Final Yr Projects Not Mandatory For IIT-M Students

At present, B.Tech students at the IIT-M – Indian Institute of Technology, Madras have the option of skipping the final year project that was till now mandatory and instead take up electives of their choice in Consultant with faculty advisors. The faculty of some of the department felt that the projects should not be made mandatory unless the students took sufficient interest.

Deliberating on the issues, the IIT-M's senate has decided that the students should be given the option of either taking up the project or three or four courses from the electives. Director of IIT-M, Bhaskar Ramamurthi said “Unless there is tremendous motivation, it will be very difficult for every students to do something significant in the project. Not every student is motivated. We can't force motivation”.

Unlike in other technical institutions where groups of students were assigned projects, the students at IIT-M would have to do their project alone. Otherwise, one student would be doing it and the others just watching it. “So, you need a lot of interest to do something very well in four months”, he added.

He said “It was based on the faculty assessment to let interested students take up projects and others do other courses. It can be from any of the electives. Be it theory papers or simulation-based work. The students will have to consult their faculty advisors and take up courses which make some coherent sense (to their area of study and specialization). However, students of M.Tech and Dual Degree Programmes will have to do projects as part of their courses”.

Mr Idichandy, the former deputy director of IIT-M, discussed the issue with Prof. C. Thangaraj, the Vice Chancellor of Anna University of Technology, Chennai said “There is an industry thriving on student projects. It is time the affiliating universities looked at the necessity of the projects.

According to Mr. Idichandy, it is this time engineering colleges in the state followed the IIT-M footsteps but nothing insisting on the final year projects as most of the students in city colleges walk into Ritchie Street to get their projects done. Admitting that they had an discussion on the issue, Mr.Thangaraj said;”It may be good for IITians. In Engineering colleges, the students need to practice what they learn in theory. They need to know how theory can be applied. It is true that the students outsource their projects.

He added that “We need to find solutions for that. The faculty can be trained and provided with facilities and students should be made to do the projects in the college itself”. He said emphasizing that “Final year projects can't be done away with”.

What is your opinion? Is Final Yr Projects Required, If yes Why? If not required, Why do you think so?

Source : The Hindu