Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) director V Ramgopal Rao supported the hike in the Master of Technology (MTech) course fee, and called it a “surgical strike” on “uninterested students”. The record of dropout rate of over 50 per cent in tech programmes at Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), shows that the students treat the courses as a stopgap arrangement till they land a job or crack a competitive exam.
Rao said he believes that the IIT Council’s decision to hike the fee for MTech programmes will address the issue of the much sought-after seats at IITs going to the “uninterested” students and save government funds.