The IITs, known for their excellence in engineering, science and technology education, also offer several humanities programmes. “As outlined in the charter for the IITs, the central institutes aim to offer solid technical and engineering education with a focus on society and human development, harnessing technical knowledge for the benefit of the marginalised, and understanding the challenges posed by society and human behaviour,” says Mahuya Bandyopadhyay, a professor in the department of humanities and social sciences at IIT-Delhi. “The Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) department was established to complement this larger idea,” she adds. Since their inception in the 1950s, the IITs have included humanities courses in their curriculum. Initially, only a few courses were available, with the primary goal of providing BTech students the opportunity to take humanities electives. Over time the humanities departments expanded to offer a wide array of programmes, emphasising the importance of life skills in professional success and holistic development.
AT IIT-Kharagpur, the HSS department houses several disciplines, including English language and literature, linguistics, economics, German, psychology, history, Sanskrit and sociology. At IIT-Delhi, the department comprises economics, linguistics, literature, philosophy, psychology and sociology. IIT-Madras added three new master’s programmes in 2023 — development studies, English and economics. IIT-Delhi currently offers two master’s programmes — in economics and cognitive sciences.
The cognitive science programme is an interdisciplinary one that offers open electives from other departments, such as electrical engineering and computer science. “A third programme — an interdisciplinary master’s in culture, society and thought — will be launched in March 2024. Discussions regarding undergraduate programmes in HSS disciplines are also underway,” says Bandyopadhyay.
IIT-Bombay offers an undergraduate humanities programme. “The presence of humanities departments at the IITs makes them comprehensive universities. It fosters a well-rounded education, enhancing critical thinking, cultural understanding and communication skills,” says Farhana Ibrahim, who is head of the HSS department at IIT-Delhi.
Sarnali Chatterjee opted for the MA-PhD integrated programme in philosophy at IIT-Bombay. She tells The Telegraph, “The professors are excellent and dedicated, providing a solid foundation.” Chatterjee believes that peer learning occurs through interactions with different students across the institute. The diverse questions and approaches enrich the learning experience, challenging everyone to think differently.
All undergraduate engineering students must take certain credits under the HSS department. “Currently, all BTech students have to get 15 credits in humanities and social sciences, that is, five courses in their entire programme. Students can choose from economics, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, literature and sociology,” says Bandyopadhyay.
Says Chatterjee, “For admission into the philosophy programme at IIT-Bombay, I took the DEEP (Dual-degree Entrance Examination in Philosophy), which had three stages — an objective written test, a syllabus-based interview and a final interview and essay.” Skipping the first round of the process is possible for those who have taken the GATE philosophy exam.
Several students who do their master’s from the IITs enrol for doctoral research either in the IITs or comparable institutes in India and abroad. Those who wish to enter the workforce can get jobs in publishing, think tanks, corporate houses and research institutes. They also apply for jobs in media, advocacy, social entrepreneurship organisations and development consultancy firms.
Joita Das and Anushka Mukherjee did their master’s in society and culture studies from IIT-Gandhinagar. Das is a doctoral student at the National University of Singapore while Mukherjee is a brand strategist at an advertising firm in Mumbai.
“In a context where DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) norms are operational across workplaces in the public and private sectors, the interdisciplinary perspective that degrees in the humanities and social sciences offer have the potential to produce graduates who would be a good fit for such hires,” says Bandyopadhyay.
Last updated on 05 Mar 2024
