today for an MS degree. Most people who go to US
today, go with business visa, but still old thinking die hard.
Also, many students have already decided that they want a non-technical
career. They would be interested in MBA after BTech, and they only want an
IIT degree. They don't see a value of an additional year in an IIT.
6. Which IIT has the most liberal branch change rules.
Frankly, I do not know all the nuances of the branch change rules of all IITs.
Also, there are some traditions, which are not codified as rules. My advice
would be to not decide your choices based on a hope to get a change of
branch. So it does not matter which IIT is liberal and which is not. But if you
are interested in knowing more, please read the JEE Counseling brochure. It
gives a reasonably good summary of all branch change rules.

But I do know that IIT Gandhinagar has very liberal branch change rules. Last
year, as per the information received by me, every single student who
wanted a branch changed was allowed to change. On the other hand, IIT
Kanpur has extremely small number of changes allowed. Till a few years ago,
IIT Kanpur used to be amongst the most liberal, not any more.
7. Which IIT is best for CAT preparation.
There is MBA coaching available in every city and town. (May be not Mandi.
But I won't be surprised if there is coaching there too.)
If you are sure that you will like to go for MBA after your under-graduate
program, select the program with the largest closing rank. Statistically
speaking, it is likely to be least competitive. Since you are not interested in
any program, and only want to be associated with IIT brand, choose a
program with least number of years (4-years) and a program where very few
top rankers are likely to be present.
8. How are programs on Mathematics and Computing.
In many IITs, there are programs on Mathematics and Computing. Please note
that in all cases that I know of (but please check individual website), the
program is offered by the Department of Mathematics and not the
Department of Computer Science. It means that the major component of the
program will be Mathematics, and the Computing component will be
significantly less than what a pure Computer Science program would offer.
But if you are very keen on anything related to computers, and you can't get
the full-fledged program on Computer Science, then these programs are the
next best things in life. You, of course can get into software industry, though
you will find it difficult to get a job in research labs of IT companies. Also,
these programs are popular wih financial firms.
And while they may be poor cousins of Computer Science programs within
the IIT system, I would tend to favor them over a CS program outside IIT
system, even for those who are sure that they really want to be in Computing
as a career. First, in some IITs, a few courses in the program may be offered
by Computer Science Department. Please check their website, or ask a
faculty member in the Mathematics department. Second, most IITs give you
opportunities to do elective courses from outside the department, and hence
you may be able to do a few courses from Computer Science Department
(other than those which are compulsory in the curriculum).
Also, if you are serious about a career in computing, then you should be
planning to do an MTech later on, irrespective of whether you do a CS degree
from a non-IIT, or a Maths and Computing degree from an IIT. And both will
stand an equal chance for admission to most MTech programs.

And, if you have something inherently against a five-year degree, or if you

have something against an MSc degree, you can consider IIT Guwahati's
offering, which is a BTech program in Mathematics and Computing.
9. How are programs on Engineering Physics.
The programs on Engineering Physics differ significantly from one IIT to
another. These programs invariably include several Physics courses, but what
differentiates them from MSc (Physics) courses are the courses from other
disciplines. Some IIT may have substantial amount of Electronics in the
curriculum, while another one may have material science, and yet another
one may have courses from a diverse set of disciplines.
So, please read the JEE brochure, or visit the website for more details before
deciding which program matches your interests. But, in general, they are
great for those who really wish they could study Physics, but parents are
forcing them to study "Engineering" and everyone else is telling them how
important it is to get a "BTech" degree as opposed to an "MSc" degree.
10.For Bio-related courses, is it necessary to have done Biology in the
12th class.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no requirement of passing Biology in
the 12th class for courses on Bio-technology, Bio-chemistry, Bio-sciences,
Bio-medical, and so on. I did not see any such requirement mentioned in the
JEE Brochure.
11.I am interested in pure science programs. Should I prefer IITs, or
IISc, or IISERs.
I would suggest Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, followed by those
IISERs who have already shifted to their permanent campus. Both IISc and
IISERs have extremely flexible programs, where you don't have to decide
your major discipline right now. This, as I have said above, is a great flexibility
to have. Also, their curriculum exposes you to all branches of science, not just
the discipline you will get a degree in.
12.I am interested in Aerospace related career. Should I prefer IITs or
IIST, Trivandrum.
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology,
Thiruvananthapuram, is still too new to really know how it will pan out. While
IITs (that offer programs in Aeronautical Engineering) have well established
departments. However, IIST has a close association with ISRO. And that
association would mean that this Institute would always have enough faculty,
resources, live research problems, practical training, and so on. In my

opinion, that is a huge plus.

