New Delhi, Sept. 11: The IITs are considering scrapping a weeding process they practice to expel weak students mid-course, stung by a string of legal challenges and allegations of caste discrimination.

Officials across the IITs have held two rounds of discussions on a proposal to replace expulsion of weak students with performance checks, administrators, including two directors, told the The Telegraph.

Around 10 students are dismissed from each IIT on an average every year for failing to earn a minimum number of credits required at mid-course stages, the administrators said.

An end to the system would mean that students, once admitted, would not be dismissed.

The move follows caste allegations against the IITs — a majority of students expelled during their courses for poor performance belong to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. It also comes at a time when the Supreme Court has held that the IITs cannot “throw out” SC/ST students on the basis of poor performance.

In cases when students are asked to leave, they are given the option to quit the BTech course, and instead opt for a less reputed diploma. Hardly any student opts for it, officials said.

The students argue that as they have cleared the IIT entrance test, their ability to pursue the BTech course cannot be challenged.