IIT Council Meeting: Early Exit Option For Academically Weak Students On Agenda

A new model of financial autonomy, an option for academically weak students to exit early and empowering the Board of Governors to appoint the chairperson are matters likely to be discussed at today's IIT Council meeting, sources said.

The meeting of the Council, which is the highest decision-making body of all the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), will be chaired by Human Resources Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.

Early Exit Option For Academically Weak Students

The agenda for the meeting also includes a proposal for the IITs to consider providing students an option to exit a course after six semesters rather than dropping out.

Empowering Institutes To Appoint Chairman

According to sources, the Council will consider a proposal to empower the Boards of Governors of IITs to pick their respective members and chairpersons.

"Presently, the HRD Ministry appoints them. This autonomy is on the lines of what has been granted to the IIMs under the new IIM Act," a source said on Thursday.

A new model of financial autonomy will also be discussed in the meeting today.

The IIT Council comprises of top government functionaries, IIT and regulatory officials. It also includes three nominated members of Parliament.

The Council coordinates the activities of all IITs. It is mandated to advise on matters relating to the duration of the courses, degrees and other academic distinctions to be conferred by the institutes, admission standards, and other academic matters.

It is also expected to lay down policies regarding cadres, methods of recruitment, and conditions of service of employees, institution of scholarships, levying of fees, matters of common interest, and to examine the development plans of each institute.

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