IIT Delhi drops one set of mid-semester exams

The institute said the move, based on feedback from students and faculty members, is aimed at reducing stress among students

In a bid to reduce stress among students, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi said that it has dropped a set of mid-semester exams, based on feedback from students and the faculty members.

This comes a month after Ayush Ashna, a final-year B.Tech student of IIT Delhi, died by suicide. (HT Archive)

This comes a month after Ayush Ashna, a final-year B.Tech student of IIT Delhi, died by suicide. The institute said in a statement, “IIT Delhi used to have a two-minor plus one-major examination evaluation system. Based on feedback from all students and faculty, the Senate has approved a one-minor and one-major examination evaluation system along with several continuous mechanisms from the ongoing semester onward. A maximum cap of 80% weightage has been kept for the two examinations.”

IIT director Rangan Banerjee said on Thursday said that the institute was trying to find the best practices and changed the exam system. “Earlier, we used to have two minors and a major. We have converted that into a major and minor after a survey,” he said.

He added that the institute is trying to have more dialogue and discussion with students. They are also looking at ways to support students who have issues with language particularly in the first year.