13.I have heard that IT BHU will become an IIT soon. Will I get a degree
from IIT Varanasi, if I join IT BHU.
This is a question that has been on everyone's mind for many years. Now,
finally, the bill is with the Parliament. Lok Sabha has passed it, and Rajya
Sabha will consider it in due course. I don't wish to assume what Rajya Sabha
will do with the bill. But the chances are that IT BHU will become an IIT soon.
It probably will be known as IIT BHU.
However, I would like to caution that even assuming that the IIT status will
happen soon, it will take quite some time for its impact to be felt on the
quality of education. So, if you believe that IT BHU was not preferred in the
past only because of branding, but its quality is as good as any other IIT, then
you can take the chance, and fill up IT BHU programs in your options. But if
you believe that IT BHU was not preferred because its quality of education
(including infrastructure and other aspects) was less than other IITs, then a
name change should not make your choices any different.
14.Is IIT Roorkee as good as original five IITs.
IIT Roorkee is doing well. They do have some weak spots. In Computer
Science, for example, I would definitely rank IIIT Hyderabad higher than IIT
Roorkee. In general, look at the website. Do they have enough faculty
members in that discipline. IIT Roorkee has its strengths. And the original five
IITs have their weaknesses.
15.Is it safe to study in Guwahati? Why do many people not prefer IIT
Guwahati.
To the best of my knowledge, it is as safe to be in Guwahati as in Kanpur or
Mumbai. Yes, it does have an image problem. A lot of geography-challenged
parents cannot differentiate between Guwahati and the rest of North-East
India. Even an occasional law and order problem in North-East is immediately
linked to Guwahati in their mind. Please don't worry. It is a beautiful campus,
right next to the mighty Brahmaputra. You will enjoy your stay there.
The problem with Guwahati is really its connectivity. The number of trains
from Guwahati to the rest of the country is rather small, and you need
reservations much in advance. The connectivity has been improving over the
years, and simultaneously, the closing ranks have been improving as well.
Of course, they do have less faculty in some disciplines than what they would
like. But as I said elsewhere, look at their website to get exact data, and then
make up your mind. In terms of infrastructure, I don't think they are anyway

less endowed than others. It is cheap to build infrastructure.

16.I am convinced about IIT Guwahati. But my parents are not agreeing
to let me go so far. What do I do.
Argue with them. Convince them. Put them in touch with some faculty
member in IIT Guwahati. Tell them that for your job, you might have to go
abroad, even farther than Guwahati, and for people in North India, IIT
Guwahati is not farther than IIT Madras.
17.Should I opt for programs in one of the eight new IITs. Are they
going to be as good.
As I said elsewhere, building infrastructure is cheap. So there is no reason for
not having as good facilities in new IITs as old IITs have. Of course, it will take
time. All new IITs are in temporary campuses, and many of them do not even
have their land allocation done. And in a temporary campus, facilities cannot
be what one can have at one's own campus. But still most new IITs have built
good facilities at the temporary locations. Please do visit their respective
websites to find out more about them.
I have no reservation suggesting that you consider programs in new IITs
seriously.
18.Which of the new IITs would you recommend.
I am extremely hopeful about IIT Gandhinagar. It will be in the same league
as older IITs soon. The activities there clearly shows how important leadership
is for any organization. They are trying to bring innovation to every aspect of
institution building. You will certainly enjoy and learn well in such an
environment. Out of three new IITs that I have visited so far, they have clearly
impressed me a lot more than others.
I will bet on IIT Hyderabad next. They have been very successful in attracting
quality faculty. They have the advantage of being close to a Metro city. They
have an excellent website, which gives you a sense of excitement on the
campus.
Good air connectivity coupled with strong leadership (no malice towards
leadership of other new IITs) would ensure that these two IITs improve much
faster.
19.What discipline should I choose in ISM Dhanbad.
If you think you only want a degree from a good enough place to pursue a
non-technical career, and degree is only a line in the resume, then you need

