IIT Delhi Director R K Shevgaonkar & his students' proud moment

battery-operated wheelchair that helps the
physically-challenged use western toilets, a
biochip that tests milk for pesticide residue,
nanotechnology that keeps garments fresh and
anti-microbial even when one is sweating. The
unique models that the students of IIT-Delhi
showcased at their annual innovation fest,
i2Tech 2013 Open House, in April this year are
ample proof of the innovation encouraged at
the premier institute that has given it a sharp
edge over others. As the IITS monopolise the
top five positions in the India Today-Nielsen
Best Colleges survey this year, IITDelhi
wrenches the first spot from IITKanpur after
three years.
While IIT-Delhi has always been known for its
B.Tech courses, the major focus now is on
research, development and innovation. Last
year, the institute gave close to Rs. 45 crore to
the faculty through internal funding for
advanced research."We want our institute to
be just as famous for its research as it is for
undergraduate studies," says IIT-Delhi Director
R.K. Shevgaonkar. "We awarded 200 PhD
degrees and produced 2,000 research papers
in the last year."
A centre for design and innovation is also
being set up and the institute has plans to start
a policy study programme from the next
academic year. "The course will focus on
research related to policies in different sectors
such as telecom, energy and so on," says S.K.
Kaul, deputy director, strategy and planning.
IIT Delhi is also planning to introduce a core
programme for all engineering students from
this year. Under this, all students irrespective
of their branch of study, would learn the same
subjects in the first year, some of which would
spill into the second year. Not only would a
common grounding in basic subjects provide
for a broad-based education, it would also
help the college implement a more ambitious
plan in a year's time-to allow students to
change their branches, if they want to, at the
end of first year. So far, the branches have
been strictly defined on the basis of JEE
rankings, which may not match a student's
interest. When it comes to placements, few can
beat IIT-Delhi. "Close to 324 companies
offered jobs to 770 students in 2012-13," says
Kaul.
The average salary package was Rs.8.5 lakh per
annum. The remaining 81 students either went
off to pursue higher studies or bagged jobs off
the campus. For an institute that places such a
high premium on the holistic development of
students, it is not surprising that IIT-Delhi
graduates are much in demand.