Peer-support, English training help cut drop-out rate in IITs, IIMs

The drop-out rates in premier institutes of higher learning like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) have come down.

This is being attributed to corrective steps like peer-assisted learning and the appointment of advisors to monitor the academic progress.

The drop-out rates in IITs in 2015-16 was 1,626 (2.25 per cent). It dropped to 910 (0.68 per cent) in 2019-20, a report in the Indian Express said. The corresponding figures in IIMs were 1.04 per cent 0.78 per cent. Union Minister for Human Resource Development (MHRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said, “This has been achieved by taking a number of corrective measures to minimise dropouts.”

IIT-Delhi Director V. Ramgopal Rao told the Indian Express that the institute was now focusing on aspects like English language, peer-supported learning, and better campus placements. “Of the dropouts, most left as they could not follow classes as teachers teach in English,” he said.

To resolve this, IITs started classes on English language in 2019 for students. This helped and many scored better in the second year than their first semester,” the director told the newspaper.

The drop-out level in postgraduate courses were higher than the graduate-level courses as the admission system was not in sync with the other institutes, the director said.

IIT-Delhi started a Common Offer Acceptance Portal (COAP) to centralise GATE-based recruitment processes.
It had been reported that each year, 15-20 per cent M.Tech. seats go vacant at IITs.

The IIT-Madras has had no drop-outs since 2018 and the institute is focusing on peripheral skills like language development, sources said.