not join ISM Dhanbad. My suggestion would be to give higher preference to

programs within the IIT system.
But if you are genuinely interested in Mining related programs, then ISM is a
good place to study. And remember that mining is getting hot these days, so
there is really no shortage of good jobs in mining. For mainstream disciplines
like Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, etc., my suggestion would be
to compare these programs at ISM Dhanbad with those in other fine
institutions, including those which are outside the IIT system.
20.What Institutes would you rank higher than new IITs.
It is difficult to say for other disciplines. But in Computer Science, I will
certainly consider IIIT Hyderabad as having emerged as a top class IT
Institution. IIIT Delhi is only a 3-year old institution, but it is one you should
watch out for.
I am told that School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, is excellent for
the study of Architecture.
21.I have got a rank between 1 and 500 in JEE. Should I opt for
Computer Science or Electrical Engineering.
Difficult question. But an easy answer: I don't know. (This is really the case
with most questions.)
I don't know enough about EE, but from outside, it appears to me that EE is a
much more difficult and challenging program, while anyone can do Computer
Science. We in CS departments believe in inclusiveness. Everyone who can
think logically, is welcome. But these EE types want only those who are good
at Mathematics. I find EE guys to be always serious, while computer science
guys are always looking for more fun. (My bias, of course.)
But more seriously, the world is fast becoming inter-disciplinary. After doing
Electrical Engineering, you would be able to pick up Computer Science stuff
easily (we are accessible to everyone, remember), but not vice versa.
And, here is an interesting tale:
Electrical Engineering versus Computer Science
22.I have got a rank between 500 and 1000 in JEE. Should I take
Computer Science in IIT Kharagpur or Mechanical Engineering in
other four older IITs.
If you are keen on Computer Science, also consider other IITs like those at
Guwahaty and Hyderabad and Roorkee. Otherwise, you could go for
Mechanical Engineering in other older IITs.

I have a serious concern about IIT Kharagpur. The attention of IIT Kharagpur
leadership has remained divided because of several allegations of
wrongdoing in the last few years, starting with the JEE 2006. These things do
affect the focus on academic excellence, and it shows in the declining
number of top students going to IIT Kharagpur over this period. You may also
refer to my blog on trends in JEE Counseling over the last several years.
23.I have got a rank between 1000 and 1500 in JEE. Should I choose
Civil in Bombay, Chemical in Delhi/Kanpur/Madras, or ECE/CSE in
Roorkee/Guwahati.
Since you are asking this question, it is clear that you do not have any deep
interest in any specific discipline. If that is the case, as I said above, my
personal preference is for IIT Bombay. After that, I will prefer to be in a metro.
But your interests may be different. Do go through the websites of all
programs. Think of all pros and cons from your perspective. And then take
YOUR decision.
24.I have got a rank between 1500 and 2000 in JEE. What are the
prospects of Civil Engineering.
I guess the "prospects" is a code word for "how much salary can I expect at
the end of four years." If you are only interested in knowing whether there
are enough jobs in Civil Engineering, then I can tell you that there are more
than enough jobs in Civil Engineering. But what would be the salary levels 4-5
years from now. How will you perform in the Civil Engineering program, and
whether you will have enough skills to get a job, I cannot predict all that.
25.I have got a rank between 2000 and 3000 in JEE. How are programs
in Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Textiles, and Metallurgy.
Again, simple answer. I do not know. But why are you not considering new
IITs. You could get to study a discipline, which you might be more interested
in.
But if you are keen to study only in old IITs, you should know that pretty much
everyone in an IIT is likely to get a job, and a large number of persons would
not be in their discipline soon after their graduation, anyway. So in that sense
the discipline does not matter. What IITs give you is not just learning in a
particular discipline, but train you for life-long learning. The kind of learning
environment you will find in IITs is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
26.I have got a rank between 3000 and 4000 in JEE. What engineering
programs (BTech) can I expect to get.

