My name is Kush Goyal and I graduated from IIT Delhi in 2012 as a Textile Engineer. Currently, I am running my software company called sumtracker.com, which is an inventory management software for e-commerce companies. I am writing this letter to provide feedback on my education at IIT Delhi after 13 years of graduating. This letter also includes some recommendations to improve the impact of education at IIT Delhi.

I am really grateful for the opportunity to study at IIT Delhi. Most cherished are the friendships, hostel life, and the inspiring teachers. IIT Delhi education prepares you for seeking excellence in the work you do. Given this single characteristic, we have been able to achieve a lot as a group.

Feedback on Curriculum

I can break down the curriculum into four buckets:

  • General science courses (1st year)
  • Branch-specific engineering courses
  • Engineering electives
  • Humanities electives

General Science

General science courses on advanced topics in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics were really helpful in further enhancing knowledge in these domains. I still remember the course on Quantum Physics, which has helped me learn further on the topic. Each course in the first year enhanced my knowledge and was very engaging. I would rate the first-year education as top-notch.

However, the unnecessary pressure about scoring high to secure a department change does not help in relieving the stress on students while the JEE experience is still fresh. I think more education and counseling are needed on this front to make students focus more on learning than on scoring high.

Branch-Specific Engineering Courses

Branch-specific engineering courses mostly had no or negative impact on my career and knowledge. The reason for this is hardcoded coursework and outdated methods of conducting courses. Some reasons for this are:

  • Coursework requiring students to memorize many facts, figures, and specific content rather than asking them to read research papers
  • Instead of learning the fundamentals of a topic, students are asked to learn specific formulas or instances of concepts

A very clear example of this is in Textile Engineering courses, where we are taught about specific machines to produce yarn and weave threads instead of learning the basics of mechanical engineering that could be used to design and understand any machine. The weaving machine should have been a specific case study rather than the entire coursework.

Another example is the course on textile finishes, where we are required to memorize chemical formulas, names, and application processes. Many textile courses require students to memorize processes.

The textile engineering coursework would not work if any of the courses had open-book exams, since courses without open-book exams are based mostly on memorization.

Among all the textile engineering courses I took, only one course was based on reading research papers and had an open-book exam. I still remember what I learned in that course.

Engineering Electives

My experience with engineering electives is mixed. The concept of obtaining a minor degree is very good. However, the coursework in the second-level courses should be designed to accommodate students from other branches. For example, CSL201 is a very popular course that should be given special attention in its design as the foundational course for students interested in obtaining the minor.

I opted out of getting a minor in Computer Science because I found CSL201 very fast-paced. The first assignment used threads, which does not belong in a CSL201 course at all and seems designed to reduce the student count.

Students use electives to find high-scoring or easy courses without much attention to the learning aspect. I think this stems from the high focus on GPA. Students should be counseled and educated on different tracks they can take when selecting courses—for example, the sustainable materials track, the renewable energy track, etc.

Humanities

For me, the highlight of my IIT education was the humanities courses I took. Here I learned how to read research papers, write technical papers, and delve deep into topics. The focus on learning is very high in humanities courses. Among other things, I think humanities courses are working well for students.

The impact that reading and writing had on me was quite significant in shaping my career and work quality.

Suggestions

I think a fundamental change is required at IIT Delhi to improve the quality of education. Below are some of my suggestions.

Before discussing suggestions, I want to highlight two points:

  • IIT Delhi and our country can no longer rely on IT sector jobs to save our students. Given the advancements in AI, the need for skilled software engineers and related roles has decreased and will continue to decrease.
  • Given our country’s low budget for education and research, we need to find ways to focus on the exceptional and the essential at the same time—exceptional people working on essential problems our nation faces.

Reduce Credits

Many students at IIT are not geared for technical education. Given the huge percentage of students opting to pursue an MBA and enter banking or consulting, this should be acknowledged, and the coursework should be designed to focus on students who are interested in technical education.

Reducing credits and improving course quality is a win for both students who want to skim through and students who want to learn in depth.

The stress on infrastructure is quite high given the number of students and credit requirements. If the coursework per course is of better quality—requiring students to read research papers, prepare reports, and work on projects—we can reduce the number of courses while improving quality.

Reducing credits should enable teachers to focus on dense coursework and spend more time with students.

Open Book and Easy to Pass

It is very important to break the focus on scoring high. The coursework should focus on reading and project work. If students are not worried about failing, they might experiment more when working on projects. Open-book exams eliminate the memorization aspect of coursework.

Revision of Coursework

Every year, the coursework should be revised, and any outdated courses should be removed from the curriculum. The coursework should be revised based on the impact it made on students. Without a proper feedback and revision loop, coursework is bound to become useless for students.

Project Incubation

Our country is severely lacking in solving challenges like sustainability, energy, water, and poverty. IITs were established to tackle these problems by developing domestic technology.

My case is to focus on the 1% of students who are working on projects with the potential to become useful. The projects can be of academic or commercial nature but should solve real problems. With a genuine selection process that conducts due diligence of projects and students, incubation grants can be provided. It might be possible that no project is selected in a given year, which is fine to prevent the program from being gamified.

Conclusion

My feedback is to consider a reformed Bachelor’s program at IIT where the aim is to focus on learning rather than GPA. Students can be counseled to choose a career path so they are not wasting the institute’s resources and vice versa. Students who want to solve technical problems should be helped to form a good foundation to continue their work. The institute should regularly conduct ground reality checks by getting feedback from students and teachers. Coursework should be designed keeping in mind the realistic situation of resources, budget, and our country’s needs.