IITs plan executive M Tech course for professionals

NEW DELHI: IITs are considering introducing an executive M Tech course especially for working professionals to ensure more IIT students opt for research work, sources said.

IITs currently offer a twoyear M Tech programme and the institutions pay `12,400 per month as fellowship for M Tech students and charge approximately `20,000 per annum as fee. For the executive M Tech progarmme, IITs have proposed charging fee as per the market rates which will also help them increase their revenue. Fees for M Tech at IITs is currently less than the fees charged at private institutions.

“It was felt that a number of changes should be made and a new executive programme can be introduced. The executive M Tech programme can cater to those who are already working, and can be compressed into a one-year programme, and charged as per market rates,” said a source.

The income from this programme can also help crosssubsidise the regular M Tech programme, so that IITs do not run into losses, explained an official. There are 23 IITs in the country with a total count of 72,000 students. Around 14,000 M Tech students are enrolled in the institutes.

A number of IITs had also reported facing difficulty in retaining their M Tech students as a number of them were quitting the course after landing jobs in public sector undertakings (PSUs). “The M Tech programme is an essential step towards good research work. We want more students to complete their Masters. Generally students get placed after completing their graduation and this programme can cater to such students,” added the source.

At the 155th meeting of IIT directors hosted by IIT-Kanpur in December last year, the directors discussed issues related to introducing executive M Tech.

Directors also discussed encouraging sponsored M Techs by industry and the course could be charged for the actual cost. A number of IIMs and other management schools already offer an executive MBA programme for working professionals.

A committee has been formed comprising three IIT directors: Bombay, Hyderabad and Roorkee to work out the details of the project. The proposal will then be sent to the IIT council, the highest decision making body of the IITs, which is chaired by the HRD minister.