You are likely to have a large number of options. Lots of programs in new IITs
should be available. Though IT BHU closing ranks may improve this year, but
still a large number of their programs should be available. There would be
some programs like Naval, which should be open at these ranks. Many Bio
related programs should also be open. But remember, if you are looking for
programs in pure science, consider IISc and IISERs as well.
27.I have got a 4000+ rank in JEE in my first attempt. Should I go for a
second chance next year, or should I join whatever I am getting this
year.
It is a very personal decision. (Aren't all decisions personal.) I am, by and
large, a risk averse person, and I believe that success in JEE requires that God
be with you on that day. A slight headache, and a couple of questions wrong
can set you back by a large number of ranks. Given that chance plays a
significant role in JEE selection, I wouldn't advice anyone to take that chance
again, if you can find anything of your interest in an IIT. (And remember, if
you accept admission at an IIT, you are not allowed to give JEE again.)
Of course, if there was a medical reason or some other strong reason that
caused you to score much less than what you think you would have done in
the absence of such a reason, then you may give the exam again.
There are several programs that based on last year's closing ranks are likely
to close after 4000. Then there is Design program in IIT Guwahati, which is
very good. You should study the Counseling Brochure carefully to find out the
likelihood of getting a branch by looking at the last year's closing ranks.
Please note that last year's closing ranks are just guidelines, and in some
cases, the closing ranks can vary substantially from one year to the other.
28.I have got a 5000+ rank in JEE. Should I study abroad. I have an offer
from NTU, Singapore.
If you have decided that your passion lies in a particular discipline, then you
have to look at your options and decide the best place to study that
discipline. How does it matter whether that place is in India or abroad. (Of
course, you should be able to afford it.)
On the other hand, if this was a trick question (like the kind we ask in JEE),
and you really intended to ask me to compare Computer Science in a foreign
university with a less popular discipline in an IIT, then it is complicated. IITs'
brand value (and that helps in career, as I have said before) is much higher
than most academic institutes in Asia for under-graduate studies. And the
other is the cost issue. Can you afford to study abroad, and even if you can, is
it worth that much investment. On the other hand, the advantages of
studying abroad are that you are getting international exposure at an early
age, which has a significant value. Also, you are getting to study that you
prefer. These are the positives and negatives. Now you decide for yourself

which factors you are going to give more weight.

Let me also add that compared to the best institutions in the world, IITs'
quality of education is good but not great. Our graduates do well because we
take the best, and a small amount of value addition can turn them into gold.
But if you consider the value addition that many good US universities provide
to an average student, no Indian college can come close. You study in IIT
because they provide the best education in India, and they have the best
brand name, provide access to Old Boys' Network, and is almost free
compared to the cost of providing that education. But purely in terms of
quality of education, many universities in US will be better. For almost a
decade, we had kept open a channel of admission for NRIs through SAT
scores. None of our illustrious alumni settled in USA thought about sending
their sons and daughters to IITs. (I did my MS and PhD from University of
Maryland, College Park. Quality of under-graduate education there was
certainly better than at IITs.)
29.I have got a 6000+ rank in JEE. But I have a much better rank in
AIEEE. Can you name a few good colleges, in case I don't get
admission to any program in an IIT.
Please read my article on how to choose a college.
You may also want to read my blog entry recommending a few colleges for
CS/IT only.
30.I have got a 7000+ rank in JEE. Why do IITs declare so many
candidates as successful when the total number of seats available is
less.
There are many candidates who prefer to join other colleges if they can't get
a discipline of their choice through JEE. Because of this, JEE declares many
more candidates successful than the number of seats. The total number of
successful candidates is about 1.15 times the total number of seats available
(including reserved seats). It means that depending on how many candidates
choose to not take admission through JEE, some of the successful candidates
may not be offered admission to any program.
31.How many options should I fill in.
You should fill in as many options such that the total number of available
seats in all these programs put together are more than your JEE rank. DO
NOT consider last year's closing ranks as the guideline to fill in choices. You
should not assume that this year's closing ranks will be similar. There is no
harm in filling up a large number of options.
Of course, if you are not interested in some options, you must not fill that. If

