IIT Council Plans Major Revamp of MTech and PhD Programmes, Eyes Adaptive JEE Advanced

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are set to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of their MTech and PhD programmes following key recommendations made by the IIT Council, the apex coordination body of the country’s 23 premier engineering institutes. The decision was taken during a Council meeting held in August last year, the first such meeting after a gap of more than two years, amid concerns that the opportunities offered by postgraduate and doctoral programmes remain significantly underutilised.

According to officials, the Council acknowledged that many BTech graduates are reluctant to pursue MTech programmes in India due to limited specialisation options and inadequate exposure to industry internships. To address this, the Council stressed the need to make industry internships a mandatory component of MTech curricula. It also discussed introducing a dual-track MTech structure, with one stream focused on industry engagement and the other dedicated to research, allowing students to choose pathways aligned with either private sector requirements or national research priorities.

The Council further recommended expanding multidisciplinary MTech programmes, blended-mode courses, and product-based MTech degrees that do not mandate academic paper publications. All IITs have been directed to redesign or revamp their MTech curricula in line with their institutional vision and specific needs within the next one year.

In parallel, the IIT Council discussed reforms to make the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced a “better and less stressful assessment.” Among the proposals was the exploration of an adaptive testing model, where questions are dynamically generated and adjusted in real time based on a candidate’s performance and ability.

A significant portion of the meeting focused on the growing impact of artificial intelligence on engineering education. The Council deliberated on how AI would influence curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment methods and research practices. IITs were encouraged to rethink their education systems and develop concrete strategies over the next two to three years to realign engineering education with advancements in AI and emerging technologies.

The Council also deliberated on repositioning PhD programmes across IITs as drivers of innovation, leadership and global competitiveness. IIT Ropar proposed a wide-ranging reform of doctoral education to address long-standing challenges such as extended PhD durations, administrative bottlenecks, limited mentorship and underused infrastructure. A shift towards a “Project-First PhD” model was recommended, with clearly defined research goals, structured timelines and stronger industry collaboration.

To promote interdisciplinary research and international exposure, the idea of networked PhD programmes across IITs and collaborations with global universities was discussed. The proposal also included setting up doctoral academies at each IIT to strengthen mentorship, career development and international engagement, supported by enhanced infrastructure and digital laboratories.

All IITs have been instructed to constitute internal committees to assess the baseline quality of incoming PhD scholars, streamline administrative processes and map research outcomes. The Council further advised institutes to initiate reforms to monitor faculty performance in PhD supervision and link future allotment of doctoral students to demonstrated mentorship quality and outcomes.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education may form a sub-committee to develop a detailed framework for promoting product-based PhDs alongside existing doctoral models. The sub-committee is expected to submit its recommendations to the Chairman of the IIT Council within one month of its formation, signalling a broader push to align advanced research with national innovation and industry needs.