you are only interested in a few programs, then you fill only those, but then
you are not guaranteed an admission. Remember that if you take admission
in an IIT, you cannot give JEE again.
32.Can I seek refund, if I do not take admission.
You cannot get refund of counseling fee, even if you are not offered any seat.
The counseling fee of Rupees One Thousand is only to allow you to
participate in the counseling process. It does not guarantee that you will
necessarily be offered admission to any of the programs.
You will be asked to pay the admission fee of Rupees Forty Thousand (Rupees
Twenty Thousand for SC/ST candidates) only after you have been offered
admission. If you pay that fee, then you have accepted admission. If you wish
to withdraw later, you will not be given any refund. (Last year, apparently,
there was some confusion in the language, and it seems that JEE did refund
the admission fee. But this year, they have been very clear in their language
and are not likely to change its policy. But, if Ministry puts pressure, one
never knows.)
Please check the JEE website for authentic information.
33.Tell me about second round of counseling.
Since last year, IIT JEE has been conducting a second round of counseling to
fill up seats that are left vacant after the first round. Please go through the
JEE Counseling Brochure and the website to get authentic information. I am
only mentioning here my understanding of the system, which may have
inaccuracies.
Those candidates who accept the program offered in the first round of
counseling (by paying the fee) and those candidates who did not get any
program of their choice in the first round, will be eligible for the second
round. Note that if you do not like the program offered to you in the first
round, but want to be considered for the second round, you must still accept
the offered program, and pay the required fee. (So, be careful while filling the
choices. If you are sure that you won't join a particular program, do not fill
that as an option.)
34.Will there be a third round of counseling.
As per my information, no third round is planned even if substantial number
of students do not accept the admission offers, or do not join even after
accepting the admission offer by paying the fee. It is expected that individual
IITs and other participating institutes will take independent decisions on this
issue. But keep visiting the JEE website for updates on this.

35.What are the colleges that admit students based on JEE rank, but are
not part of JEE Counseling.
There are a few institutes that use JEE performance for admission. These
institutions include five Indian Institutes of Science, Education and Research
(IISERs) at Mohali, Pune, Kolkata, Bhopal, and Thiruvananthapuram,
respectively. The others include: Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum
Technology (RGIPT) at Rai Bareli (UP), and Indian Institute of Maritime Studies
(Merchant Navy). LNM Institute of Information Technology (LNMIIT), Jaipur also
admits some students based on JEE performance.
36.If I need additional information about a specific program, whom do I
contact.
Certainly, not me. I know somethings about Computer Science and IT. I have
some general knowledge about various other fields, but no detailed
knowledge. If you want to know what do they teach in that program, or which
companies came last year to hire, I would not know any of that stuff.
Please visit the website of the department who is offering that program. Find
out email addresses of some faculty members or even students. Send your
query to one or two persons only. Please Do Not Spam.
37.Can we contact you for more information.
I will be glad to answer your further questions, if time permits. But I do not
wish to discuss JEE Counseling on phone. Please do not call me. Please
contact me only on email, and that too only on my personal email id, and not
on the IITK email address. You can send me email at: sanghi[AT]gmail.com
(Remove [AT] and replace it by @.)
Even on email, I will not be able to answer all the queries. I get far too many
emails, and I prefer to respond to those emails, which are easily readable,
and where the question is very clear, and not something that I have already
answered in this page. Please don't ask me what can be available at what
rank. First read the JEE Counseling Brochure for 2011, which you should be
getting soon. Also, there are websites on the Internet where people have put
up the closing ranks of last year. My guess at how closing ranks will change
this year will be as good as yours.
Further, if you send me an email, please note the following:
o

Emails with SMS like language are not readable.

Emails with all capital letters are not readable. (It amounts to
shouting.)

Use of Roman script for Hindi words is discouraged.

Use proper puntuation marks, and capitalize the first letter of every
sentence.

Best wishes.

Trends in IIT JEE Counseling

I have the closing ranks of all the programs offered through JEE from 2003 through
2010. I thought I will spend some time studying the trends and see what patterns
emerge as a result. I have done two kinds of analysis. One, comparing 2003
preferences to 2010 preferences. This gives us the longer term trends. Two,
comparing 2009 preferences to 2010 preferences to capture any sudden or recent
trends. This was particularly done for programs in recently started IITs.
Please note that there are far too many variables which could have affected the
preferences and the closing ranks. First of all, in these 8 years, the number of seats
in IITs have almost doubled. We now have reservation for OBC (Non creamy layer)
candidates. We also have two rounds of counseling to fill up vacant seats after the
first round. There have been several new programs started in these 8 years. Also,
the number of selections from each zone influence the closing ranks each year, as
people tend to prefer the IIT of their zone. All this would affect the preferences and
closing ranks. But the hope is that if consider the closing ranks for programs which
have continued in existence for all these 8 years, the changes in other conditions
should have roughly affected them in similar ways, and therefore, this study is at
least indicative of what the students and parents are thinking about.
I did briefly notice the trends from one year to the other for a few popular programs
in various IITs. I noticed that such changes are minor in nature. However, the
changes over the 8 years' period are very significant. This happens mainly because
most candidates fill up their choices under the influence of their parents. And the
parents have generally no idea about various programs (not that candidates are
much better at it). So the parents insist on looking at last years' closing rank and
barring a few minor changes (generally related to geographical preference), ask the
candidates to fill up in that order. A few brave souls do things differently, talk to a
lot more people to seek advice, and actually follow that advice. These small
changes become a trend over longer duration.
For the 8 year trends, I have only considered those programs which have been in
existence over these 8 years.

First the programs where the closing ranks have gone down. Architecture programs
are the worst affected. BArch (Roorke) closing rank has gone down from 4365 to
9490, and BArch (Kharagpur) closing rank has gone down from 3624 to 8721. Next
the Design program at Guwahaty, where the closing rank has gone from 3773 to
6582. Almost identical decline is in BPharma (IT BHU), going from 4349 to 7087. All
programs that have anything to do with Bio (Bio Science, Bio chemistry, Bio
technology, etc.) have seen the closing ranks becoming worse in this period. (This is
surprising as a large number of academicians believe that this century belongs to
Biology.)
Generally, the science programs (resulting in MSc degree) have lost popularity, but
where the science departments have started offering an engineering like programs,
they have done better. So the programs in Engineering Physics, and Maths and
Computing, have done better than programs in Chemistry and pure Physics.
The programs that have really improved their perception and ranking are those of
Civil Engineering. None of the Civil Engineering programs closed within 2000 ranks
in the year 2003. Now, despite such a massive expansion of IIT system, the BTech
programs in Bombay and Madras closed around 1500, while at Kanpur closed just
before 2000 in the year 2010. In fact, Civil Engineering has shown the most
consistent improvement of closing ranks throughout this 8 year period.
There are some interesting short-term trends about other engineering disciplines,
but that is later.
In terms of locations, the preference for IIT Bombay kept increasing throughout this
period. Popularity of IIT Delhi has also improved quite a bit in this period. While IIT
Madras has shown some improvement, IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur have not been
the favorites of today's generation. In general, increasing number of students are
preferring bigger cities over smaller ones. (This is not to say that the meteoric rise
of IIT Bombay in this period is only due to its geographic location. Far from it. There
are some solid improvements in their programs, faculty, and infrastructure, last
decade.)
A decade ago, when IIT Kanpur started its decline and IIT Bombay started its rise,
Metro IITs offered a very regional experience, with most students from nearby areas,
and non-Metro IITs offer a more cosmopolitan experience, with students coming
from all over the country. And I used to recommend that people should prefer nonMetro IITs for a more diverse experience. But that has changed now. Metro IITs are
offering an equally (or even better) cosmopolitan experience, with people from all
over the country preferring them over non-Metro IITs.
Comparison of 2009 with 2010

If we just compare the closing ranks of 2009 and 2010, one thing that comes out
strongly is the improved closing ranks for lots of programs of IT BHU. I would
attribute this to the news at that time that IT BHU would be soon converted to an
IIT. Since, now the bill to convert IT BHU to an IIT is already in the Parliament, I
would expect this trend to continue this year.
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi continued their improvement in closing ranks. Many more
people showed willingness to opt for Guwahati last year. I think this is because of
the improved connectivity through cheap airlines as well as a few more trains to the
city. IIT Madras could not maintain its closing ranks, primarily due to decreased
number of selections from nearby areas. Surprisingly, the number of selections from
Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala are minuscule, and that affects the closing ranks
of IIT Madras. IIT Kharagpur continues to get bad press, and hence fewer
preferences. Given that this year, it has probably seen more scandals than ever
before, I would expect even more candidates to avoid IIT Kharagpur in 2011.
In terms of programs, some of the longer term trends continue. Decline in
Architecture, Design, Sciences, Bio-related programs, and so on. The core
engineering branches were on strong upsurge, primarily Mechanical, Chemical, and
Civil. Surprisingly, Aeronautical and Metallurgical engineering were in less demand,
despite the fantastic news from ISRO and continued upturn in metal industry primarily, aluminum and steel making. I guess the problems in setting up greenfield
plants due to land acquisition and environmental concerns has been causing
concerns amongst the students. So no hope for Metallurgy this year too.
Computer Science lost its sheen this year. For the first time in over 30 years, the
first closing program was not computer science. BTech program in Electrical
Engineering at IIT Bombay closed at 98. But besides IIT Bombay, everywhere else
Computer Science was preferred over Electrical or Electronics. But the gap has
narrowed down significantly. I expect Electrical/Electronics to continue gaining over
Computer Science in 2011.
Amongst the six new IITs started in 2008, the size of the city certainly appeared to
be the main draw. Both Hyderabad and Gandhinagar saw improvement in their
closing ranks in Electrical (compared all IITs on Electrical, as everyone had this
program). The surprise was IIT Ropar, which has improved the most in terms of
closing rank. I expect this year too, candidates will prefer IITs at Hyderabad and
Gandhinagar.
Amongst the IITs at Indore and Mandi, Indore showed much greater improvements in
the closing ranks.

The invention of the wheel is said to be a work of mechanical engineering. About 5,500 years
later, qualified mechanical engineers are adding to or improvising products that make civilisation
run. Look around from something as large as a lift system to something as small as a
wristwatch, every
piece of machinery has the touch of a mechanical engineer.
Sudipto Mukherjee, Mehra Chair professor, department of mechanical engineering, IIT Delhi,
reiterates the point, The wooden board of this door (in his room) is made by compressing the
wood. Everything, except buildings the work of civil engineers is the work of mechanical
engineering. A car used to be the result of about 90 per cent mechanical engineering. Now, its
about 30 per cent electrical and 70 per cent mechanical engineering.
Mechanical engineers are involved in the design, analysis or testing, manufacture and
maintenance of anything that has moveable components. It can be a tough job. They are
required to work in adverse conditions where temperatures or noise levels can be high, says
M Anwar, India entry adviser, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) India. They
also deal with financial and management professionals while designing new products, analysing
their marketability and financial viability. They are responsible for seeing that a plant runs
smoothly and that the machines are maintained well.
Given the broad applications it has, this mother branch is described as an all-weather and

all-purpose field that allows practitioners to enter a variety of sectors, from the automobile and
electrical industries to bio-medical equipment manufacturers and energy companies. This is a
perennial branch. Eighty per cent of the technology has been there for the past 150 years, says
Mukherjee.
Anwar adds, Todays mechanical engineers are involved in the management of people and
resources as well as the development and use of new materials and technologies, especially
computer-aided engineering.
They also contribute to processes such as carbon dioxide trapping to mitigate climate change.
They are in demand in well-paid segments like automobile manufacturing, space centres,
aerospace etc, says Anwar.
According to Sagar Maji, professor of mechanical engineering, Delhi Technological University
(DTU), this branch of engineering is the third most sought-after in India. In highly rated Indian
institutes, mechanical is first choice for about 10 per cent of the students, says Maji, who is also
the former head of the nodal centre for National Technical Manpower Information Systems at the
Delhi College of Engineering (now DTU). This is because of lack of awareness about
opportunities, he adds.
During IIT Delhi admissions, seats in computer science and electrical engineering are filled first,
but in other institutes, in the past few years, mechanical engineering has become number one,
Mukherjee says.
What's it about?
One of the oldest branches of engineering, mechanical engineering is about the design, analysis,
manufacture and maintenance of anything that has moveable components. Its sub-divisions are:
a) production these engineers make objects; b) design of mechanical equipment
professionals in this line work on, say, failure prevention and performance design; c) thermal and
fluid sciences those in this area design (air-conditioners, fans, turbines, steam boilers and
power plants) for performance. The best paying industries for this field include aviation and
space, and management consultancy
Clock Work
The average day of a mechanical engineer working in the R&D division of an automobile
company:
7.30 am: Leave for office
8 am:
Breakfast at office canteen
8.15 am: Look at the days activities in the week plan
8.45 pm: Departmental meeting with section head to discuss problems, progress, field
complaints or testing issues
9.15 am: Tea break
9.25 am to 1.15 pm: Talk to design and testing teams about the points discussed in the morning
meeting. Check drawings of parts under development, made by CAD (computer-aided design)
engineers. Go through the simulation and analysis report prepared by design engineers (who are
mostly mechanical engineers and some auto engineers)

1.15 pm: Lunch

1.45 pm: Visit testing lab. Monitor progress of products (e.g. steering, chassis under
development
6.30 pm: Leave for the day
The Payoff
Entry-level salaries range from about Rs. 1.3 lakh to Rs. 3.15 lakh per annum. Pay hikes depend
on your performance and any additional skills you acquire. A mechanical engineer with five to
nine years work experience makes about Rs. 2.2 lakh to Rs. 5.3 lakh per annum
Skills
. Affinity for machinery
. Problem-solving attitude
. Analytical skills
. Innovative approach
. Team spirit
. Physical stamina
How do i get there?
After Plus Two in science (physics-chemistry-maths), do a four-year degree course in a college
or a three-year (four-year part-time) diploma course at a polytechnic. Another option is the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers technician engineers and the associate membership
(sections A and B) examinations. Clearing this will give you a qualification equivalent to a
diploma from a state polytechnic or a degree from an Indian university. The Institution of
Engineering (India), too, conducts such an examination. Getting the best jobs depends on the
level and market value of a mechanical engineers credentials. M Anwar, India entry adviser,
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) India, says that for engineering research or
design positions, it is necessary to earn a PG degree from a major institution, such as an IIT.
For consultancy or management, a degree from an institute like an IIM is desirable
Institutes & urls
. Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur,
Madras, Roorkee, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Mandi, Patnam
Punjab, Rajasthan
http://jee.iitd.ac.in/
. Banaras Hindu University
www.itbhu.ac.in
. ISM (Indian School of Mines) University, Dhanbad
www.ismdhanbad.ac.in
. Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
www.bits-pilani.ac.in
. Delhi Technological University
www.dce.edu
. National Institutes of Technology, Tiruchirapalli, Warangal and Surathkal
www.nitt.edu, www.nitw.ac.in, www.nitk.ac.in

Pros & Cons

. Job options in many different industries
. Your work may contribute to human development/comfort as well as environment
degradation
. Could face high temperature or noise levels at work
Not hit by recession
An expert on the scope in the field
What is the range of work mechanical engineers do today?
Mechanical engineers work in areas ranging from very low temperature cryogenics to high
temperature plasma welding, from automobiles on roads and trains on tracks to extremely
sophisticated satellite launch vehicles and aerospace systems.
It covers a wide spectrum of knowledge domain. In its analytical side, it goes from a simple
estimate of flow of fluids through pipes to complex CFD (computational fluid dynamics)
analysis of multiphase flows. I think mechanical engineering has got a role everywhere.
What are the career prospects?
They can get into highly rated jobs in almost every field of industrial growth. Graduate engineers
are getting jobs on par with postgraduates in management.
How is it a gateway to other fields of engineering?
Mechanical engineering is the mother of all branches of engineering. It forms the base for
design, production and assembly of any component used in any industry, not necessarily those
producing mechanical goods.
A mechanical engineer can have a significant impact on the growth of intelligent manufacturing,
bio-mechanical engineering, online quality and productivity management, energy farming, green
power engineering, molecular manufacturing, etc.
How were job options during recent economic slowdown?
The slowdown may have affected a few branches, but the scenario is still very good for
mechanical engineering. The average (placement) salary in DTU is about Rs. 5.5 lakh a year. The
highest package was Rs. 40 lakh a year in 2007 and Rs. 11 lakh in 2008.